Boise trustees decide to close schools down for Election Day. Here’s why

The Boise School District will not hold classes on Election Day this year in an effort to help keep students safe, officials said.

The school board voted in favor of the closures Monday, in part because over two dozen of the district’s school buildings will be used as polling locations for the Nov. 5 general election.

Staff will engage in professional learning activities that day with an option to work from home, Deputy Superintendent Nick Smith said during the meeting. Smith said the district recognized the hardship this could cause families with child care but that the district had received concerns from parents, teachers and principals about safety on Election Day , since turnout is usually higher during presidential elections.

The district won’t need to add days for most students because its schools already provide more hours of instruction each year than is required in statute. The cancellation applies to students in all grades.

“We have worked really hard over the years to be a good partner and to make this work, because we think it’s also really important for our kids to see the whole voting process,” Superintendent Lisa Roberts said during the meeting. “But we’ve had a lot of feedback this year, a lot of worry.”

The board also discussed the district’s and the Boise Police Department’s safety, security and investigation procedures amid a “surge” of unsubstantiated social media threats, district officials said in a news release sent Friday.

A student was detained by police Wednesday after allegedly issuing threats involving Fairmont Junior High and Capital High School, the Idaho Statesman reported. West of Boise, the Caldwell School District canceled Caldwell High’s homecoming parade and also said the homecoming dance would be rescheduled, a result of threats not yet deemed credible.

This story was originally published September 20, 2024 at 1:50 PM.

Sarah Cutler

Idaho Statesman

208-996-7317

Sarah covers the legislative session and state government with an interest in political polarization, government accountability and the intersection of religion and politics. Please reach out with feedback, tips or ideas. If you like seeing stories like hers, please consider supporting her work with a digital subscription. Support my work with a digital subscription

Becca Savransky

Idaho Statesman

208-495-5661

Becca Savransky covers education and equity issues for the Idaho Statesman. Becca graduated from Northwestern University and previously worked at the Seattlepi.com and The Hill. Support my work with a digital subscription