UPDATE: All of Iowa’s largest school districts have adopted this policy. Please let me know about any districts that should be added to the list below.
More than 150 Iowa school districts, including nine all of the ten largest, will pay hourly workers while schools are closed to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the leading union representing Iowa education workers.
However, school districts in hundreds of communities, including Davenport and Sioux City, have not made that commitment, the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) contends.
While most teachers and administrators are salaried employees, school districts also employ many hourly workers, such as custodians, bus drivers, clerical staff, teachers’ assistants, or those preparing and serving lunches. In a written statement, ISEA President Mike Beranek called on all school boards to direct administrators “to continue regular wage payments to all hourly staff until it is safe for all staff and students to return to school.”
“We are in uncharted territory. The health and safety of our students, staff and communities is our top priority. Following Governor Reynolds direction and guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to distance persons and keep public gatherings to less than 10, Iowa public schools have responded appropriately by closing for the near future.
“What is not appropriate is punishing the hardworking employees by withholding their paychecks for a situation that is out of their control.
“We are asking all school districts to do the right thing: Continue to pay the wages of all your employees.”
Of the state’s ten largest public school districts, eight nine have said they will pay hourly employees for the duration: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Council Bluffs, Waterloo, Ankeny, and West Des Moines. UPDATE: Davenport administrators informed staff on March 19 that they will keep paying wages as well.
Sioux City is Iowa’s largest school district that has not made the commitment, according to information the ISEA provided to Bleeding Heartland. The ISEA is adding to its list on a daily basis, and I will update this post as needed. UPDATE: The Sioux City school board voted to adopt this policy on March 20.
If your school district is not mentioned below, consider contacting your school board members and superintendent (with appropriate social distancing, via phone or email) to urge them to pay employees who are unable to work due to a public health emergency.
Appendix: Iowa school districts that have committed to paying hourly workers during the COVID-19 shutdown, according to the Iowa State Education Association as of March 19
Des Moines Public Schools
Cedar Rapids Community School District
Center Point-Urbana Community School District
Central City Community School District
Clear Creek Amana Community School District
College Community School District
Iowa City Community School District
Linn-Mar Community School District
Lisbon Community School District
Marion Independent School District
Mount Vernon Community School District
Solon Community School District
Springville Community School District
Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District
West Branch Community School District
West Liberty Community School District
Burlington Community School District
Central Lee Community School District
Keokuk Community School District
Mount Pleasant Community School District
WACO Community School District
Washington Community School District
West Burlington Independent School District
Bettendorf Community School District
BCLUW Community School District
Dike-New Hartford Community School District
Jesup Community School District
South Tama County Community School District
Union Community School District
Waterloo Community School District
Andrew Community School District
Bellevue Community School District
Central DeWitt Community School District
Delwood Community School District
Dubuque Community School District
Maquoketa Community School District
Midland Community School District
Monticello Community School District
Western Dubuque Community School District
Creston Community School District
Harlan Community School District
Madrid Community School District
Nodaway Valley Community School District
Woodward-Granger Community School District
Ames Community School District
Ballard Community School District
Baxter Community School District
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District
Colfax-Mingo Community School District
Collins-Maxwell Community School District
GMG Community School District
Grinnell-Newburg Community School District
Marshalltown Community School District
Nevada Community School District
Clinton Community School District
Durant Community School District
Muscatine Community School District
Wapello Community School District
Cedar Falls Community School District
Clayton Ridge Community School District
Decorah Community Schools
Denver Community School District
Dunkerton Community School District
East Buchanan Community School District
Independence Community School District
Janesville Community School District
Keystone Area Education Agency
Nashua-Plainfield Community School District
New Hampton Community School District
North Fayette-Valley Community School District
Postville Community School District
South Winneshiek Community School District
Tripoli Community School District
Turkey Valley Community School District
Alta-Aurelia Community School District
Galva-Holstein Community Schools
George-Little Rock Community Schools
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District
Lawton-Bronson Community School District
Le Mars Community School District
MMCRU Schools
Schaller-Crestland Community School
Sheldon Community School District
Sibley Ocheyedan School District
Sioux Center Community Schools
South O’Brien School District
West Lyon Community School District
Ankeny Community School District
Carlisle Community School District
Des Moines Area Community College
Norwalk Community School District
Saydel Community School District
Southeast Polk Community School District
West Des Moines Community School District
Northwest Area Education Agency
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community Schools
Western Iowa Teach Community College
Indianola Community School District
Interstate 35 Community Schools
Seymour Community School District
Southeast Warren Community School District
Waukee Community School District
Clarinda Community School District
Council Bluffs Community School District
Glenwood Community School District
Missouri Valley Community School District
Cardinal Community School District
Centerville Community School District
Davis County Community School District
Fairfield Community School District
Mid-Prairie Community School District
North Mahaska Community School District
Oskaloosa Community School District
Ottumwa Community School District
Pekin Community School District
Tri-County Community School District
Van Buren County Community School District
Algona Community School District
Emmetsburg Community School District
Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District
Gilmore City-Bradgate Community School District
Graettinger-Terril Community School District
Newell-Fonda Community School District
North Kossuth Community School District
North Union Community School District
Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency
Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District
South Central Calhoun Community School District
Spencer Community School District
Spirit Lake Community School District
West Bend-Mallard Community School District
AGWSR Community Schools
Iowa Falls-Alden School District
CAL Community School District
Charles City Community School District
Clarksville Community School District
Eldora-New Providence Community School District
Fort Dodge Community School District
Hampton-Dumont Community School District
Howard-Winneshiek Community School District
Lake Mills Community School District
Mason City Community School District
North Butler Community School District
Osage Community School District
Riceville Community School District
Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Community School District
Albia Community School District
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District
Atlantic Community School District
Carroll Community Schools
Sigourney Community School District
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community Schools
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District
Allamakee Community School District
Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District
West Central Community Schools
Clarke Community Schools
Pleasantville Community School District
Winterset Community School District
UPDATE: Sources from around the state report that other school districts have announced plans to keep paying staff during the school closures. They are:
Davenport Community School District
Webster City Community Schools
Starmont Community School District
West Delaware Community School District
Louisa-Muscatine Community School District
Northeast Community School District
Clear Lake Community School District
SECOND UPDATE: The IKM-Manning school board approved this policy on March 19. The Urbandale school board is scheduled to vote on a proposal on March 23. Keep the tips coming.
MARCH 20 UPDATE: Adding more to the list, thanks to additional information from readers and the ISEA.
Johnston Community School District
Pleasant Valley Community School District
Sioux City Community School District
Boone Community School District
Adel-DeSoto-Minburn Community School District
Audubon Community School District
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District
Central Decatur Community School District
Central Springs Community School District
Corning Community School District
Denison Community School District
Greene County Community School District
Harris-Lake Park Community School District
Humboldt Community School District
Iowa Lakes Community College
LuVerne Community School District
Manson-Northwest Webster Community School District
MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District
North Cedar Community School District
Northeast Iowa Community College
Ogden Community School District
Okoboji Community School District
Sioux Central Community School District
Villisca Community School District
Wapsie Valley Community School District
West Fork Community School District
West Hancock Community School District
MARCH 22 UPDATE: Keep the tips coming. Adding more:
Knoxville Community School District
Danville Community School District
Top photo by “Thor360” of East High School in Des Moines, taken in October 2013 and available via Wikimedia Commons.