Des Moines, IA -- Two local school districts are considering all-online learning because of high COVID 19 case numbers in Polk County.
West Des Moines
West Des Moines Valley High School announced this weekend that the school building will be closed and all students will temporarily attend classes all-online.
Valley points to an increase in absences due to coronavirus as the reason for the change. Extracurricular activities are also canceled during online classes.
The West Des Moines School Board will meet tonight to consider requesting a waiver from the State Department of Education to move to all-online learning after this week.
Des Moines
The Des Moines Public School District also wants to go to all-online learning.
In an emergency meeting Sunday, the Des Moines School Board voted to allow the district to ask the state for a waiver. The Iowa Department of Education denied the district’s request in August when Polk County’s COVID-19 positivity rate was eight percent. The positivity rate has now doubled to 16 percent.
Des Moines high school students will continue in-school learning this week as part of the district's hybrid learning plan until the state decision comes in.
Photo by Yann Schreiber/AFP on Getty Images