Idaho orders a statewide closure of public schools, one of the last in the country
The Idaho State Board of Education ordered all public schools in the state closed until at least April 20 amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The board unanimously approved the order during a special board meeting Monday, giving Idaho’s public school districts their first state-level direction on closures as the spread of the virus has become a global pandemic.
“I think that this will be helpful and hopefully alleviate — some, not all — but a sliver of the pressure and the stress that our local districts are dealing with,” board president Debbie Critchfield said on the conference call.
The order applies to classes in school buildings. It does not apply to any district’s plans for online education, said Mike Keckler, a spokesman for the State Board.
Idaho was one of the last states in the country to order a statewide closure of schools. Idaho was one of just four states that had not closed all of its schools as of Monday, according to Education Week, an independent news organization focused on K-12 education.
Previously, the decision was left to local school districts. But Idaho Ed News reported 95 percent of the state’s schools had already closed.
Many of those schools targeted the Monday after spring break, March 30, as a return date. Critchfield said the board’s order will remove the question of when to reopen so school leaders can focus on providing meals and searching for online education options in an extended closure.
The board’s order emphasized it is directing a soft closure, allowing schools to provide food services and childcare. They can also research and build plans for online learning.
“It’s important to emphasize that this is a date that is not set in concrete or carved in marble,” board member Emma Atchley said during the conference call. “… That is a target. And before it comes, if we need to change it, we can do that.”
The board also waived the requirement for statewide testing, senior projects and college entrance exams. Critchfield said all high school seniors on track to graduate will graduate.
“We’re not going to worry about it, and so we don’t want them to worry about it, either,” Critchfield said.
The board did not address extending the school year. Idaho state law requires a set number of instructional hours for each grade. Critchfield said Idaho has not yet reached the point where it can apply for a waiver to those mandatory hours.
“This is not a signal that we’re not going to ask for that or we don’t think it’s important,” Critchfield said. “It is simply the fact that we are bound by law for certain steps, and we have not gotten there yet.”
Idaho’s state government previously declined to order a statewide closure of schools. When the first confirmed cases of the coronavirus emerged a week ago, state health officials said they “would prefer” schools to remain open.
That led to a patchwork rollout March 16 as some schools closed and others didn’t. More closed throughout the week but set varying return dates.
As more and more confirmed coronavirus cases emerged throughout the state — up to 77 as of Monday evening — the State Board stepped in to provide guidance for when schools should reopen. The board will continue to meet weekly.
“We don’t have every answer,” Critchfield said. “And in many cases, we don’t even have all the questions yet. This is developing.”
Idaho’s high school sports governing body targeted an April 6 return date for games and practices. The order from the State Board doesn’t necessarily delay all sports until April 20, Ty Jones, the executive director of the Idaho High School Activities Association, said in a text message.
Jones added the IHSAA board will meet virtually March 31 to determine when sports could resume.
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 6:11 PM.
