Ankeny school board listens to parents' concerns on face masks this year
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Updated: 10:17 PM CDT Aug 3, 2021
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Updated: 10:17 PM CDT Aug 3, 2021
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LAURA: TONIGHT THE ANKENY SCHOOL BOARD STARTED DISCUSSIONS ON THEIR RETURN TO LEARN PLANS RFO THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. POLK COUNTY AND MUCH OF THE METRO IS CONSIDERED HIA TRANSMISSION AREA FOR CORONAVIS.RU KCCI’S LAUREN JOHNSON IS LIVE IN ANKENY TONIGHT. AND LAURE PN,ARENTS EXPRESSED THEIR THOUGHTS AT THAT MEETING. LAUREN: PARENTS WERE VERYETING. PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AND STOOD BEFOREHE T BOARD TONIGHT. PARENTS EMASPHIZED THE NEED FOR EACH STUDENT TO HAVE THE CHOICE TO MASK THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. THE DISTRICT WILL ONLYE ENCOURAGING MASK WEARING AS A LAW SIGNED IN MAY PROHIBITS MANDATES BY SCHOS.OL RIGHT NOW, PLANS ARE UNDERWAY TO CREATE A REMOTE LEARNINGPTN O FOR STUDENTS THAT NEED IT BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN FINALIZED. THE MAIN GOAL WILL BE TO KEEASP MANY STUDENTS LEARNING IN-PERSON AS POSSIBL >> THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVEHE T GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE ABOUT MASKS, AND REGARNGDI PRIORITIZING IN-PERSON LEARNING. OUR TEACHERS WILL REALLY BE FOCUSING ON THAT IN-PEONRS LEARNING AND TONIGHT WE’LL BE DISCUSSING THE REMOTE OPTIONO T SUPPORT SOME OF THE HEALTH NDSEE OF OUR STUDENTS AS WEL L. LAUREN: THE ANKENY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL HOST A BACK-TO-SCHOOL FORUM NEXT MONDAY AT SOUTHVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HEAR FROM THE COUNMMITY ON HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SCHOOL YEAR LOOK. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE IOWA STATE EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON HOW EDUCATORS WANT CLASSROOMS TO LOOK THIS YEAR. AS DELTA VARIANT CASES RISE AND MUCH OF THE STUDENT BODY IS UNVACCINATED, CONVERSIONSAT HAVE SWIRLED AROUND MANDATING VACCINES. AT THIS TIME, THE UNION YS AREN’T ANY PLANS TO DO SO BUT WITH DATA CHANGING EVERY DAY, THINGS CAN CHAE. >> IT IS VERY IMPORTT RAN ANYONE WHO IS WORKING CSEIN PROXIMITY TO LARGE NUMBERS OF INDUVIDUALS TO SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING VACCINAT. AND SO YES, WE ARE ENCOURAGI OUR MEMBERS TO BE VACCINATED BUT IT’S STILL A PERSONALHOE. C LAUREN: IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR COVID-19 MITIGATION STRATEGIES BI-ANNUAY.LL THE STATE DEPARTMENTF O EDUCATION AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COULD IMPLENTEWME GUIDANCE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT T