After 10 long months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a sign of hope has hit the Mason City Community School District.

According to the district's Facebook page, nurses from Mason City schools received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.

Jefferson Elementary nurse Jolene Schweitzer shared that receiving the vaccine was "quick and painless."

"Getting this vaccine today is the first step in getting back to a place of normalcy for us all," Schweitzer said. "I want to get back to seeing our students' maskless smiling faces and to be able to sit with them when they are sick, hurt, or scared."

The nurses will receive their second doses of the vaccine in a couple weeks.

Earlier this week at Monday's board of education meeting, Superintendent Dave Versteeg shared that 80% of the district's staff would take vaccine if offered, according to a survey sent out across the district.

Versteeg shared that, as of Monday, there was no direct timeline for when staff would be able to receive the vaccine.

Healthcare workers are some of the first to receive the vaccine nationwide and that's proven to be the case here in Mason City.

"I am fortunate to work with an amazing group of nurses that care so much for our students and staff and together we want to do everything we can to help our community move forward," Schweitzer said.