Masks will now be optional at Des Moines Public Schools following new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the district announced Thursday.
The change in Des Moines’ masking policy goes into effect immediately. The district will also not require masks on buses. Students and educators may still choose to wear a mask at school.
“DMPS had always tried to follow the science throughout the pandemic and, today, the science tells us it’s time to safely make this transition,” said Phil Roeder, the district’s spokesperson.
The shift for the state’s largest school district is exceptional, given it was the first district to put in place a mask mandate for students after a judge blocked a law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds that prohibited local governments and schools from mandating facial coverings.
The CDC rates Polk County’s transmission low enough that masks are not needed at this time, Roeder said.
Masks will still be required at schools with preschool students, a district news release states.
More:Des Moines joins the crowd, drops mask requirements in official buildings
This includes four early childhood centers – McKee, Mitchell, Taylor and Woodlawn – along with five elementary schools: Capitol View, Cowles, McKinley, Moulton, and Walnut Street.
The reasoning is 4-year-olds are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
More:More than 70% of Americans can take off their masks indoors under new guidelines
The district plans to revisit whether preschool students should mask following spring break.
Iowa mask mandate ban lawsuit still in play
While Des Moines schools is among the last to drop a full mask mandate, the argument over whether Iowa school districts can ask students, staff and visitors to mask continues to work its way through state courts.
Related:Des Moines Public Schools drops mask mandate following federal changes
In May, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill banning mask mandates in Iowa schools, cities and counties. In September, the disability rights group Arc of Iowa and a group of parents of students with disabilities filed a lawsuit against Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Education and several school districts, including Ankeny, Iowa City and Johnston.
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ruled the injunction was too broad and sent it back to lower court for revision and to be narrowed.
Following this ruling, school districts across the state began dropping the requirement.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.
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