Kellogg schools mull return to in-person classes

Since school began earlier this month, most of the facilities in the Silver Valley have been operating under a hybrid half online/half in-person system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With local positive cases dropping though, a return to semi-normalcy may be on the horizon.

For the past 6-7 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has in some way disrupted almost every part of normal life. From canceled events to closed businesses, everyone seems to have been affected.

Schools have been no exception, as administrators across the county have wrestled with how to get kids safely back to school this fall.

Locally, the solution for both Kellogg and Wallace school districts has been, among other rules, to adopt a new schedule that has students going to school on some days, and learning from home on others.

As of Monday, Shoshone currently has five active COVID cases and Shoshone Medical Center has not reported any new cases in more than two weeks.

With local and Panhandle COVID numbers going down, KSD Superintendent Nancy Larsen is considering opening school back up to fully in-person classes next month.

"After visiting with PHD and everything, it seems like things are slowing in our area," Larsen said. "Because of our precautions, we have had zero positive cases associated with our schools (since the 2020-2021 year began)."

In Kellogg, Larsen will be presenting a plan to the School Board this Wednesday that details what a fully in-person return would look like.

While the details of the plan will not be available until Larsen has had a chance to meet with staff/secondary-staff on Monday and Tuesday, she was able to share a few items that will definitely be included.

If passed by the board, students and staff would meet Monday through Friday with slightly shortened days.

"The reason for the shortened days is to allow time for teachers to meet the needs of digital learners," Larsen said.

If a student gets sick, they must be quarantined at home, which means that teachers will still need to continue the digital side of their classes.

With the increase in people in the buildings, mask use will be required at school and on busses.

"We aren't going to be able to practice social distancing, so masks will be required," Larsen explained.

Schools will have masks available for students who don't have them, but so far, it hasn't been a huge issue.

"We haven't had to hand out many because kiddos and staff are just bringing their own," Larsen said.

Under the current back-to-school plan, mask use has been recommended, but not required.

On top of this, staff will continue to limit the number of people coming into the buildings, such as parents and volunteers.

After-school programs will also follow the protocols if they are implemented.

While not set in stone, Larsen is eyeing two separate dates to implement the in-person classes. Elementary students would start on Oct. 5 and secondary students would start on Oct. 12.

Larsen states that there's a reason for why the younger students will go back to in-person first.

"Primary students are more vulnerable when it comes to digital learning, and they are less vulnerable when it comes to getting (being affected by) the virus," she said.

Based on how the first week of elementary school goes, secondary schools would then go fully in-person the following week.

Larsen is especially concerned about staff members that fall into the COVID "at-risk" category, which includes seniors and/or people with pre-existing conditions.

According to the Idaho Division of Public Health, 93.69% of COVID related deaths in Idaho have occurred to people at or over the age of 60.

Through the state program "Crush the Curve Idaho," KSD may be able to acquire 10 COVID kits that can be used to test for the virus at school.

With the possible return to a semi-normal schedule, Larsen is looking forward to getting everyone back in the classroom.

"We know our kids need to be in school," she said. "There isn't going to be anything better than having them face-to-face with a teacher, inside a classroom, with their classmates, and learning. We're really excited about the possibility of opening things up."

If local COVID cases spike later on though, it is possible that KSD goes back to the hybrid structure.

"We are constantly monitoring the conditions on a daily basis," Larsen said. "We're watching for what we can do to change. As we get more information, we revise our plan accordingly."

In Wallace, Superintendent Howard explains that the district is also putting together a plan to get students back five-days-a-week, but it is still in the very early stages. Administrators and staff plan to meet Friday to discuss the issue.

If no special session is called, the topic could be voted on at the next WSD board meeting on Oct. 12.

Due to the Mullan School District's lower enrollment numbers, their schools have been operating fully in-person with strict social distancing protocols in place.

The special KSD Board meeting to vote on the proposal will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. The video call link will be available at the district's website at www.kelloggschools.org.