As new school year looms, debates over mask mandates stir anger and confusion

In Iowa City, parents asked the school district to educate masked and unmasked students separately, since the state barred it from passing a mask mandate. “The parents, rightly so, are trying to find clever ways to work around the laws and still keep their kids safe,” said Shawn Eyestone, president of the school board. “But the problem is, logistically, it’s almost impossible.”