Esteemed Members of the School Board,

This Friday, November 17th is a momentous occasion earned through hard work, determination, and sacrifice. Many plan to and many are coming to support our Football team at the US Bank.

I am requesting that Friday, November 17th be turned into an online learning day for the High School.

A large population of the student body plans to attend the event, and a large portion of staff wish to attend, 83 percent wanting to attend. There are simply not enough substitutes to cover 83 percent of the staff who wish to attend this event.

An online learning day would allow academic productivity to continue. A day off would require students to catch up when they return on Monday. For such a large amount of students, teachers would likely spend Monday catching everyone else up. And if school were to be in-person, productivity would be low between students and staff.

There is no loss in a school calendar day by taking an online learning day.

In my eyes, and the eyes of my constituents, the elementary school is a separate entity in this regard. They have activity days for themselves, that the high school and middle school do not participate in, which is okay as they are separate entities. The High School should be able to have days just for the High School and Middle School in the event of activities making it to State. 

Another question arises of equity to all activities.

We cannot solve the past inequities, but we can establish traditions and values that honor each activity that earns its spot in a state competition. Further deliberation can decide how we can honor those activities with an online learning day. Occasions similar to these do not occur frequently, nor on a whim.

Change has already been occurring, we have established new traditions with state send-offs and values of equity between all activities. An online learning day would be a great compromise for all activities while honoring the activity and equity between them.

Academic productivity is still being achieved as students can work on what they need to when they have time after the said activity. 

The school already sponsors ways to get to the event, so the school should allow an online learning day for this state event and future state events. 

Many wish to go, we can establish equity from here on out, and academic productivity can stay increasing with the introduction of online learning days for such events.

I call upon you,

The Student Body calls upon you,

The community calls upon you,

Consider making this Friday, November 17 an online learning day for the High School and for future state events.

**Editor’s note: this speech was spoken by Corbin Schroeder at the Cannon Falls School Board meeting on November 13. The school board ultimately decided to keep the day under the status quo, and they will not make November 17 an online learning day.