A pandemic can’t stop April Fools’ Day. Don’t fall for this coronavirus prank.
Some people have too much time on their hands during this global pandemic.
The West Ada, Boise and Nampa school districts all had to debunk multiple social media posts Wednesday claiming schools had closed for the rest of the year and students would need to repeat their current grades.
The truth, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic forced Idaho schools to close the doors to their school buildings. But schools are still conducting online and remote education with varying plans. None are requiring students to repeat a grade.
The debunked social media posts were part of a nationwide scourge of misinformation on April Fools’ Day, according to FactCheck.org.
The Idaho State Board of Education ordered all school buildings closed until April 20, an order it hinted it could extend at Monday’s board meeting. But it has not closed buildings for the rest of the school year and has no plans to make students repeat a grade.
Instead, the State Board waived the requirements for statewide testing, senior projects and college entrance exams for juniors and seniors. The State Board and other education leaders have stated over and over again that seniors on pace to graduate will still graduate this year.
State law requires Idaho students to complete a mandatory number of instructional hours. The State Board has not yet requested a waiver to those hours or to extend the school year because it hasn’t reached the threshold to make that request.
“This is not a signal that we’re not going to ask for that or we don’t think it’s important,” State Board President Debbie Critchfield said during last week’s board meeting. “It is simply the fact that we are bound by law for certain steps, and we have not gotten there yet.”
One edited Snapchat image mirrored KTVB’s breaking news graphic and claimed school would start in July to make up for lost time. It used an image from Gov. Brad Little’s press conference from a week ago when he issued a statewide stay-at-home order and falsely claimed it was from 7:35 Wednesday morning.
Another image mimicked an official announcement from the West Ada School District, using the district’s logo and Superintendent Mary Ann Rannels’ signature at the end.
Leaders for the state’s three largest districts reminded parents and students to check the district website for announcements. And all of Idaho’s news outlets are working overtime to provide the latest, factual information.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 7:06 PM.
