DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Education says it will rule next week on appeals filed by at least two districts opposed to fully opening schools to in-person classes when the new school year begins in the coming weeks. Earlier this month, Gov. Kim Reynolds overrode local school districts that wanted to hold online classes. She instead is requiring students to spend at least half of their education time in classrooms this upcoming school year, even as the state’s coronavirus cases have surged this summer.

News of the upcoming ruling came as the state’s online virus tracker shows nine more COVID-19 deaths and more than 450 new cases confirmed on Wednesday from the day before.