Idaho K-12 schools are planning to provide in-person education in the fall, Gov. Brad Little said in a press conference today. The Idaho State Board of Education (ISBE) has provided guidance for the fall, but decisions regarding reopening, mask requirements and more will be made locally. In addition, Idaho will remain in Stage Four of Idaho Rebounds for another two weeks after not meeting epidemiologic criteria to move forward.
For the state to reopen schools and the economy safely, Little reiterated the need for each Idahoan to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, wash their hands and stay home when they’re sick.
K-12 plans
The key to succeeding in the fall will be ensuring options are available for students and families based on local needs, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said. This would mean providing in-person, online and hybrid learning opportunities based on local need.
“Despite the incredible advances in digital learning, you can never replace the value and impact of in-person interaction with a professional, dedicated teacher,” Little said.
Little addressed the social and mental wellbeing of students and Idaho’s digital divide as reasons to encourage in-person education in the fall. These needs will be balanced with public health when deciding whether to reopen schools, he said. $30 million has been approved to address the digital divide, $15 million of CARES Act funding has been approved to boost broadband connectivity and 10% of the ISBE elementary and secondary schools’ emergency relief fund has been directed towards reopening schools in the fall.
“We spent a lot of time talking about the physical needs of schools and how we go about getting kids to and from lunch or recess, or how desks are arranged,” ISBE President Debbie Critchfield said. “We do not want to lose sight of the fact that our primary focus is ultimately and inevitably about making sure that our students are academically prepared.”
Idaho Rebounds
The state has transitioned to a regional approach for Idaho Rebounds, which allows counties to move through the plan independently. As of July 9, all counties are in Stage Four except for Ada County, which is in a modified version of Stage Three.
Dr. Christine Hahn, the state epidemiologist, said upward trends in reported COVID-19 cases and percentage of positive COVID-19 tests caused the state to fail epidemiologic criteria. The state passed syndromic and health-care related criteria to move past Stage Four.
Idaho saw an average of less than 20 emergency department (ED) visits per day and less than two patients admitted from ED visits per day. This meanst the state met syndromic criteria, even though there has been an upward trend in both ED visits and patients admitted from ED visits. At least 50 ventilators and ICU beds and a 10-day supply of personal protective equipment is available in addition to COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers trending downward, so Idaho passed healthcare-related criteria.
The state is considering updating metrics to determine how to move through the Idaho Rebounds stages in response to new information about COVID-19 trends, Hahn said. For example, treatment has shifted from ventilators to high flows of oxygen, so the number of ventilators available in the state is less relevant than before.
The state does not have plans to enforce the wearing of face coverings state-wide, Little said. Health districts and local officials will make decisions regarding face coverings instead. When asked about various hypothetical situations or plans for additional statewide action, Little responded with one phrase: “Never say never, never say always.”
The full press conference is available on the Idaho Public Television Facebook page.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]