Boise unveils plan to reopen schools in the fall. Now’s your chance for feedback.
The Boise School District hasn’t yet confirmed that it will reopen its doors in the fall amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
But it released its own guidelines for schools to resume face-to-face classes Wednesday. And it is inviting public comment before the school board approves them June 18.
Parents and students can submit ideas, feedback or reactions through the district’s online form until 5 p.m. Monday.
Highlights of the plan include:
Resuming in-person classes five days a week
Allowing parents and students to choose online classes
Recommending, but not requiring, masks or face shields for all students and staff
Closing school buildings if a positive COVID-19 case is tied to them
Placing desks as far apart as possible and sanitizing them at the end of each period
Resuming buses with hand sanitizing stations available at the school
No lockers to allow students to avoid crowds in the hallways
No field trips, assemblies or other large gatherings without physical distancing
Building-by-building plans are due July 3.
“We need to be nimble. We need to be flexible, working in concert with public health officials,” said Dan Hollar, a spokesperson for the Boise School District. “… We can’t return to what we believe was normal, because it’s not going to be normal. It’s a new way of operating and we need to be cognizant of that.”
Boise also plans to limit the sharing of supplies, electronic devices, books, toys and other learning aids.
Staff and students will use personal water bottles and filling stations instead of drinking fountains.
Visitors must schedule appointments. Staff will use separate bathrooms from the students. And the district will remove seating from employee break rooms.
A recent district survey showed parents expect the district to establish health guidelines before sending their children back to school. Only 29% said they would send their students back solely if schools opened.
Another 41% said they needed “all reasonable precautions” to be taken. And 15% said only if “all health guidelines will be strictly enforced.”
Nearly 11% said they were unsure, and 4% will wait until a vaccine is available.
LUNCH
Boise Schools will resume offering hot lunches, staggering times and how long it serves meals to increase social distancing. Students can eat in the cafeteria, auxiliary gyms or outside.
The district will place hand sanitizer at the start of all serving lines and place stickers on the floor to mark appropriate social distancing. Any self-service items will be prepackaged, and schools will have contactless payment systems.
Kitchen staff will undergo health checks at the start of each shift. Face masks are optional in kitchen and work spaces.
SANITATION
The district’s custodians will sanitize frequently touched surfaces like tables, doorknobs and light switches once a day. They will also disinfect surfaces like bannisters, door handles and drinking fountains or water filling stations multiple times per day.
Boise will rely on teachers and other staff to disinfect surfaces in their classrooms.
Boise currently owns 268 gallons of disinfectant, enough to fill 274,432 32-ounce bottles when diluted.
SCHOOL BUSES
All transportation staff will have their temperatures checked before each shift.
The district recommends drivers wear masks. Drivers will sanitize their buses daily.
Students will load the bus from the rear to the front and unload in the reverse order, when possible. Students will observe social distancing, also where possible. Siblings should sit together.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 4:34 PM.
