Idaho governor put $30M toward COVID-19 testing in schools. Here’s where the funds stand
In August, Gov. Brad Little announced he would put $30 million in federal COVID-19 relief money toward testing in K-12 schools.
More than a month later, no schools have yet received that funding, as coronavirus cases surge in Idaho and hundreds of students across the Treasure Valley are out of school quarantining or isolating.
But officials from the Department of Health and Welfare said Tuesday funding is “in progress” for 11 schools and districts of the nearly 50 that have shown interest, and schools could receive funds in several days.
“Those subgrants are in the process of getting out the door and as soon as they are signed by both parties then money can flow,” said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Division of Public Health, during a news briefing.
Five of the organizations have said they just want access to testing kits, she said. The state is working on a school-specific contract with VAULT Health to supply testing kits.
Many of the schools and districts that have shown interest in the funding are using it to enhance testing programs they already have in place, said Dr. Kathryn Turner, deputy state epidemiologist, during a news briefing.
Niki Forbing-Orr from Health and Welfare said the department’s staff is working one-on-one with the schools and districts to allot those funds.
“They are still in the process of determining what kind of testing program they would like to have in their schools and determining the costs associated with that program, which may include funding for staffing, contracting with local laboratories, etc.,” Forbing-Orr said in an email last week to the Idaho Statesman.
The parameters are wide for how those funds can be used, she said, but each school has to determine what kind of screening and testing program will work for it.
“Every school is different,” she said.
The funds come from $67.8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds the Idaho Legislature approved earlier this year for Health and Welfare. Alex Adams, head of Little’s Division of Financial Management, told the Statesman last month the money was going to be put toward community-based testing, but some was now being directed toward schools.
The Idaho House had previously rejected using about $40 million in funds to go toward testing in schools. At the time, lawmakers said the funding was unnecessary.
Which schools and districts have shown interest?
Schools or districts interested in the testing program can submit a form on Health and Welfare’s website.
The form notifies the epidemiology department that the school is “interested in designing and implementing a screening or testing program for SARS-CoV-2.”
“Completing this form is non-binding and simply initiates the planning process,” the form said.
The Boise School District had a meeting with Health and Welfare earlier this month about the program.
“We are in the process of evaluating whether offering COVID-19 testing within our school system is feasible and sustainable over time given our limited staff,” Dan Hollar, BSD public affairs administrator, said in an email. “Earlier this month, we received a shipment of Vault (PCR) tests from Central District Health that we utilize if needed.”
Tamara Fredrickson, health services administrator with the district, told the Statesman last week that one of the options the district was looking into would be to offer a rapid antigen test at the schools, but that could require more staffing.
“In order to implement that, you have to actually either run the testing in your district, like the actual lab test, or contract with a lab — a third party to do that,” she said. “We’re looking into the feasibility of all those options and what that could possibly mean.”
The district is also working with Health and Welfare to get funds to help students and staff access PCR testing at Boise State University, Hollar said. He did not expand on what that could look like.
Char Jackson, the chief communications officer for the West Ada School District, said the district would not be applying for funding for testing at this point.
But she noted Preventative Health is offering rapid and PCR testing at the district office. Preventative Health bills insurance, Jackson said. For those who don’t have insurance, it is free.
Other districts in the area said they were exploring their options.
The Caldwell School District is planning to apply for the governor’s funding.
“Right now the district is still working through the details on how the money will be used,” Jessica Watts, from the district, said in an email.
Kathleen Tuck, from the Nampa School District, said the district met with Health and Welfare and is working with the department on a contract so it can access those funds. The district has rapid tests already available for staff who choose to use them, but the funds could allow them to expand what they’re able to offer.
The spread of COVID-19 in schools
So far, districts across Idaho have reported hundreds of COVID-19 cases, with thousands of kids spending time in quarantine.
School districts are tracking cases differently and have varying quarantine policies. For some districts that are requiring quarantines, students can return to school earlier if they are able to show proof of a negative test. But that requires having those resources available to them.
The Boise School District last week reported 168 cases among students and staff and had more than 1,600 people in quarantine. West Ada over the 10 days from Sept. 12 to Sept. 21 reported 104 active cases and more than 600 students in quarantine, though the district reports cases in a different way and follows a different quarantine policy than Boise.
Other school districts, such as Nampa, say they do not have the resources to trace contacts and are not enforcing mandatory quarantines for students after they have been exposed.
Already, several schools have had to close after coronavirus outbreaks, as many continue to face a lack of substitutes to make up for the staff out due to the virus.
