Student participation has varied in the voluntary learning opportunities offered across almost all of Iowa by K-12 schools during the building closures related to COVID-19.

Pella Superintendent Greg Ebeling says preliminary numbers indicate some disparity in participation levels across different grades and subject materials. He presented the following numbers to the Pella School Board this week:

Student Participation of Voluntary Learning Opportunities
-K-3 – Overall around 90% participation
-4-6 – Overall 50-75% participation- varies with content area
-7-8 – Overall 75-80% Participation in at least half the subjects
-9-12 – Overall around 50% participation

Ebeling says the importance of figuring out a program now is to ensure the district is ready in case more school closures come this fall or winter. Additionally, Governor Kim Reynolds has waived the school start date requirement of classes beginning no sooner than August 23rd, and Ebeling says district administrators are drafting potential options as it relates to getting classes back sooner sometime in mid-August.