In-person school set to resume Wednesday in West Ada School District after teacher sick days

This story was originally published at IdahoEdNews.org on Oct. 20, 2020.

School is set to resume Wednesday in the West Ada School District following two massive teachers sick days that forced the state’s largest district to abruptly close school Monday and Tuesday.

The district will implement the hybrid learning plan the school board approved last week that sends students to school for in-person learning on alternating days. District spokeswoman Char Jackson confirmed that school will resume Wednesday, with students in Team 2 attending in-person.

“West Ada School District is committed to balancing in-person learning, the safety of its students and teachers and Covid-19 protocols,” the district wrote in a note to parents. “Over the past few days, the focus has been specifically working with the West Ada Education Association to find a solution that would ensure teachers feel safe and allow school to take place on Monday and Tuesday. Those efforts were not successful, but teachers have assured us that school will happen on Wednesday.”

West Ada officials said they are working to address concerns teachers and staff raised. The district has partnered with Dr. David Pate, the retired president and CEO of St Luke’s Health System. Pate is conducting an evaluation of the district’s reopening, and health and safety plans.

Pate submitted a draft of the report this week and is scheduled to meet virtually with teachers Thursday. Pate’s final draft should be ready for the school board on Friday. He will present his findings and recommendations to the board Tuesday, Jackson said.

A district leadership team comprising Superintendent Mary Ann Ranells, Assistant Superintendent Bret Heller and human resources director Dave Roberts met with leaders of the teachers union in person Monday morning to discuss concerns from both sides, Jackson said. Thies and Luke Franklin from the Idaho Education Association represented the union.

School district officials said the talks did not result in a solution, but the two sides agreed school would resume Wednesday.

Last week, the West Ada Education Association asked teachers to request sick days en masse— first for Monday and then again for Tuesday — in protest of the district approving the hybrid in-person learning plan after Central District Health moved West Ada schools to their highest COVID-19 exposure and risk classification.

For Monday, 652 of the district’s 2,145 classroom teachers requested sick days.

For Tuesday, 440 teachers requested sick days.

For Wednesday, the district was back down to what Jackson described as a normal amount of sick days.

The district has 215 active substitute teachers as of this week.

Idaho Education News has reached out to Thies for comment.

West Ada is the state’s largest school district, serving more than 38,000 students K-12.

This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 3:49 PM.