The Idaho State Board of Education approved a soft closure of school districts in late March.
Now, as COVID-19 cases rise across the country, the Idaho State Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to extend closure until the end of the school year or at least until districts meet public health guidelines established by the board.
The state board also agreed to ask the governor to waive minimum instruction hours, the state civics exam and reading assessments. Additionally, the board will give districts flexibility in instructional semester requirements.
President Debbie Critchfield said despite the difficulty of the changing situation, she hopes these motions will give structure to district decisions.
“We don’t know what the right or wrong thing is," said Critchfield. "Five years from now we are going to know either we were geniuses or we didn’t do the right thing”.
The board will meet again next week to discuss the criteria for reopening schools.
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