Des Moines, IA -- All students in one metro Des Moines school district will be required to wear face masks, instead of face coverings, starting next week.
In response to rising cases of COVID-19 in Polk County, the West Des Moines School District made the face mask decision in a special meeting Wednesday night.
The school says they looked at student and staff absences, COVID positivity rates by zip code, and considered online only learning before landing on the new requirement.
More than two-thirds of the state's 99-counties now have positivity rates that allow districts to apply for online only learning and several of the states largest districts now fall in that category.
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