The Ames School District plans to continue using its current learning model through the end of the school year. Superintendent Jenny Risner says in a statement issued after Governor Reynolds closed all Iowa schools for the remainder of the academic year, the Ames district has been preparing for that possibility and will stick with a "hybrid" model that offers voluntary learning for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and required services for the high school level. She adds that she's confident in the skills and commitment of the district's teachers. Risner says the district's focus will now shift toward planning for a return to the classroom this fall, which she cautions will be different from years past.