Governor orders Iowa businesses, schools to remain closed in month of April

JOHNSTON — The Iowa businesses that Governor Kim Reynolds ordered to close last month must remain closed during the month of April.

“I am also ordering that school closures are extended through April 30th,” she says. “Keeping Iowa students out of classrooms is a very difficult decision — but it remains necessary for now.”

Schools will have to make up classes missed AFTER April 12th unless they come up with plans to conduct classes online or by distributing, collecting and grading paper copies of homework.  “At this time I am not ordering schools to close for the remainder of the school year,” Reynolds says. “…That said, it is also important that Iowa schools do their part to provide continuous learning opportunities for their students and so many school districts have already taken the initiative to do just this.”

School districts have until April 10th to submit their plans for online learning or for summer school. The director of the Iowa Department of Education says schools may come up with different plans different grade levels.