DES MOINES, Iowa (KMTV) — After two judges found the state has the authority to impose its rules on local school districts, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds urged Des Moines school officials to give up their effort to educate all students remotely and develop a plan for children to return to in-person classes.
Reynolds on Thursday said the state’s largest district is alone in refusing to develop a plan for in-classroom instruction and noted that judges in Polk and Johnson counties this week affirmed the state has the authority to require local districts to hold in-person classes, even if there are increased health risks from the coronavirus.
The governor spoke on a day when Iowa saw 819 confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and 20 additional deaths.
In a release from the governor's office, it was announced that a disaster proclamation for derecho-impacted communities will continue:
The proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Audubon, Benton, Boone, Cass, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Dallas, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Madison, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama, and Washington counties.
In addition, the proclamation temporarily suspends regulatory provisions pertaining to weight limits and hours of service for disaster repair crews and drivers delivering goods and services and the movement of loads related to responding to the severe storm system throughout the state of Iowa.
You can watch the full press conference below:
