IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Members of the Iowa City school board voted unanimously to utilize a waiver granted by the state to start the school year with online-only instruction.
Classes will still begin on Tuesday, September 8, but all instruction will be provided virtually for a two-week period. The Iowa Department of Education granted the waiver for virtual instruction to the Iowa City Community School District on Wednesday, August 26, after a request was made the same day.
Dr. Ann Lebo, director of the state’s education department, said the decision to grant the waiver was based on an increasing positivity rate for COVID-19 in Johnson County. On Wednesday, the 14-day average positivity rate was 13.9% for the county, which was lower than the state’s threshold for the waiver. However, Lebo, in consultation with the district, Johnson County Public Health, and the Iowa Department of Public Health, decided it was prudent as a preventative measure to go with virtual instruction.
The 14-day average positivity rate in Johnson County, as of Saturday morning, was 21.1%, according to state data.
The Department of Education’s waiver requires that extracurricular activities, like sports, must be suspended for the duration of the two-week waiver.
The board held a special Saturday morning meeting to discuss the district’s options, culminating in the 6-0 vote in favor of online instruction. Several board members spoke emotionally about the decision, saying it was not made lightly.
The district will make more specific information available by Saturday afternoon. An announcement about school lunch plans, which will be provided, is expected on Monday.
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August 29, 2020 at 11:09PM
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Iowa City school board chooses to start online-only after virus waiver - KCRG
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