Districts across the state are preparing to welcome students back to school in person, but for smaller districts, fewer resources mean more challenges.
ACROSS THE STATEARE PREPARING TOWELCOME STUDENTSBACK TO SCHOOL INPERSON... BUT FORSMALLER DISTRICTSFEWER RESOURCESMEANS MORECHALLENGES.AND THOUGH THEGOVERNOR SAYSHE'S GOIING TOSPEND MILLIONS TOHELP SCHOOLSMANAGE, IDAHONEWS 6 REPORTERNATASHA WILLIAMSSHOWS US HOW ONEOF THOSE DISTRICTSIS ALREADYOVERCOMING THOSEOBSTACLES.THE HAGERMANSCHOOL DISTRICTHAS AROUND 300STUDENTS... ANDTHOUGH THEREAREN'T MANY CASESIN THE AREA...THEY'RE STILLTAKINGPRECAUTIONS ASTHEY GEAR UP FORTHE FIRST DAY OFSCHOOL."RIGHT NOW WE'RETRYING TOIMPLEMENT SOMEPLEXIGLASSDIVIDERS.
THOSEWILL PREVENT YOUFROM HAVING TOQUARANTINE IFSOMEONE WITHINTHAT CLASSROOMWERE TO HAVE ACONFIRMED CASE OFCOVID"DESPITE THEDISTRICT'S SMALLSIZE... SOCIALDISTANCING IN THECLASSROOM IS STILLA CHALLENGE."SOME CLASS SIZESARE LARGER THANOTHERS, BUTWHENEVER YOUHAVE A CLASSROOMOF 20 OR MORE IT'STOUGH TO MAINTAINA SIX FOOT SOCIALDISTANCE UNLESSYOU EITHER HAVE TODO HALF OR HAVETHEM WEAR MASKS,OR PROVIDE THOSEBARRIERS."THE DISTRICT HASGOTTEN FEDERALFUNDING TO HELPWITH THE COSTS OFPROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT LIKEFACE MASKS ANDDIVIDERS."WE'RE JUST KIND OFGUESTIMATING ATHOW MUCH THIS ISGOING TO BEBECAUSE WE'VENEVER BEEN THERE.I'M HOPEFUL IT WILLBE ENOUGH AND IBELIEVE THAT ITWILL BE, IT'S JUSTGOING TO LIMITWHAT WE CAN DO."LIKE THE REST OFREGION FOUR... THEHAGERMANDISTRICT'S BACK TOSCHOOL PLAN ISBASED AROUND ACOLOR-CODED"LEVELS" SYSTEM.
INALL OF THE LEVELS...THE DISTRICT ISINCREASINGSANITARYPROTOCOLSTHROUGHOUT THEIRSCHOOLS AND AREWORKING TO MAKESURE THEY'REPREPARED IF THEYNEED TO SWITCH TOREMOTE LEARNING.BUT WITH THOSEPREPARATIONS COMESTAFFINGCHALLENGES."OUR RESOURCESARE LIMITED.
SO ITMIGHT EVEN BESOMETHING THAT WEHAVE TO END UPBRINGING ON SOMEADDITIONAL STAFFMEMBERS TO HELPWITH THOSECLEANING ANDDISINFECTANTPROCEDURES.
WITHTHE INCREASEDFUNDING FORTECHNOLOGYRESOURCES WE MAYHAVE TO BRING ONANOTHER IT PERSON,AND AS STAFF--IF WEHAVE TOQUARANTINE ROOMSAND STAFF, WE MAYALSO HAVE TO BRINGON ANOTHERINDIVIDUAL WHO CANASSIST WITH THAT."THE DISTRICT SAYSTHEY FEELCONFIDENT THEY'REAS READY AS THEYCAN BE TO WELCOMESTUDENTS BACK."I THINK THAT EVENTHOUGH WE HAD ARECENT CASE DOWNHERE IN HAGERMAN,I DON'T THINK IT'S AREASON TO PANIC.
ACOUPLE CASES ISN'TGOING TO CHANGEUS OPENING IN THEFALL.
AS OF RIGHTNOW, I FEELCONFIDENT WE CANRETURN IN THEFALL."THE FIRST DAY OFSCHOOL FOR THEHAGERMAN DISTRICTIS AUGUST 24.
INTWIN FALLS...NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6.THE SOUTH
As Jeffco Public Schools gears up for school to start back on Monday, CBS4 Investigates has learned many teachers are leaving the..
