ICCSD sets tougher guidelines on in person learning

Hunter
09/03/20

The Iowa City Community School District has set guidelines for in-person learning, and are setting tougher standards than those set by Governor Kim Reynolds.

The Press-Citizen reports that the district will request a waiver from the state to move to at home-exclusive learning if the COVID-19 positivity rate in Johnson County hits 10 percent for a three-to-five-day period, the district has an absentee rate of 10 percent for students or faculty for two consecutive days, or both.

The threshold is tougher than the one the governor says she’ll use to determine whether a waiver is granted; she says schools must have at least 50 percent of their classes on campus unless the county positivity rate is 15 percent for a two week period and absenteeism hits 10 percent.

Iowa City Schools and the union representing its teachers are suing the state, challenging their authority to mandate when schools can or cannot opt for remote learning. A temporary injunction hearing will be held at 1:30 this afternoon.

The board and superintendent Matt Degner will re-evaluate the guidelines and the current status of coronavirus infections in the county every two weeks to determine if they plan to request another waiver; the next scheduled evaluation will take place next week.