Code No. 907
DISTRICT OPERATION DURING PUBLIC EMERGENCIES
The district believes that student learning is the heart of its core mission. While traditional in-person teaching continues to provide the greatest learning opportunity to all students, there may be rare and unusual circumstances that prevent the school community from convening in traditional in-person settings. At times of a public emergency declared by federal, state or local officials, the district will seek guidance and recommendations from federal, state and local agencies to assist in determining the safety of convening traditional in-person learning.
During a declared public emergency, the school board delegates to the Superintendent the authority to determine whether to close school buildings to traditional in-person learning if the Superintendent determines in-person learning would hinder the health and safety of the school community. The district will instead utilize remote or hybrid learning opportunities permitted by law.
Following guidance and recommendations from federal, state, and local agencies when reasonably possible, the administration will create regulations related to district operations during a public emergency, including, but not limited to, student, employee and visitor safety and security; the use and safeguarding of district property; public meetings and events, and when applicable, measures to prevent or slow the spread of infectious disease.
These measures will be enforced for the period of time of the public emergency, or until thesuperintendent, in consultation with federal, state and local agencies determine it is appropriate for the safety measures to end.This policy is designed to provide further guidance and flexibility to your district to handle closures of in person learning in the event of an emergency. While it is drafted beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy can apply a variety of emergency declarations, including natural disasters that may prevent in person learning from occurring, but would allow flexibility to switch to remote learning.
Legal Reference:
Senate File 2310
Iowa Code ch. 279.8
Approved 7-20-2020 Reviewed 8-17-2021 Revised