COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Coeur d'Alene Public Schools begins classes on Monday, Sept. 14.
Students will spend two days in the classroom and three days online when school begins amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school district plans to keep students inside while the air quality remains unhealthy, according to the district's Facebook page. Activities like recess, PE and masks breaks will be conducted inside.
The Board of Trustees voted on Monday to have the district begin the school year in its orange (or moderate) coronavirus risk category, which calls for blended learning. Under the model, students will attend in-person school two consecutive days of the week and remotely for the other three days.
Students whose last names begin with A-K will attend school on Monday and Tuesday, and students with last names that begin with L-Z will attend on Thursday and Friday.
The district said in a Facebook post that it will accommodate families with children who have different last names so they can remain on the same schedule.
The board also voted to delay the first day of school until Monday, Sept. 14 in order to give the district extra time to address safety protocols, and communicate with students and families about expectations, schedules and learning resources.
RELATED: Masks will likely be required at Coeur d'Alene schools under reopening plan
"The decision to begin the school year with blended learning is based on the latest data and trends for tracking the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in Kootenai County, and projections from our partners at Panhandle Health District and Kootenai Health," the district wrote in a Facebook post. "We are hopeful that we will be able to recommend a shift from Orange to Yellow (under which students will attend in person 5 days a week) as soon as the community risk level supports that change."
More information about the district's blended learning framework is available online.
Spokane Public Schools also voted to delay the start of its school year until Sept. 14. Students in the district will begin the year with online learning.
Other districts in Spokane County, including Mead School District, will begin the school year with in-person classes for students in certain grade levels and a hybrid learning model for others.
The Coeur d'Alene Fire Department will be staging at or near seven elementary schools within the City of Coeur d’Alene on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 and Thursday ,Sept. 17, 2020, starting 45 minutes prior to school start times. The goal is to make motorists aware of the children who are returning to school.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information is made available.