(Radio Iowa) – All classes in Cedar Rapids schools will shift online, starting Thursday, while the district asks the Iowa Department of Education for a two-week virtual learning waiver. So far this month, 18 Iowa school districts and parochial schools have gotten state permission to conduct all classes online. Iowa Department of Education director Ann Lebo says a handful of others — including Cedar Rapids — have received permission for online-only instruction for students in specific buildings.

Three elementary buildings in Ames closed today and students are taking classes online. The district is asking state officials to allow all Ames students through the eighth grade to shift online. Ames superintendent Jenny Risner says they’re running out of substitute teachers.

Other school administrators say they cannot find enough bus drivers to run the routes that get students to school. Lebo says there are a variety of reasons schools are seeking waivers to end in-person instruction.

Lebo says the state has pandemic benchmarks for when school districts may shirt to virtual classes, but administrators do not have to wait until those are met. Schools may hold all classes online for 48 hours while waiting for state officials to waive the requirement for in-person classes.  Among the waivers granted yesterday (Tuesday) was one for the Glenwood Community School District.