Prekindergarten through second-grade students in the Esko school district will return to in-person learning effective Jan. 19, following both the recommendation of Gov. Tim Walz and a unanimous vote by the Esko school board Monday night.

The governor — a teacher for more than 20 years — announced last week that the state’s Safe Learning Plan had been updated to allow every elementary school across the state to return to in-person learning effective Jan. 18, as long as they can implement additional safety measures. Those include requiring staff to wear face masks and face shields at al...