BOISE, Idaho —
Boise School District (BSD) has approved an updated health and safety plan that will go into effect on March 28.
The date for the transition was based on: input from health care professionals, the operational impact of employee & student absenteeism, community transmission of infectious disease, and spread of infectious disease in BSD schools.
During the nearly three-hour meeting, board members discussed potentially making the new plan go into effect before spring break, but they ultimately rules that March 28th will give them enough time to monitor COVID cases.
"What can we do that's in the best interest of our kids and the staff?" said Trustee Schmidt. "Supporting those kids in the best interest of those kids is to have their teacher in the classroom being able to lead them."
One attendee was outraged by the March date and spoke out at trustees during the meeting saying "what does a date matter". The meeting was paused as that attendee was escorted out.
"We are arguing about things like this?" Trustee Oppenheimer said. 'People are dying and they are leaving behind family members and what I don't want to see is a child in the Boise School District left without a parent."
The approved plan includes:
- face masks to be optional for students, staff, and visitors.
- A return to pre-pandemic visitor and volunteer protocols.
- Reinstate pre-pandemic school activities (dances, clubs, field trips, etc.).
- Implementing and following revised illness procedure guidelines.
According to the board from a district survey. 52 percent of teachers who responded were in favor of making masks option, while 48 were not. 2,700 parents who responded opposed making masks option, 3,000 were in favor.
BSD also stated that they will continue listening to national and local health professionals and current District data if they need to transition back to a pandemic plan.
Boise schools are among the last in the region to require masks for staff and students, as the COVID-19 pandemic nears the two-year mark.
Until the updated health and safety plan takes effect, BSD will continue the current plan and continue to monitor local conditions.
Read the approved health and safety plan below:
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