BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - With a significant decrease in the number of new cases that were reported last week, Bonneville School District 93 will move back into the Moderate Risk phase of its plan next week. 

The district said while face coverings will not be required in this phase, they still strongly encourage students and employees to continue to wear them.

According to the district, a number of teachers have expressed gratitude for students who began wearing masks in the high risk phase over the past two weeks because of their own personal health situations or those of loved ones at home. As a school district, they are also still continuing to struggle to keep the schools, kitchens and buses fully staffed and functioning. For example:

• Just Thursday, Ty Salsbery, an assistant principal at Hillcrest, took time away from his regular responsibilities to drive a bus for students in a special needs program. 
• For the past two weeks, the bus mechanics and transportation office staff have been driving bus routes instead of taking care of their normal responsibilities because of the high number of staff we have out on sick leave right now. 
• The Child Nutrition office staff have been working in kitchens to make sure we are getting kids fed. 
• The custodians are working extra hours to keep the schools clean because of staffing shortages.
• The teachers and paraprofessionals have taken on extra students every day since the start of school because not enough substitutes are accepting jobs to cover the number of absences in the classrooms.

"This is an incredibly challenging situation that we have only been able to meet because of the dedication and commitment of our employees. Please, as you send your students to school next week, encourage them to keep wearing face coverings to slow the spread of COVID and other illnesses and help keep our employees safe and our schools open."

Current Number of Active COVID Cases 

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