Schools discuss fall operations, budget cuts, sports

BUDGETS... ORHEALTHRESTRICTIONS...SCHOOL DISTRICTSARE ALREADYPREPARING FOR THEUNCERTAINTY OFTHIS FALL SEMESTER.OUR JESSICA TAYLORSPOKE WITH KUNA,CALDWELL ANDBOISESUPERINTENDENTS...TO LEARN WHATPARENTS NEED TOKNOW.NONE OF THEDISTRICTS KNOWFOR SURE WHATTHEIR STAFF ORENROLLMENTNUMBERS WILL LOOKLIKE.

SO NONE OFTHEIR PLANS AREFINAL.

BOISE SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS FORTHEIR PROJECTIONS,THEY'RE THINKINGABOUT THREEDIFFERENTSCENARIOS WHICHCOULD AFFECTSCHOOL IN THE FALL;FIRST, IF ANINDIVIDUALSTUDENTS BECOMEINFECTED, SECOND IFA SPECIFIC SCHOOLBECOMES A HOTSPOT, OR THIRD, IFTHEY BRACE FOR ACOMPLETELOCKDOWN ONCEAGAIN.BOISE SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS WHENCONSIDERING THOSESCENARIOS, THEIRBEST CASE SOLUTIONTO CONTINUEEDUCATION IS ONLINESCHOOL OF SOMESORT:"AND I USE THATTERM REALLY,REALLYSPECIFICALLY, WHATWE'VE BEEN IN THISYEAR IS NOT ONLINESCHOOL; IT'S BEEN ABANDAID, IT'S BEENWHAT WE HAVE BEENABLE TO PUTTOGETHER INLITERALLY TURNINGON A DIME GIVEN THEPANDEMIC ANDWHERE WE WERE...BUT NOTNECESSARILYCONTENT SPECIFIC,GRADE-LEVELSPECIFIC LEARNING" -DENNISKUNA SCHOOLDISTRICT SURVEYEDPARENTS TO SEEHOW THEY FEELABOUT REOPENING INTHE FALL.

MAJORITYWANT SCHOOL N-PERSON .

BUT THEPANDEMIC RAISESQUESTIONS ABOUTHOW MANY KIDS WILLACTUALLY RETURNFOR IT."30-PERCENT FROMOUR FAMILIES HAVECOMMUNICATEDTHEY'RE NOT SUREWHAT THEIR GOINGTO DO NEXT YEAR ORTHEY KNOW THERENOT GOING TO HAVETHEIR KIDS RETURNTO SCHOOL KIND OFBUSINESS AS USUAL,"- JOHNSONBUDGET RESTRAINTSALSO SHAPE FUTURESCHOOL PLANS.GOVERNOR LITTLEWANTS A 1%GENERAL FUNDHOLDBACK FOR THISYEAR, AND SCHOOLSPREPARE FORANOTHER POTENTIAL5% CUT IN JULY.."FOR THE BOISESCHOOL DISTRICTTHAT'S ABOUT 8.5-9MILLION DOLLARS" -DENNISKUNA SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS THATTRANSLATES TOABOUT 1.6 MILLIONFOR THEIR DISTRICT.ALREADY THISSPRING KUNAFURLOUGHED SOMESTAFF."WE WERE ABLE TOSAVE ABOUT 700-THOUSAND DOLLARS,THAT'S GOING TOOFFSET THOSEBUDGE CUTS IN THECOMING YEAR" -JOHNSONCALDWELL ISWEIGHING THOSEFINANCIAL DECISIONSBUT SAYSTECHNOLOGY STILLREMAINS AT THE TOPOF THE LIST FORTHEIR BUDGET."THE TECH BUDGETAT THE STATE LEVELHAS BEEN REDUCED,SO WE'RE ALLLOOKING AT THE HOWDOES WITH THEFEDERAL HELP, CANWE USE SOME OFTHAT TO HELP WITHTHE TECHNOLOGYNEEDS, THAT OURSTUDENTS WILLNEED- FRENCHTHE THREESUPERINTENDENTSALL EXPRESSED THEYARE LOOKING INTOBLENDED MODELS,OF ONLINE AND INPERSON."IT'S VERY DIFFERENTTO GIVE DIRECTIONSONLINE AND TOINSTRUCT ONLINE SO- FRENCHJESSICA TAYLORIDAHO NEWS SIX.