Des Moines Public School superintendent Thomas Ahart sent a message to staff on Monday. He acknowledged the ruling issued by Judge Robert Pratt.
“I am issuing a mask mandate effective Wednesday, Sept. 15, for all students and staff,” he told the employees. “While we do have a vaccine for those that are 12 and older, too few of us have received the vaccine and too many of us are waiting for the availability of the booster. Additionally, the delta (and other) variant is more transmissible than the original virus. In fact, we have dozens of COVID cases among our vaccinated staff. The threat is real.
“As many of us forget, wearing a mask is not to protect ourselves but to protect everyone with whom we come into contact. And masking is exponentially more effective in preventing infection if everyone masks up. Thank you for wearing a mask.”
