The second-largest educational district in Minnesota has decided to introduce a short-term online learning alternative for students, driven by safety concerns due to the heightened activity of federal immigration officers in the Twin Cities area.

Saint Paul Public Schools announced that this virtual learning option is designed for students who feel uneasy about attending in-person classes, with the initiative set to commence on January 22.

On Thursday, families will receive an email containing a registration link for the program.

In preparation for this temporary shift to virtual learning, the district will cancel classes on January 20 and 21, in addition to the pre-planned closure on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On January 14, 2026, students gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul for a walkout, protesting federal immigration enforcement. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty)

The decision to provide a virtual learning option follows a notable decline in student attendance, particularly among those from Spanish-speaking households, as reported by data shared with MinnPost.

On Jan. 9, two days after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis, 51% of students whose home language is Spanish did not show up to school, the outlet reported.

Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley said in a YouTube video posted Wednesday on the Saint Paul Public Schools website that over the past several days, she received hundreds of messages about offering a temporary virtual learning option amid ICE operations in the state.

Community members confront federal agents after an immigration raid that resulted in detentions and followed the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan. 13, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)

“Our goal is to ensure that all students can stay connected to the school whether that is in-person or virtually,” she told parents.

Stanley did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on what criteria would be used to determine when the virtual learning option would end.

Minneapolis Public Schools initially canceled classes on Jan. 8–9 after the shooting death of Good, but said in-person learning at all buildings resumed on Monday.

High school students gather for an anti-ICE protest outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Jan. 14, 2026. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

Both school districts’ decisions to offer virtual learning come amid lingering concerns among educators and parents about academic setbacks and mental health challenges linked to prolonged remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saint Paul Public Schools hasn’t specified how long its temporary virtual option will last, while Minneapolis Public Schools has set a Feb. 12 end date for its own online option.