With community spread of the novel coronavirus still a threat in Iowa, administrators and school board members have decided whether facial coverings should be required or simply recommended for pupils, teachers and staff now that school has begun in late August.
Throughout the tri-state area, some people have said wearing masks all day would be derogatory health-wise for students, while others have countered that public health officials have said that is not so.
The Journal emailed each school district with a high school in Siouxland, and compiled the answers from those superintendents and principals who responded.
IOWA
Alta-Aurelia: Masks are required by students when in hallways and not able to social distance, and in other instances are not required for teachers and pupils.
Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools: Students and instructors are required to wear masks or face shields in classrooms, hallways and buses.
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Denison: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses during times they cannot be socially distanced at six feet apart.
Kingsley-Pierson: Students in grades 5-12 are required to wear masks on buses, in hallways, commons area, restrooms, and where social distancing cannot take place. Masks are encouraged, but not required for K-4 students. Teachers and staff have been asked to model the wearing of masks, so students might follow their lead.
Lawton-Bronson: Masks are required on buses and in buildings for staff and students in common areas such as hallways and lunchroom. They are not required in classrooms when social distancing can be achieved.
Le Mars: Students and teachers are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses.
Maple Valley Anthon-Oto: Masks are required on buses and in buildings when social distancing is not possible for students and staff.
MOC-Floyd Valley: Masks are not required for pupils or staff, but recommended in all settings where social distancing is not feasible. Visitors to the building are required to wear masks.
MMCRU: Students are required to wear masks on buses, and in buildings they will only be required by pupils and teachers when unable socially distance in classes and hallways.
OABCIG: Students are not required to wear masks on buses, and in buildings they will only be required in the classrooms where a teacher has health concerns.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton: Masks are required on buses. Within buildings they are required for teachers and students in grades 6-12 when social distancing is not possible, and in the lower grades they are encouraged when distancing not possible.
Sheldon: Masks are required on buses, since social distancing is not possible. In buildings, masks are recommended for students, but not required. For employees, bus drivers and cafeteria staff are required to wear masks, while they are recommended for other workers such as teachers.
Sibley-Ocheyedan: Masks are not required for pupils or employees, but recommended in all settings where social distancing is not feasible.
Sioux Center: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses.
Sioux Central: Masks are required for students in hallways and the lunch line, and recommended in buses and school settings where social distancing is not feasible.
Sioux City: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses.
Siouxland Christian: Wearing a mask is recommended, but not required for students and staff in buildings.
Spencer: When social distancing is not possible in classrooms, hallways and buses, face masks are required for students and staff.
Spirit Lake: Students and staff are required to wear face masks in hallways and buses, and since they will be socially distanced in classrooms, masks are recommended but not required there.
Storm Lake: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses during times they cannot be socially distanced at six feet apart.
Storm Lake St. Marys: Masks are required on buses, and in the school building for students and staff when social distancing is not possible.
Trinity Christian (Hull): Masks are not required for pupils or employees.
West Monona: Masks are required on buses and in buildings when social distancing is not possible for students and staff. For younger students, the larger elementary classrooms will often allow for pupils to not wear masks a majority of the time.
Woodbury Central: Wearing a mask is recommended, but not required for students and staff in buildings. They are required on buses, since students cannot adequately socially distance.
NEBRASKA
Allen: Masks are required on buses and in buildings when social distancing is not possible for students and staff.
Emerson-Hubbard: Students and staff are required to wear a face mask or covering whenever they are unable to maintain six feet of social distancing in classrooms, hallways and when riding in school vehicles.
Hartington-Newcastle: Masks are required on buses, in hallways and in the lunch room, and only required in classrooms when social distancing by teachers and pupils is not possible.
Lyons Decatur Northeast: Masks are required by teachers and pupils on buses and in buildings, unless parents ask for their children to be exempted.
Ponca: Masks are required by students in hallways, classrooms and buses only when they are not able to socially distance.
South Sioux City: Facial coverings are required for all teachers, staff and students in all buildings and on buses.
Walthill: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in buildings and buses.
Wayne: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in buildings and buses.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Alcester-Hudson: Wearing a mask is recommended, but not required for students and staff in buildings and buses.
Dakota Valley: Staff members are required to wear masks and students must wear them on buses. Within buildings, masks are generally required, such as older students must wear masks when they cannot socially distance, while younger students do not move among several classrooms, so they do not have to wear masks when they are able to stay within their own classroom with their own section of classmates, but must wear them in hallways.
Elk Point-Jefferson: Masks are required on buses, and required within buildings by teachers and pupils only when social distancing is not possible.
Vermillion: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses. The only exception is for people with health conditions that are exacerbated by masks.
Yankton: Students and instructors are required to wear masks in classrooms, hallways and buses.
NOTE: School districts that did not respond to Journal inquiries by Thursday's deadline include: Boyden-Hull, Central Lyon, Cherokee, George-Little Rock, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Harris-Lake Park, Hinton, Le Mars Gehlan, Newell-Fonda, Okoboji, Remsen St. Mary's, Ridge View, River Valley, Rock Valley, South O'Brien, Spencer, East Sac, Unity Christian, West Lyon, Western Christian and Westwood; and Bancroft Rosalie, Wakefield, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Winnebaqo and Hartington Cedar Catholic in Nebraska.
Photos: 42 historic images of Sioux City schools
PHOTOS: 42 historic images of Sioux City schools
Sioux City first school
The first Sioux City schoolhouse is seen on the right in this early photograph.
Sioux City Central School
Sioux City's first brick school building, called Central School, opened its doors circa 1870. It operated for 20 years.
West Third Street School
The West Third Street School at West Third and Bluff streets, opened in 1880.
West Side Brick
The First Ward School, also called West Side Brick, opened in 1872 on the Market Street site where the LAMB Arts Regional Theatre is located. It was torn down in the late 1930s.
East Third Street School
The East Third Street School at Third and Chambers (later at Sixth and Morgan) streets opened in 1883 and operated until 1929.
Eighth Street Primary
The Eighth Street Primary School (known by several names in its time) opened at Eighth and Pierce streets in 1882.
Wall Street School
The Wall Street School, at Seventh and Wall streets, opened in 1880 and operated until 1925.
Fifth Ward School
The Fifth Ward School opened at Wall and Dace streets in 1885. It operated until 1938.
East Side Brick
East Side Brick, later to be renamed Irving, opened at 11th and Jennings streets in 1886. It was one of several Sioux City schools that underwent extensive renovations in the following century and was in use until 2006.
Everett School
The former Everett Elementary school opened in 1888, sharing the exact building plan of the Cooper school in Greenville, which was also built in the same year. Both buildings still stand, but underwent such extensive remodeling during the 20th century that they do not look at all like Everett seen in this photo.
Cooper School
The Cooper School in Greenville opened in 1888. It shares an identical building plan as the former Everett School on the west side. Both buildings still stand, but do not have their original appearance.
West Eighth Street School
Opened in 1887, the West Eighth Street School operated until 1934. Today, the McDonalds on Hamilton Boulevard sits near the site of the school.
Pearl Street School
The Pearl Street School, later named Bancroft after the statesman George Bancroft, opened in 1888.
Cole's Addition School
The Cole's Addition School, later called Franklin, opened in 1889 at Ninth and Plymouth streets. It was one of the schools that underwent extensive remodeling in the 20th century before it closed in 1982.
Bryant School
The Bryant School, named for poet William Cullen Bryant, opened in 1890.
Longfellow School
Named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the original Longfellow school opened in 1890. It lasted only three years.
Hawthorne School
Hawthorne School opened in 1891 and operated until 2008. It was one of the schools that underwent 20th century remodeling.
Longfellow School (second)
A second Longfellow School was built in 1893 to replace the previous one, which was built only three years earlier. It was one of the schools that was remodeled in the 20th century and remained in use until 2012.
Riverside School
Riverside School opened sometime in the 1890s at Hornick Street and Nash Avenue. It closed in 1914.
Hornick's Addition School
The Hornick's Addition School opened at West First and Leonard streets in the mid-1890s.
Floyd School
The Floyd School, named for Sgt. Charles Floyd, opened in 1902. It later underwent extensive remodeling before it closed in 1980.
Smith Villa School
The Smith Villa School, in the former home of early Sioux City resident William R. Smith, opened in 1899.
Whittier School
The Whittier School opened in 1902. It was remodeled in the 20th century and closed in 2015.
Crescent Park School
The Crescent Park School opened in 1906, as did Hunt School. Unlike Hunt, however, the wood-framed Crescent Park School closed after only 14 years.
Hunt School
The Hunt School was one of Sioux City's oldest school buildings when it closed at the end of the last school year. It opened in 1906.
Joy School
The Joy School, which opened in 1912 and closed a century later, is today an apartment complex.
Lowell School
Lowell School opened in 1910 and closed in 2008.
Follett House
The Follett House, 1309 Nebraska St., became the first building in Sioux City to house a high school (without other grade levels) in 1890. Classes were held there for two years.
Riverview School
Riverview School opened in 1914 and closed in 2002.
East Junior High School
Sioux City's East Junior High School opened in 1917, just eight years after the first-ever junior high school opened in the U.S. It closed in 1972.
West Junior High School
Sioux City's West Junior High School opened in 1919. It closed in 2003.
Roosevelt School
Roosevelt School, named for Theodore Roosevelt, opened in 1920. It remained open until 2014.
Crescent Park School
Another Crescent Park School, later called Bryant, opened at 27th and Myrtle streets in 1920.
Emerson School
Emerson School opened in 1921. It closed in 2014.
McKinley School
McKinley School, named for president William McKinley, opened in 1921.
Washington School
Named for George Washington, Sioux City's Washington School opened in 1921. It closed in 2013.
East High School
East High School opened in 1925 and remained open until 1972.
Grant School
Grant School, named for Ulysses S. Grant, opened in 1925. It closed in 2008.
Woodrow Wilson Junior High School
Sioux City's Woodrow Wilson Junior High School opened in 1925. It closed in 2005.
Leeds High School
Leeds High School opened in 1939, one of only a few high schools to be opened in Sioux City during the 1930s and 1940s. It closed in 1972.
Webster Elementary
The Webster Elementary school, built in 1939, has served as the home of the LAMB Arts Regional Theatre for decades.
Hunt Elementary School goodbye hug #4
Students hold hand while circling Hunt Elementary School to give it a "hug" Wednesday, May 29, 2019, on the last day of classes at the school.
