School Closures Announced for Monday, March 16th
Updated 9am 3/16/20
Idaho Education News reports, numerous Idaho schools have announced plans to close, or move to digital operations in an attempt to protect students and staff from the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.
CLOSURES:
West Ada: Closed through spring break. Scheduled to reopen March 30. “Based on parental and staff concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the decision to keep schools open has been revised,” the district said on its website Sunday night. “We are canceling school from now until the end of spring break. The West Ada COVID-19 task force will meet to determine if schools will remain closed beyond spring break.”
Boise: Closed until March 30. “Office staff at all schools will be available for parents to pick up student medications, personnel belongings, etc.,” the district said on Twitter Sunday afternoon.
Middleton: Closed until March 30.
Cassia County: Closed Tuesday through March 29, communications officer Debbie Critchfield said. Monday was previously scheduled as a half day, and students will use that time to prepare for the closure and gather materials they need. The district office will remain open during the closure.
Twin Falls: A “soft closure” will begin Monday. No classes will be held, but staff will be expected to report to work “to prepare for the possibility of a more extended closure.” All classes, athletics, preschool and child care will be closed through March 30, the end of spring break.
Coeur d’Alene: Closed until April 6.
Blaine County: Closed until April 6.
Lewiston: Closed until March 30.
Lapwai: Closed until otherwise notified.
Moscow: Closed until April 6, the Lewiston Tribune reported.
Kimberly: Closed Monday and plans to reopen Tuesday, the Twin Falls Times-News reported.
Alturas International Academy (Idaho Falls): “Soft” close for parents who “absolutely” need to send their children Monday and Tuesday. The school will close fully from Wednesday to April 6, according to post on its Facebook page.
Wendell: Classes and activities in the district are cancelled until March 30.
Teton: Closing schools starting Monday, according to a news release. Schools will be closed March 16-20, and teachers will develop a distance learning plan for students. The district plans to start “home-based learning” for students the following week. The week of March 30-April 3 is the district’s regularly planned spring break.
Elevate Academy: Closed through March 30.
Idaho Arts Charter: Closed until March 30.
The Village Charter: Closed until March 30.
STARTING SPRING BREAK EARLY
Jerome School District will close early for spring break. School is out starting March 18, extending through March 30. Teachers are expected to report to work on Thursday, March 19 to make plans for extended closures.
Minidoka: The district will start spring break three days early, on Wednesday. “We encourage you to have your student attend school on Monday and Tuesday as we will be sharing information about how they can access learning from home and assigning devices to be sent home with students on Tuesday,” the district wrote in an announcement to parents.
Forrest M. Bird: Will be going to online classes only March 16-20 then on spring break March 21-April 5.
STILL OPEN:
Pocatello-Chubbuck: Open, but the district will excuse all absences from Monday through Friday, according to a post on its Facebook page.
Idaho Falls: Open through Wednesday, the last scheduled school day before spring break. Absences will be excused.
Bonneville: Open. In an emergency meeting Sunday night, the school board voted to waive the 90-day attendance requirement for the remainder of the school year. It also voted to close school Thursday and Friday, for a staff professional development day so educators can build online lesson plans for the many students that are expected to miss class.
Nampa: Open Monday and Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Caldwell: Open Monday and Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Emmett: Open Monday and Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Mountain Home: Schools will closed Monday for staff training. School will resume Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Vallivue: Open Monday and Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Kuna: Open Monday and Tuesday. Absences will be excused.
Fruitland: Open on Monday, according to the Fruitland Facebook page.
Payette: Schools operating on a normal schedule for now, according to a district Facebook post. Students have their planned spring break Friday through March 31.
New Plymouth: Superintendent David Sotutu said in a Facebook post that New Plymouth schools will be open Monday through Thursday. Friday is a planned “School at Home” day, and the following week is spring break (March 23-27).
Madison: Open until state or local health authorities suggest otherwise.
Ririe: Open on Monday, but leaders will meet tomorrow to reassess the situation.
Fremont County: Open Monday, according to a statement on the district’s Facebook page. Leaders will meet tomorrow to reassess.
Jefferson: Open Monday, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page.
Sugar-Salem: Open Monday, according to the district’s website.
Blackfoot: Open Monday, but the district is considering excusing absences in the coming weeks, according to a post on its Facebook page.
Homedale: Open Monday, Superintendent Rob Sauer said. The district will monitor the situation day-by-day, hour-by-hour.
Clark County: Open Monday, according to the district’s website.
Treasure Valley Classical Academy (Fruitland): Still open according to a letter from the district. Circumstanced that would lead to closure include a directive from state government or a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the school community.
Bingham Academy (Blackfoot): Open while the school continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation.
Gooding: Open on March 16 and 17, closed the 18th and 19th.
