Expand Your Child’s Learning Opportunities!


River Grove is a K-6, tuition-free public charter school in Marine on St. Croix, MN, just minutes north of Stillwater, MN. River Grove’s community school structure, natural surroundings, and small school environment create the ideal blend of social, developmental, and academic benefits for your child. Read our latest news here!
- Our highly educated, experienced, and enthusiastic teachers mean your kids are academically challenged and ready to succeed in their next steps
- Supportive, small school setting
- Enriched band and orchestra meets twice per week and starts in 4th grade
- Extra time at lunch and to play or explore outdoors
- Natural setting takes learning beyond the classroom
- Free busing for District 834 residents
Into the Outdoors

Children need a broad variety of learning experiences and settings. Our stunning forest campus gets students out of traditional classrooms, turning our many alternative learning spaces into a springboard for everyday curriculum. [ READ MORE ]
A Small Community School with Experienced and Dedicated Teachers
Our engaged families and community members partner with our exceptional staff to ensure students succeed academically; are supported socially, emotionally, and physically; and learn in a safe and healthy environment. [ READ MORE ]
A Place Where Children Thrive
Our teacher-powered school empowers your child's educators to determine the curriculum and delivery, enabling innovative, responsive, and personalized teaching methods. Why? Because students are happier and more engaged in their own learning! [ READ MORE ]
Check Out River Grove's Merchandise Store!
Options for both youth and adults include t-shirts, sweatshirts, fleece, masks, and more! As a great bonus, the school receives 15% of all sales as a donation back to the school. [ READ MORE ]
COVID-19 Info for 2021-22
Minnesota schools received updated COVID-19 response guidance for 2021-22 on July 28, 2021. Please read more here.
Next Board of Directors Meeting: Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.
The August 2021 meeting will be in-person in the Commons building on the River Grove campus. COVID-19 protocols will be discussed and may be voted on, with the understanding that the school may not have the authority to make decisions related to certain things like masks and other COVID safety measures if the state issues requirements.
- Contact the board via email with questions and concerns ahead of the meeting (go here for email information).
- To request to address the board during the community comment portion of the meeting, please email the Board Chair or Vice Chair. Please note the School Board’s Public Comment Policy (go here for link).
Current 2021-22 COVID Info
Updated February 27, 2022. This info may be updated frequently.
Dear River Grove Community,
Throughout the COVID pandemic, River Grove’s COVID Task Force has carefully considered recommendations and requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Minnesota Departments of Health and Education. Putting the health and safety of our students, staff, families, and community has been our number one priority and concern. As we have done throughout, River Grove will continue to implement these recommendations as best fit the conditions of our school and continue to use them as a baseline towards our policy.
Please refer to the Mask Update in Effect 2-28-22 post (below) for news.
Thank you,
The COVID Response Team
Links to the Minnesota Department of Health
Recommended COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth Programs, and Child Care Programs
- Click here to open the Decision Tree flowchart only
- Click here for the full document including detailed explanations
Quarantine Guidance for COVID-19 from the Minnesota Department of Health
River Grove’s Masking Guidelines and COVID Mitigation for 2021-22
Updated August 12, 2021. This info may be updated frequently.
Once again, welcome to 2021-22 at River Grove! We are looking forward to and busily planning for a school year that proactively takes advantage of our amazing campus.
The River Grove COVID task force, teachers, administration, and Board of Directors have carefully considered all of the information pertaining to current COVID conditions, and we have listened to viewpoints from our parent community. None of our decisions were made lightly.
River Grove’s mask policy is subject to change due to updated recommendations, requirements, and guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Education, and/or the CDC.
River Grove’s Masking Guidelines
- Follow the strong recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about masking being a critical way to protect children who cannot yet get vaccinated, along with others who are not vaccinated
- Are similar to the current policies of local resident districts 834 and 831 but with stronger emphasis on mask-wearing
- Provide clarification for those opting out of masks, and explain quarantine protocol differences that may be required as a result of not wearing masks
- Could lead to more overall levels of masking and easier/more effective management, which in turn leads to the potential for fewer students on quarantine
- Honor parental choice through the optional waiver
- Allow teachers and staff to know which parents definitely want their children to wear masks
The central point in all of our planning is that our school has many built-in advantages: outdoor classrooms and hallways, fresh air ventilation, and separate buildings that provide “bubbling” advantages. The time spent indoors will be significantly less than in other schools and exposure to multi-grades will be less.
Indoor Masking 2021-22
- In accordance with CDC and MDH recommendations, all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to River Grove are required* to wear face coverings, regardless of vaccination status, while indoors.
- *Exceptions:
- Student Waiver:
- Parent(s) may elect to sign a waiver, allowing a student to not wear a mask for reasons such as documented medical conditions, being vaccinated for COVID-19 or having active antibodies, and parent choice.
- Via the waiver, the parent(s) will acknowledge that quarantine protocols may affect unmasked and masked students differently. In other words, in the event of a COVID exposure, the unmasked student may be required to quarantine while the masked student may not.
- Staff and Volunteer Waiver:
- Staff and volunteers may sign a waiver, exempting them from wearing a mask for reasons such as documented medical conditions, being vaccinated for COVID-19, or having active antibodies.
- Staff and volunteers will be ineligible for waivers if caseloads reach “substantial” or “high level” as defined by the CDC for a period of two consecutive 7-day windows.
- For both student and staff waivers, signers will acknowledge that River Grove’s mask policy is subject to change due to updated recommendations, requirements, and guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Education, and/or the CDC. In addition, the waivers will be void if an agency of the State or Federal government mandates masks in public school buildings.
- If a student does not have a signed waiver, River Grove assumes the parent agrees to the required mask guideline.
- Student Waiver:
- *Exceptions:
- Per Federal and State requirements, masks will be required on all buses.
Outdoor Masking 2021-22
- No masks will be required outside.
- No masks required on pathways/outdoor hallways, including after arrival and during dismissal when outdoors.
- River Grove classes will be outside as much as possible for 2021-22.
River Grove’s Mitigation Strategies
The CDC and MDH strongly recommend that children return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place. River Grove’s mitigation strategies include:
- Students will be outside whenever possible
- Indoor ventilation: Windows and doors will be open as much as possible to allow fresh air in
- Our lunchroom has an industrial-sized ISO-Aire™ commercial-grade air filtration system, and an excellent ventilation system of large windows and ceiling fans
- Classes will maintain cohort “bubbles” especially when indoors
- Weekly testing will be available for students and staff
- We will encourage mask use for students and staff when indoors
- We will continue to clean and disinfect regularly
- Per CDC/MDH guidelines, we will maintain distancing of 3 to 6 feet wherever possible
- Stay home if/when sick
- Please stay tuned for our complete quarantine policy
Important Notes on Masking and Class/School Culture
River Grove’s teachers, administration, and staff are experienced in and aware of the many social-emotional pressures that students face daily. Students who feel their experiences and viewpoints are unwelcome, judged, or stereotyped may not learn in the same way that other students might. River Grove emphasizes the importance of inclusive classroom culture where all students are respected, honored, and feel safe. River Grove has a zero tolerance for bullying of any kind. These policies will apply to mask wearing (or not) and other COVID protocols.
At River Grove we believe that emphasizing positive behavioral traits is an important step in building the character of the students. Our teachers and staff have chosen the acronym “PRIDE” (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discovery, and Excellence) to represent the behaviors we wish to see in students, including respect for those who may make different masking choices. These behaviors will be celebrated and reinforced throughout the year.
We hope that families will participate in focusing on these positive traits at home in partnership with the school.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the School Director, Drew Goodson: dgoodson@marineareaschool.org.
We sincerely thank you for your continued support during this challenging time!
Back to School Info for 2021-22
Welcome to 2021-22 at River Grove!
Please go here to our Back to School page for the most updated information.
Meet River Grove!
May 2022 Budget Workshop, Regular Meeting, and Annual Meeting
The River Grove Board of Directors will be meeting at 5:15 pm for our FY23 Budget Workshop on Monday, May 23, 2022. The meeting will be in the Commons building on the River Grove campus. Both the regular directors meeting and Annual Meeting have been postponed. The date will be…
April 2022 Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be in person on the River Grove campus (Commons building). The agenda will be posted here. Contact the board via email with questions and concerns ahead of the meeting (go here for email information). To request to address the board during…
Spring Clubs are Here!
March 2022 Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be in person on the River Grove campus (Commons building). The agenda will be posted here. Contact the board via email with questions and concerns ahead of the meeting (go here for email information). To request to address the board during…