BOISE, Idaho — Boise School District announced early this week that students would return to remote-only learning after Thanksgiving break. The decision was made due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
However, West Ada School District, the largest district in the state, plans to continue conducting classes in their hybrid model.
On Tuesday afternoon, Idaho Gov. Brad Little held a press conference regarding COVID-19 in Idaho. During the conference, he reiterated the record-breaking case numbers and hospitalizations within the state.
Little also announced the state would be rolling back to Stage 2 of the Rebound Idaho plan.
Despite the rollback, schools will remain open.
"Our kids need to remain in school as much as possible," Little said during the press conference. "The best thing we can do if we want our kids back in school is do all those things that I just begged the people of Idaho to do to lower the spread."
West Ada is currently on an alternating hybrid schedule. Students in grades K-5 attend in-person classes every day, while students in grades 6-12 meet in person 2 days a week on alternating days.
The district is monitoring COVID-19 on a school-by-school basis, according to West Ada spokesperson Char Jackson.
"Right now we have several data points that we will continue to utilize that will allow us to evaluate each school to find out, do they have a lot of cases, isolations, teacher absences," Jackson said.
West Ada did have to put some of their special education programs on hold after staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
Fortunately, those issues have since been resolved.
"If there comes a point where it is no longer safe then we would certainly move to remote learning," Jackson said. "It might be one school, it could be two, it could be ten, it could be district-wide, but that's something we will evaluate, but we know that kids need to be learning inside the classroom."
Facts not fear: More on coronavirus
See our latest updates in our YouTube playlist: