Minneapolis Public School students expected back in the classroom Tuesday, pending final union vote on contract

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Minneapolis School District students could be back in the classroom as early as Tuesday, pending a final teachers union vote.

The union and district came to a tentative agreement on Friday, and now it’s up to the Minneapolis Teachers Federation (MFT) to vote on the deal. The voting process is expected to wrap up Sunday afternoon.

Education experts said there could be some hurdles once kids return to the classroom.

“I’ve been kind of just deciding to let life happen,” Luci Miller, South Minneapolis High School senior, said.

It’s Luci’s senior year at South Minneapolis High School, and the 17-year old calls it a year to remember for the wrong reasons.

“Just constant stress, and at some point, you just kind of have to let life do its thing,” she said.

Like hundreds of other students, Miller was locked out of the classroom for 14 days after teachers went on strike.

“They probably needed to be having stability and those basic classes,” Chelsea Miller, Luci’s mom, said.

Luci’s mom said it’s not the senior year she pictured for her daughter.

“I’ve been completely drained and worried,” she said.

MPS students will be welcomed back to a new routine pending board approval.

The district says it will add 42 minutes to each school day after spring break.

The last day of the school year will no longer be June 10. The district has pushed it back to June 24 to make up for missed days.

“It affects the students absolutely. It’s just stressful,” Dr. Muffet Trout, St. Thomas’ School of Education expert, said.

She said getting back in the routine of classes after so much disruption could trigger stress.

“Stress is when our bodies are on high alert, and we’re wondering what’s going to happen next,” Dr. Trout told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

She recommends students take it day by day to get back on track.

“When the students go back to school, there’s that push like ‘let’s get back into routines,’ but then the balance is allowing for transition time,” Dr. Trout said.