Virus: Idaho school district furloughs 145 employees

UPDATE: The Idaho Education Association said the Kuna furloughs involve about half of the district's "classified" staff, not half of its entire work force.

KUNA, Idaho (AP) - A school district in Idaho has furloughed more than half of its employees due to the extended coronavirus closure.

The Idaho Statesman reports the Kuna School District, in the greater Boise area, has furloughed 145 employees until school resumes. The state has directed schools to be closed through the end of this academic year

Superintendent Wendy Johnson said in a letter that no teachers are affected. The furloughs affect school- and district-level classified staff, including people who work in food service, busing, safety, attendance offices, classroom aids and other areas.

The district has 282 classified employees.

"During a short emergency closure such as a snow day, staff don't work but are paid. This emergency closure, however, is very different," Johnson wrote the letter. "We've identified other work for some, but not all. We cannot continue to pay staff for not working."

Johnson wrote that the economic slowdown has meant a 1% reduction in school funding from the state, estimated to cost the district $875,000. Savings from furloughs, expected to be about $520,000, will help offset those cuts, Johnson said. The district expects some federal stimulus money, but that money will be targeted toward specific needs.