IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One of the largest school districts in Iowa is starting the school year with online-only instruction. KRCG reports that the Iowa City school board voted Saturday to conduct all classes virtually for the first two weeks. Classes in the 12,000-student district begin on Sept. 8. The move comes after the state granted the district a waiver earlier in the week allowing for the virtual instruction.

The 14-day average positivity rate in Johnson County, where the district is located, was 13.9% on Wednesday but had risen to 21.1% by Saturday. The threshold Gov. Kim Reynolds has established for schools to seek online learning instead of required classroom lessons is 15%.