Des Moines Schools to start Re-Registering Students for In-Person Classes

DES MOINES, Iowa - Des Moines Public School students can start re-registering for classes with the district's plan for moving to in-person learning in place.

Re-registration starts Thursday, with students being split into two groups that alternate days of the week onsite.

The current plan staggers the start dates for in-person classes, with high school students not scheduled to return until November.

The Des Moines School Board is meeting next Monday to finalize its COVID-19 policy to allow in-person learning.

The school board's current proposal to permit onsite classes requires Polk County's 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate to be 7.5% or less. The county's rate is currently 7.0%

The proposal is in conflict with the state's requirement for half of all classes to be in-person unless the district's positivity rate is 15% or higher, and schools have an absenteeism rate of 10%.

Governor Kim Reynolds has been highly critical of the district's ongoing non-compliance with the state guidelines. Most mid-western states allow local districts to determine when classes are safe to be in-person.

Des Moines is the only school district in Iowa to not be in compliance with the state. The Department of Education has indicated it will take action against the district for its defiance. Des Moines schools could be forced to make up the days spent in online classes at a cost of $1.5 million per day.

The new re-registration process in the Des Moines district will remain open until at least October 4th.


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