Des Moines Public Schools approved a new set of COVID-19 metrics on Wednesday night, clearing the way for students to potentially return to in-person learning this month.
The school board voted to begin a phased reopening of classrooms started with preschools on October 12, with elementary schools following on October 19. Middle school students would be back to in-person learning on October 26, and high-school students would return on November 10.
Students would learn via a hybrid model if the COVID-19 positivity rate in Polk County is between 5 to 10%, there are 11 to 99 positive cases are reported per 100,000 people, and student and staff absenteeism is below 10%.
Under this model, students would be split into two groups and attend in-person classes two days in one week, then three days the next week.