‘Statewide snapshot’ of school reopening plans

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - The Idaho State Board of Education heard on Monday from public school superintendents from throughout Idaho and the presidents of all eight public higher education institutions about reopening plans this fall.

The meeting was intended to provide a “statewide snapshot” of plans and challenges for Idaho public education at all levels, to operate safely and effectively during the public health crisis.

Issues that K-12 leaders said they are grappling with include maintaining staffing levels (particularly substitute teachers and bus drivers), managing safety protocols, extracurricular activities, timely procurement of electronic devices for online learning, and disagreements in their communities on issues such as the wearing face coverings in schools. 

School is starting or will soon start across the state. Some districts, in more populated areas, have chosen to either delay the start of school, or begin with online instruction.

The presidents of Idaho’s higher education institutions discussed protocols and safety procedures in place at the colleges and universities including coronavirus testing, mandated face coverings and social distancing requirements, hand cleaning stations, student temperature checks, etc. They talked about how classrooms and lecture halls have been reconfigured to accommodate smaller class sizes.

The presidents also gave brief descriptions of what instruction will look like on each campus:

• College of Southern Idaho – Approximately 47% of classes will be conducted in-person; 43% will be online; and 10% will be hybrid (combination of in-person and online instruction).
• College of Eastern Idaho – About one third of classes will be conducted in-person; two-thirds will occur online.
• College of Western Idaho – Approximately 32% of classes will be conducted in-person; 35% will occur online; the rest will occur in various hybrid formats.
• North Idaho College – Approximately 60% of classes will be conducted in-person (including hybrid); 40% will occur online.
• University of Idaho –Approximately 25% of classes will occur in-person; 30% will be online; 45% will be hybrid. The U of I plans to conduct classes fully online after the Thanksgiving break. All students will be tested for coronavirus when they arrive on campus. The University is partnering with their area hospital to conduct testing. The U of I’s fall enrollment is currently down just over four percent compared to last fall. 
• Lewis-Clark State College – Approximately 70% of courses will be conducted in-person or hybrid; 30% of classes will occur online; 100 percent of courses will have an online component. LCSC plans to conduct classes fully online after the Thanksgiving break. LCSC’s fall enrollment is currently down six to seven percent compared to last fall.
• Boise State University – About 50% of classes will include an in-person component; the other 50% will be conducted online. Boise State’s fall enrollment is currently up about one percent over last fall.
• Idaho State University – Classes started today at Idaho State University.  Approximately 53% of classes are being conducted in-person; 23% are occurring online; 24% are occurring in hybrid formats. ISU will complete the fall semester in time for the Thanksgiving break.  Idaho State’s fall enrollment is currently down about four percent compared to last fall. 

At the request of Governor Brad Little’s office, the Board did not consider a proposed temporary fee for Idaho students enrolled in the WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Idaho and University of Washington School of Medicine. 

The fee was proposed to cover a gap left by budget cuts ordered across all state agencies and institutions in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Governor’s office wants to reassess the impact of the proposed fee on students.