Reynolds Announces School Will Not Resume This School Year
(Des Moines) — Students will not be returning to school this year. That was the message delivered Friday morning by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during her daily COVID-19 briefing.
The governor did say she encourages all school districts to continue with their mandatory and voluntary education programs through the end of the school year. Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo provided additional information as to what will be the expectations for the state’s school districts. Lebo says closing schools through the end of the year is not an easy decision, and she realizes the challenges it creates. Lebo says with the continuation of schools being closed, it also means the cancellation of any spring sports activities.
Lebo says school districts must now begin creating a plan to return to classes for next fall.
The Education Department Director says she realizes the year 2020 has been tough for the state’s senior class.
Lebo says the landscape of teaching has certainly changed as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus. She says schools may be forced to find ways to extend teaching through on-line methods for the future.
Lebo announced that Governor Reynolds has waived the late August date for schools to start, hoping that schools will be able to have the opportunity to catch up on the lost education. When asked by a news reporter about whether students will be, or should be, held back and repeat the class, Lebo says that would be a local decision with school district’s administrators and board of education.
Webner Comments On Governor’s Announcement For Cancelling School
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community School District superintendent, Dr. Steven Webner says since school will not resume this spring, he says efforts will continue for the voluntary educational program.
Webner says he believes a good majority of the students are participating in the voluntary education program offered through the school.
Webner says most school districts across the state are participating in the voluntary education program as one of the options required by the Iowa Department of Education.
The school superintendent says it would have been nearly impossible to impose a required mandatory educational program while closed during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Webner says another challenge for the school in why they chose the voluntary education program is because of the high number of non-English speaking students.
During upcoming news updates, we will feature additional comments from the Le Mars Community School superintendent.
Reynolds Says She Is Not Ready To Open The State For Business
(Des Moines) — Governor Kim Reynolds says she will use a phased-in approach as she lifts the limits she’s placed on public gatherings and business activities – but she’s not giving a timetable for when she’ll announce her decisions.
But Reynolds says the state has not yet started to see a consistent daily decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and she’s not ready to announce when her orders may be lifted. Iowa bars and restaurants have been closed since noon on March 17th, although take out and curb-side service is allowed.
Fitness centers, hair salons, and a variety of other businesses were later added to the closure list that’s currently in effect through April 30th.
Reynolds says the speed at which testing capacity can be expanded in the state is another factor in when businesses may be allowed to reopen.
Reynolds says the plans she and her staff have drawn out for reopening the Iowa economy are in line with the approach President Trump discussed with the nation’s governors on Thursday. Reynolds is again hinting she may allow
business activity to resume first in counties and regions of the state where confirmed COVID-19 cases remain low. Earlier Friday Reynolds announced schools will not reopen in May.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Increases
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa’s unemployment rate increased to three-point-seven percent last month which marked the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The state’s jobless rate was two-point-eight percent in January and February. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend said, “the unemployment rate in March only reflects the very beginning of the impact of the substantial increase in unemployment claims we have seen since March 16th, however the more reflective month will be April.” The number of unemployed Iowans jumped to 63-thousand-500 in March from 49-thousand-300 in February. Around 214-thousand people have applied for unemployment benefits over the past four weeks.
State Health Officials Confirm 191 More COVID-19 Cases, 4 Deaths
(Des Moines, IA) — Another 191 positive tests increases the total of confirmed COVID-19 cases to two-thousand-332 in Iowa. State health officials say four more Iowans have died from coronavirus complications in Black Hawk, Scott, Tama and Washington counties. The state’s death toll now stands at
64. One-hundred-83 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 while more than a thousand are no longer in isolation. There have been 19-thousand-460 negative coronavirus tests. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health website, Plymouth County now has six confirmed positive cases of COVID-19.
University of Northern Iowa Reports Employee Positive Test For COVID-19
(Cedar Falls, IA) — The University of Northern Iowa says one of its employees has tested positive for COVID-19. U-N-I President Mark Nook said in a that the employee self-reported Friday, was last on the campus more than 30 days ago and has been self-isolating at home. Nook says he sent the notification because it was the first confirmed case at U-N-I and because
the person reached out to report their illness. No other information about the employee was released.
DOC Investigating 2 Fights at Fort Dodge Prison
(Fort Dodge, IA) — The Iowa Department of Corrections is investigating two fights involving prisoners Thursday morning at the Fort Dodge prison. The first incident happened around 9:30 in the main yard between two groups of inmates. The inmates refused to follow verbal commands and the responding
officers then used pepper spray to gain control of the situation. A second fight broke out between two groups of inmates at another part of the facility. Security staff was able to get control of the situation by using verbal commands. A total of 14 inmates were involved in the two incidents and no injuries were reported.
