Lang
12/9/20
Iowa City Community Schools are planning to return to a hybrid learning model next week as they await word on another waiver application sent to the state.
The district is currently operating under a two-week waiver that expires on Monday. State officials declared before the school year that school districts must request a waiver from the state in order to pursue two weeks of online-only classes, and must show the positivity rate in their county is at least 15%. The Iowa City district suggests online-only learning for a 14-day positivity rate of 10% or higher. Johnson County was showing a positivity rate of 8% as of Wednesday morning, with an 11% rate over the last two weeks. District officials hope the downward trend continues, taking the 14-day positivity rate below the 10% threshold by Monday.
As of Wednesday morning, the Iowa City district’s online COVID-19 dashboard showed 15 students and eight staff members reporting testing positive for the virus. 43 students and eight staff members are quarantining due to possible COVID-19 exposure. There are no current school, classroom or extracurricular activity closures being reported.
District officials say they plan to let families know by Friday if the waiver has been granted. If so, students would continue to learn from home for at least another week.
The hybrid learning model has some students inside classrooms on Mondays and Tuesdays and others on Thursdays and Fridays. The two groups alternate Wednesdays, and learn virtually on the days they aren’t inside the classroom.
