Reprimand letter ends Iowa superintendent’s virus dispute

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE
August 5, 2021

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district said he’s pleased about the resolution of complaints against him over the district’s refusal to return students to in-person classes last year during a surge in coronavirus cases.

Des Moines Superintendent Thomas Ahart said he’s eager to focus on issues facing the district rather than defending himself against complaints affirmed by the state Board of Educational Examiners. The panel found that the district violated the law by not immediately complying with Gov. Kim Reynolds’ order for all schools to offer in-class options for students.

On Wednesday, the board approved an administrative law judge’s decision in June that Ahart should have a letter of public reprimand placed in his permanent licensure file. The judge denied the state’s request that Ahart be required to complete 15 hours of ethics training.

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School districts across the country dealt with disputes last year as they tried to balance safety with student learning. But the controversy in Des Moines stood out because the district’s stance contrasted so markedly from the Republican governor’s demand that students have the option of returning to the classroom before vaccines were available, including to teachers. The dispute happened at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year as Iowa faced some of the nation’s highest rates of coronavirus infections.

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