School should move online until COVID-19 is under control, Nampa teachers union says
Teachers are urging the Nampa School District to move all classes online for the upcoming fall semester.
The Nampa teachers union cited the concerning number of coronavirus cases in Canyon County in a letter to the school board Tuesday. It wrote all classes should remain online until the county can get its coronavirus outbreak under control.
“According to local epidemiologists, opening buildings to in-person instruction with the current number of daily average cases would turn school buildings into super-spreader environments,” the Nampa Education Association wrote.
Nampa’s scheduled first day of school is Aug. 18, three weeks away.
The teachers union laid out three hurdles for Canyon County to clear before reopening Nampa schools for in-person classes:
Averaging fewer than 50 cases per day.
A consistent decline in the seven-day rolling average of new cases.
Fewer than 5% of COVID-19 tests are positive.
Canyon County has averaged 145.6 confirmed cases per day in the past two weeks, as of Monday evening.
Its seven-day rolling average is 130.1, an increase from 113 two weeks ago and 55 on July 1. But that’s also less than 170.4 a week ago.
Canyon County’s positive testing percentage is not publicly available. The statewide positive testing percentage was 13.6% for July 6-19, the most recent complete data available. The last time Idaho was under 5% was June 7-13.
Regions with a positive test rate above 5% are “hot spots” that could face tougher hurdles to reopen, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said last week.
“This position was not put together lightly,” said Eric Maine, president of the Nampa teachers union, in a news release. “We have met with local health experts and have been closely following COVID-19 trends, and government officials’ willingness, or unwillingness, to take action. We must advocate for the health and welfare of our students, colleagues and all of their families first and foremost.”
The state’s teachers union said last week Idaho needs a “reality check” on reopening schools amid a pandemic.
“When school buildings across the state were closed this spring, the decision-making was based on science and data,” Idaho Education Association President Layne McInelly wrote. “That approach seems to have been abandoned in the rush to reopen schools this fall.
“Idaho is at or near the highest percentage growth in COVID-19 cases in the nation. That is a troubling backdrop for a rush to reopen schools where large numbers of people will be gathering, and health precautions will be difficult to achieve.”
The latest public draft of Nampa’s back-to-school plan does not require students or teachers to wear masks. It instead encourages them. That mirrors Southwest District Health’s stance, which last week declined to issue a mandatory mask order in Canyon County despite pleas from local hospitals.
The neighboring Caldwell School District will require masks, use an alternating schedule to reduce class sizes and delay the start of its school year.
“Over the last few weeks, the governing authorities have left school districts on an island when it comes to making the decision of how and when to open the schools,” the Nampa teachers union’s letter reads. “Southwest District Health has only recommended masks and distancing, and neither the county nor the city has been willing to mandate steps to mitigate the spread of the disease.
“Thus, the administration and board of this district are left to make decisions not only about how to deliver the best possible education for our students, but also to protect the health and the very lives of students, staff and families the district serves.”
The Nampa School District issued a statement Tuesday noting its strong partnership with the teachers union but did not address the teachers’ criteria to open schools.
Nampa is offering an online-only school for families who don’t feel safe returning to school.
“The district cares for and values all our staff, and understands the thoughts and concerns that were expressed in our association’s letter,” spokeswoman Kathleen Tuck wrote in an email. “Our board is aware of the health concerns in our community and has diligently worked through these concerns for several months.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 12:35 PM.
