St. Paul Public Schools is suspending hybrid learning and other in-person programming as COVID-19 cases rise sharply in Ramsey County.

"The numbers are going only one direction: up," Superintendent Joe Gothard wrote Friday in a website posting.

The announcement came the same week that Minneapolis Public Schools dialed back its after-school tutoring and other in-person services, and Anoka-Hennepin, the state's largest district, said that it would be shifting its elementary students to distance learning beginning Nov. 30.

St. Paul's move takes effect Monday and will find special-education students returning to distance learning until Jan. 19, at the earliest. In addition, the district is modifying operations at its academic support center at Washington Technology Magnet School on the North End.

On Tuesday, district administrators had pointed to in-person services at the academic support center as key to efforts to get struggling high school seniors back on track to graduation. The center has been providing in-person academic and social-emotional supports to younger students, as well.

Also affected is Discovery Club daycare, which will be suspended at the end of the day next Thursday.

Data released Thursday showed Ramsey County reaching 50 COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents.

Gothard said the district had no current concerns about the spread of COVID in its schools, but that more staff are staying home, making it difficult to provide basic services to students.

Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-4109