Le Mars Community School Decides To Wait On Imposing Mask Mandate

(Le Mars) — Several changes have occurred within the last few days regarding the use of masks and face coverings for schools.  It was last spring when the Iowa legislature passed a bill that stated masks would not be required for schools and other public places.  Governor Kim Reynolds then signed that bill and it became law.  Jump ahead to the last few days and weeks, where the number of COVID cases and its variants have been on the increase, especially with people who are not vaccinated against the virus.  On Monday, a federal court judge handed down the ruling to stop the implementation of the mask law.  Since that time, the Des Moines school district and Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids school districts have gone back to having a mask mandate for all students, faculty and staff.  What about the Le Mars Community School District?  During Monday evening’s monthly school board meeting, the topic of masks was not listed on the agenda, and the school board did not mention the issue, and there were no parents that attended the school board meeting asking about whether or not masks would again be required inside the Le Mars Community school system.  Dr. Steven Webner, the school superintendent for Le Mars Community, says recent actions have placed school officials in a difficult position.

Webner says Le Mars Community has been fortunate not to see a big surge of new positive COVID cases.

Webner says, he and school board officials, have heard parents express opinions that reflect both strong sides of the mask mandate issue.

The Le Mars Community School Superintendent says there have been some parents who have decided to home-school their children, or request on-line remote education, as a result of the COVID virus outbreak.

Webner says the situation is constantly changing, and he asks that parents be cooperative with school officials as they are constantly wrangling with the issue.