Everyone must wear masks in Ada County schools. ‘This is an important moment for us.’
All students, teachers and visitors must wear a mask or face covering in Ada County schools this fall, Central District Health clarified Tuesday.
The Boise-based local health district updated its previous order requiring masks in public to explicitly spell out that schools are included in that mandate. Some questioned whether schools were technically public spaces since not everyone can enter them.
The updated order applies to public or private schools, technical schools, colleges and universities. It also added that masks are required inside elementary, middle and high schools even when 6 feet of social distancing is possible.
Outside of medical conditions, the only exceptions for schools include a person alone inside a private office with doors closed, a teacher standing 10 feet away from students while providing instruction or students actively engaged in athletic activities.
The board approved the measure 5-1. Megan Blanksma, a Republican state representative from Elmore County, was the only one to vote against it.
“This is an important moment for us,” said Ted Epperly, the only doctor on the Central District Health board. “… We’re in substantial community spread of a major pandemic that is now starting to fill our hospitals. We’re seeing increased deaths from this. We all knew this was going to happen. It’s now happening.”
The Boise and Kuna school districts confirmed that they planned to follow Ada County’s mask mandate before Tuesday night’s meeting. A spokesman for the West Ada School District did not respond to the Idaho Statesman’s request about whether it would do the same.
Boise State University already required masks on campus.
Ada County is home to approximately 75,000 school-age children, most in the Boise, West Ada and Kuna school districts. Central District Health board member Diana Lachiondo said the school leaders she spoke with appreciated the health district requiring masks so they didn’t have to.
“But the more clear we can be, the better,” Lachiondo said. “Because as we noted from some of our school district reps who were just here, ultimately they’re the ones who are going to have to kind of engage on this with their parents and their students.”
The Central District Health board also revealed Tuesday that it recently received definitions for how to determine where a school falls in Idaho’s back-to-school guidelines. The guidelines include three categories based on the level of the coronavirus’ spread in a community.
It plans to inform schools of their status Monday. Local school boards will decide what to do with those recommendations.
Category 1 (green) includes no or limited community transmission. The recommendation for those schools is to open with physical distancing.
Category 2 (yellow) includes minimal to moderate community transmission. The recommendation for those schools ranges from full opening to limited or staggered use of buildings.
Category 3 (red) includes large-scale community transmission. Those schools should consider short- or long-term closures.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 6:49 PM.
