COEUR d’ALENE — During a special meeting conducted virtually Monday afternoon, the Coeur d’Alene School Board refined the language of an updated plan to manage and mitigate the coronavirus pandemic as schools reopen.

The proposed mask policy addresses opportunities for safely removing masks during the school day. The policy also addresses accommodations for individuals with certain medical conditions or disabilities.

Under the district’s reopening plan, students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks on school property while the district is operating under “orange” (moderate risk) or “yellow” (minimal risk) categories.

A point of discussion was the language surrounding the circumstances under which students would be allowed to remove their masks at school, including who has the authority to permit mask removal.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from the community,” Superintendent Steve Cook said. “We wanted to make sure it’s more clearly articulated who’s going to be making that decision.”

Board Chair Casey Morrisroe said he was surprised to receive pushback from teachers who were concerned about having the authority to allow students to remove their masks, “either from a fairness standpoint, or a pressure standpoint, or a political standpoint.”

“I still think it’s appropriate that we recognize mask breaks,” Morrisroe said, adding that he thought students should have the opportunity to remove masks during planned breaks in spaces where physical distancing can be maintained.

Trustee Lisa May said physical distancing is only one aspect of mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Other factors, such as hand washing and ventilation, also come into play.

“I’m not comfortable with students removing their masks even if they’re socially distanced in a portable classroom,” she said.

May noted that physical distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control are geared toward adults, not kids, which can make them more challenging to apply in a school setting.

“It’s not one size fits all,” she said.

Cook said that in terms of air exchange, classrooms across the district meet at least “the minimum threshold for industry standards.”

“We’re putting higher-quality air in our schools, including portables, than most homes and businesses in our community,” he said.

New portable classrooms have a small air exchange in them, Director of Operations Jeff Voeller said, though older portables do not.

The language of the mask policy is not yet finalized.

ENROLLMENT DOWN

A sharp decrease in enrollment across the district may mean that fewer portable classrooms will be needed.

Compared to the first week of school in 2019, overall enrollment is down 8 percent — a “significant drop,” said Director of Finance Katie Ebner.

The Idaho State Board of Education unanimously approved a temporary regulation last week allowing schools to use their full-time equivalent enrollment numbers instead of average daily attendance to calculate state funding. Even so, an 8 percent drop would cost the school district approximately $4.4 million.

However, Ebner said, Idaho code allows for the state to hold a district harmless after a 3-percent drop in support unit, which generates revenue for the district.

“We eat the first 3 percent, and then the state protection kicks in and we see close to our prior year funding,” she said.

The district is looking at options to address a budget deficit, including making cuts outside the classroom in areas like bus purchases and professional development.

Hiring is frozen wherever possible, Ebner said. Though not all vacant positions can remain unfilled, eight teacher positions are currently being held.

Though the deadline to register for the Coeur d’Alene School District’s entirely-online eSchool has passed, Cook said around 100 families have since expressed interest in enrolling.

To accommodate these students, the district will use a lottery system to allow students to enter the eSchool as openings occur.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 14, which coincides with the first day of school.