BOISE, Idaho — Changes might be in store this week for parents, teachers and students in Ada County.
The director of Central District Health, Russ Duke, recently said the three school districts - Kuna, West Ada and Boise - could be on the verge of a phased reopening.
The COVID-19 data is showing that the three school districts could be moved to a "yellow" category, according to Duke. Right now, CDH has all three in the "red" category, which indicates significant community spread of the coronavirus.
Both West Ada and Boise school districts are currently operating in the red category and doing remote learning only. Boise started school on August 17, and West Ada starts on Tuesday.
Kuna already decided to re-open in yellow in late August.
If CDH moves the districts to yellow, then schools can move forward to a hybrid model. This means students are in school part of the week and learning at home for part of the week.
When CDH places a district in its red category, the health district is recommending the school implement remote-only learning.
Many West Ada parents and students have protested the decision to start the school year online. They’ve called on the school board to re-open in the green category. That means minimal cases or community spread and with students in school five days a week.
One school board member addressed CDH's recommendations at their last meeting.
“Those recommendations are just that, recommendations. We have the ability to override those recommendations, revise those recommendations, continue on with those recommendations so we can, my attitude, is so we can get as many children back engaged in-class learning and doing everything we can with those children as soon as possible,” he said.
When West Ada moves to the yellow, preschool and kindergarten students can go back full time. The superintendent can gradually bring back the other elementary grade levels. Kids could be back inside classrooms as soon as September 14.
For the Boise School District, the superintendent will begin a phased approach to returning students to in-person learning once they're in the yellow category. However, this plan wouldn't go into effect sooner than September 21.
That phased approach would look like this,
- Phase 1: Pre-K - 2nd grade, special education, alternating schedule (3 virtual, 2 in-person)
- Phase 2: Pre-K - 6th grade, alternating schedule (3 virtual, 2 in-person)
- Phase 3: Pre-K - 12th grade, alternating schedule (3 virtual, 2 in-person)
- Phase 4: All students in-person five days a week
The plan is to have all students back in school five days a week by November 9. All this falls on Central District Health placing the schools in the yellow on Tuesday.
The health district has been updating the district categories every Monday, but the update this week was pushed to Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday.
It should be updated on Tuesday sometime after 2 p.m.
Facts not fear: More on coronavirus
See our latest updates in our YouTube playlist: