MERIDIAN, Idaho — For the first time, some parents in the West Ada School District were able to voice their concerns regarding the district’s fall reopening plan directly to school board members.
In a special school board meeting on Thursday, those parents got the chance to ask board members questions in-person and just days before the board members are expected to vote on how students will return to school. Will it be in-person? Online? Or a mix of the two?
“If it was up to me, I would send my kid back to school tomorrow, all day, five days a week, no mask, no social distancing," said one parent at Thursday’s meeting. "However, I understand that is probably unlikely to happen."
The school board began the meeting by telling those in attendance that board members have talked enough, so Thursday was all about hearing from parents and staff members.
“I firmly believe that you should not vote to open the schools until you are certain it is safe for the schools to be open,” one parent said. “I've looked through the plan and I have some serious concerns about the plan, [for example,] there's no mention about how often the bathrooms are going to be cleaned and whether you're putting lids on toilets.”
A total of 35 parents and teachers shared their thoughts.
One parent said, “online learning is not solving a problem; it's creating a new one. While another said, “the mental health of our children should be our number one concern and I know that is your concern.”
Only a limited number of people were allowed to take part in the in-person meeting because of public health orders and social distancing guidelines.
The meeting comes five days a scheduled meeting on August 25, in which the school board will decide how students will return to school next month.
“I’m asking you to open school and get some normalcy back for our kids," one parent pleaded. "Don’t let anything else be taken from them."
Not everyone who spoke was in favor of returning to school just yet.
“I get that it's hard to make tough decisions especially when it's in a very vocal opposition but as grown-ups sometimes it’s what we need to do,” said one parent who is also a teacher. “West Ada is in the county with the highest incidents of COVID infections in the state. Fact.”
Another teacher shared her concerns with the school board.
“I am no longer able to offer my students a handshake, hug, or high five,” she said. “When my students come in the room now, I’m supposed to greet them with 'Hello Jane, how are you today? Do you have any symptoms?' That's on page eight of the fall opening plan.”
Parents and teachers have until Tuesday, August 25 to give feedback or testimony to the school board.
The first day of school for West Ada students is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8.
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