Blackfoot schools to begin daily 60-second moment of silence under new Idaho law

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Students in the Blackfoot School District will begin observing a daily 60-second moment of silence under a new Idaho law taking effect in public schools across the state.

Blackfoot School District Superintendent Brian Kress notified parents and guardians of the change in an update posted by the district.

According to Kress, House Bill 623, passed during the 2026 legislative session, requires all Idaho K-12 public schools to observe a moment of silence lasting at least 60 seconds each school day.

RELATED: Local schools brace themselves for new mandatory moment of silence law


Blackfoot schools will hold the one-minute period at or near the beginning of the school day.

“The goal of this new law is to provide students with a quiet moment to prepare mentally for the day ahead,” Kress wrote.

Students can choose how to use the time, including sitting quietly, reflecting, meditating or praying, as long as the activity is silent and does not disrupt others.

School employees will supervise students during the moment of silence but are not allowed to direct students on what to think about or how to spend the time.

Students will also be expected to remain quiet and respect other students during the 60-second period. Kress said disruptive behavior will be handled through normal classroom management procedures.

The district said the law also requires schools to notify families about the change and encourage parents to discuss it with their children.

“Since our educators cannot give guidance on how to spend this time, we encourage you to talk with your child(ren) about how they can best use this time of silent reflection,” Kress wrote.

Additional information about the policy is available through the “Superintendent Updates” section of the Blackfoot School District’s website.

Kress said the district is no longer including direct links in some emails because of concerns about phishing and artificial intelligence-generated attacks impersonating district communications.