The Lewiston and Lapwai school districts made the sudden decision Sunday to close schools today as a precautionary measure aimed at slowing local spread of the coronavirus.

Lewiston schools will remain closed until the end of the regularly scheduled spring break, which runs through March 27, and the Lapwai School District will remain closed until further notice.

Pullman School District leaders opted to begin their closure, which runs through April 24, today instead of Tuesday after learning some of its students attended a Spokane event recently where a person also in attendance has since been confirmed to have COVID-19.

Lewiston School District Superintendent Bob Donaldson said district leaders will use the next two weeks to assess the quickly evolving situation regarding the pandemic and determine if a further extension of the closure is warranted. The district will also use the stoppage of all classroom and extracurricular activities to deep clean its facilities and begin planning to deliver education remotely if the closure is extended.

“I want to share my appreciation of our students, parents, staff, and community members as we navigate through these unchartered waters together,” Donaldson wrote in a communication to parents. “We, as a community, will continue to support one another and meet the challenges that we face. Maintaining a sense of calm, even when we may be feeling anxiety, is vital for ourselves, our children, and neighbors. As we support one another through the upcoming weeks, we will become stronger together.”

In an interview with the Tribune, Donaldson said all employees are to report to work as normal, and those whose regular duties will not be required because of the absence of students will be given other tasks. Among other things, educators and technical staff will work on ways to “get education to our kids in the event we do have to stay closed longer,” Donaldson said. Other employees will be assigned a range of tasks such as helping to clean the schools.

Donaldson said having employees report as normal will help hold them harmless, especially hourly workers, who would otherwise suffer a loss of pay.

“Everybody comes to work like they usually would,” he said.

Donaldson said the district is working on a plan to deliver lunch and breakfast to students. He said it’s possible lunch could be served today, but breakfast will not.

“We will get the word out to parents as soon as we can,” he said.

He said the nutrition program may end up looking something like it does during summer months when students come to fixed locations to receive meals. Although there are no firm plans to provide child care, Donaldson said the district would try to make sure children of first responders and medical personnel are cared for.

“I’m not sure what any of that will look like, but we will try to be sensitive to that,” he said.

During the closure, all school-based sports and extracurricular activities will be canceled. All district facilities will be closed to non-district employees.

In a posting on its Facebook page, Lapwai School District said it will close today until further notice because of recent travel by some students and the closure of the Lewiston and Clarkston schools.

“This decision was incredibly difficult, yet determined (to be) in the best interest our students, staff and families. School-based sports and all other extracurricular activities will also be suspended (today) until otherwise notified,” according to the posting.

During the closure, Lapwai schools will undergo a deep cleaning, and district leaders will develop remote learning plans and devise a way to deliver meals to students.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little met via teleconference with school superintendents from across the state Sunday to address the looming coronavirus crises. According to Clark Corbin of the Idaho Education News, the governor did not recommend closing schools statewide and instead left the decision up to local administrators.

“I encourage you all — all of the people on this call and (the) rest of your partners — to make an informed, science-based decision based on consultation with your local health authorities based on circumstances in your individual areas,” Little said on the call, according to Corbin’s report.

Corbin reported that Dave Jeppesen, director of Idaho Health and Welfare, said his agency and the Center For Disease Control would prefer Idaho schools remain open.

The Idaho Education Association called on the state to close all schools for at least three weeks in a news release issued Sunday morning, prior to Little’s conference call and the decision by the Lewiston School District.

“Education leaders are uniquely positioned to help ‘flatten the curve’ and stave off a massive health crisis,” said Layne McInelly, President of the Idaho Education Association, in the news release. “Recognizing that school buildings often hold more than 250 people, five days a week, we must close our schools immediately for the health of our communities, students and staff.”

“Closing our schools will help prevent this disease from peaking, which would severely compromise our health care system and force a triage of life-saving care for patients. Schools are environments where viruses are likely to spread exponentially. The day a case is confirmed in one of our schools is the day after we should have closed the schools. The time to act is now,” McInelly said.

The Potlatch School District is staying open but making plans to deliver education remotely if it is necessary to close schools in the future, according to a communication from Superintendent Jeffrey A. Cirka.

Officials at the Moscow School District had previously decided to close schools for two weeks following this week’s spring break, and on Friday Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all public and private schools in the state to close by Tuesday and remain closed through April 24.

Pullman School District Superintendent Bob Maxwell said in a posting on the district’s website that it will begin breakfast and lunch services Wednesday at all school sites and some off-site locations. More information will be posted at www.PullmanSchools.org at a later date. Parents who need to pick up medications for their children can contact their schools to make arrangements. The district is also making arrangements for students to pick up other essential items left at the schools and will post the information on its website.

No new cases of the illness were reported in Idaho Sunday. Brady Woodbury, public health administrator in Asotin County, said three people in Asotin County suspected of having the coronavirus illness received negative test results from the Washington State Lab Sunday, and one person received a negative test from a private lab. The county is awaiting results on one additional test. No information was available on pending test results in Whitman County.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Lewis Clark Valley is offering an out-of-school camp for the children of medical workers and first responders and club members during local school closures. Club officials said in Facebook post the plans could change based on health and safety recommendations, and they are asking that it only be used by parents who need the service.

The Lewiston and Clarkston clubs will be available 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The service is available to children of first responders and medical professionals, current members and new club members as capacity allows. Priority will be given to children of first responders and medical professionals. The cost is $70 per week, per child. The capacity at each club is 125 children.

In person registration for the Clarkston club will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. this evening and at the club in the days that follow as space allows. Registration from the Lewiston club started Sunday and will continue at the club as space allows.

A Facebook group, LC Valley Quarantine Support, started to help people negotiate problems related to quarantine, school closures, child care and more related to the coronavirus. On Sunday, people on the page were offering services such as child care, delivery of food and supplies and pet sitting for those effected by coronavirus or related closures.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.