As the state rolls into July, schools are preparing to open their doors once again.
Last week, the Iowa Department of Education released guidance for districts on what will be expected of them as kids return to the classroom.
However outside of general common sense guidance, such as keeping staff and students who are ill at home and teaching children to wash their hands regularly, the two-page document of state guidelines doesn't offer any policy suggestions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
To the contrary, the guidelines largely focus on discouraging districts from implementing prevention policies, such as screening students at the door or mandatory mask wearing. For masks in particular, not only are mandatory mask policies not recommended, but the guidelines emphasize preventing the stigma associated with non-use.
At the same time, schools are advised to allow the use of masks and are also instructed to provide appropriate PPE and training to employees to ensure that teachers do not face a stigma for wearing protective equipment.
For schools that do decide to implement a mask policy or any other policy beyond teaching good hand washing habits, the state wants it to be clear that they are acting on their own accord, without the backing of state.
"If a district is going to require more than what Department guidance outlines, they should only do so in consultation with public health and legal counsel," as it says in the guidance. "Schools are reminded that when not using the Department's guidance word for word, they should indicate this was a locally-determined distinction."
More information specifically pertaining to the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows CSD and their re-opening plans will appear in the Monitor in the upcoming weeks.
