(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says if a school district moves to virtual instruction because of fears about Covid spreading through crowded classrooms, then it makes sense to cancel sports and other extracurricular activities in the district. Students from Des Moines and Ames Public School Districts marched to the governor’s mansion Monday to protest the suspension of their extracurriculars, including volleyball and football. Reynolds, who says she played every sport imaginable when she was in high school, calls this an unfortunate situation.

The governor says if social distancing is the main concern from educators seeking to teach classes online, then she says they should be worried about the lack of social distancing in sports.

A judge is letting the Des Moines School Board’s lawsuit proceed that challenges the governor’s authority to determine when schools may shift classes online, but the judge has declined to issue a temporary injunction — so the school district is violating the state’s order to have students in the classroom this week. Reynolds is expressing confidence the impasse between her administration and Des Moines Public Schools can be resolved.

Reynolds made her comments Wednesday in Atlantic, where she met with a non-profit group focused on improving Atlantic’s economic prospects.