The Iowa Senate has passed a measure related to education and the debate of in-person vs. virtual learning for students, which has been signed by the governor.

District 40 State Senator Ken Rozenboom says Senate File 160 requires schools to offer full-time, in-person instruction options for parents who select it for their students.

“We know that a few students perform quite well with on-line and hybrid teaching arrangements, while many others struggle when not in the classroom with direct, in-person teaching. Most of our Iowa schools have done a great job of working through the challenges of the pandemic, but a few have simply refused to offer an in-person option for families.”

That rule goes into effect on February 15th, according to Rozenboom. He argues that all schools in his district have moved forward with in-person classes for the majority of students, with moves to hybrid or virtual models coming when COVID-19 issues arose — and feels kids left at home for full-time lessons are having their learning restricted. Opponents have argued the Governor and Republicans are removing local control from school boards and administrators, and forcing children and teachers into buildings while the pandemic continues.

Tune into 92.1 KRLS Tuesday to hear more about issues related to education in the Iowa Senate.