West DSM News

Schools in central Iowa will continue after spring break, a decision that comes after a joint statement was offered by the school districts following a meeting on March 13.

The meeting, which included representatives from the governor’s office and district leaders, was dominated by the COVID-19 agenda and how it might affect the learning institutions, according to Dallas County News.

“In light of recent university and public school closures, central Iowa school district leaders met Friday, March 13, to collaborate and develop a consistent message for our broader communities,” the statement said. “At this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our families and staff to resume school as planned after spring break.”

Woodward-Granger, Waukee, Van Meter, Dallas Center-Grimes, and ADM were among the school districts involved in the meeting.

The statement touched on the importance of keeping the children safe and monitoring the ongoing conditions.

“Student and staff safety remains our top priority. We all look to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for their expertise and direction. IDPH currently believes the risk to our student and staff population is low,” the statement continued. “We will continue to partner with IDPH and follow their standard protocol for reportable illnesses.”

According to the statement, among the actions to be taken would include shutting down a specific building, district, and if things get out of hand, maybe a region of schools.

The Iowa Department of Education, Polk County Health Department, and the governor’s office will continue to collaborate with the area districts regarding this matter.

To help update the community regularly, a website containing past and future COVID-19 updates was created by ADM.

Schools cleaning and disinfecting practices have been improved in an attempt to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.