MCSD unsure of Governor’s Return to Learn mandate

     Monticello’s COVID-19 positivity rate (16.7 percent) remains higher than that of Jones County (12.4 percent). And the number of Monticello students absent for COVID-related reasons is up slightly from the week prior:

     • 19 students and two staff in isolation

     • 17 students and one staff in quarantine

     This amounts to less than 4 percent of the student body, and less than 1 percent of the total staff.

     “These are really good numbers,” voiced MCSD Superintendent Brian Jaeger, “but the student numbers are up slightly this week.”

     In addition, in the past week, Jaeger shared that there have been six new cases of COVID-19 in Monticello.            

     “All of these numbers are down,” he commented. “This is a good sign for us all.”

     Jaeger also highlighted Gov. Kim Reynolds’ comments regarding Return to Learn that she shared in her State of the State Address last week before the Iowa Legislature. She asked the legislature to bring about a proposal to mandate 100 percent in-person learning for all public schools in Iowa. Jaeger said the details of the bill are still unclear.

     “It will be hard for us to teach both 100 percent online and 100 percent in-person,” he said. “I am hoping that the bill allows some middle ground so in-person learning does not end online learning. Without our online learning day on Wednesday for all (staff and students), I do not think we can sustain both methods of teaching.”

     Right now there are 155 PreK-12 students participating in either hybrid or full online learning. This is approximately 16 percent of the student population.

     “This number has dropped slightly as students are returning to in-person learning to start the second semester,” noted Jaeger.

     As many as 32 students have returned to in-person learning as of last week.