DES MOINES, Iowa — A Polk County judge denied Des Moines Public Schools' (DMPS) motion for an injunction this week to start the school year 100% online.
What does this mean for seniors preparing to graduate?
According to the Iowa Department of Education, DMPS students will be able to graduate so long as they get credit for their classes. Local school districts determine if a student passes or fails.
What the district's move online without a waiver could do is impact future classes. That would happen if, at the end of the year, DMPS doesn't have 180 days or 1,080 hours of instruction.
Right now, the district's instruction hours aren't being counted because they moved to online learning without permission from the state.
If the district makes up the days where 100% online learning took place, then they will no longer be out of compliance with that requirement.
Local 5 reached out to the Iowa Board of Education to see what could happen if DMPS loses accreditation.
DMPS board members are meeting Wednesday night in closed session to discuss the next move for the district as it navigates mitigation efforts in the middle of the pandemic.
The district is planning to hold a work session on Thursday at 5:45 p.m. The link to watch is available here.
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