Governor Kim Reynolds.
Governor Kim Reynolds will soon make clear how the school year may end for Iowa’s K-12 students. Reynolds was asked about the issue during a news conference this afternoon.
“This is Wednesday,” Reynolds said in response. “By tomorrow, I think we’ll be issuing an additional health emergency declaration that will address the very question that you’re talking about.”
In mid-March, Reynolds recommended that schools suspend classes until Monday, April 13th. President Trump has extended federal social distancing guidelines until April 30th, urging Americans not to gather in groups. Reynolds said her day started with a meeting to examine how students may be able to take classes online for the remainder of the school year.
“To really identify what this looks like,” Reynolds said, “and how we can continue to provide learning for students all across the state.”
Last week, the Iowa Department of Education changed rules so schools now may issue grades and credits for classes completed online.
Among Iowa’s neighboring states, Wisconsin’s governor ordered his state’s schools to close, with no date set for reopening. School buildings in Kansas are closed for the rest of the school year. Schools in South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois are currently closed at least through the end of April. All schools in Missouri and Nebraska are closed and the governors of those two neighboring states are allowing local districts to decide when to reopen.