NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa School District announced Thursday that it will temporarily close Snake River Elementary School for two days. The district posted the news on its Facebook page.
Officials say that more than 30% of the school's staff is out due to illness and they are unable to provide a strong and safe educational environment for students. The district added that it couldn't find enough substitutes.
The school will be temporarily closed on Friday, Sept. 3 and Tuesday, Sept. 7. There are no classes on Monday due to the Labor Day holiday. Classes will resume on Wednesday, Sept. 8.
This decision only impacts children that attend Snake River Elementary School. All other schools in the Nampa School District will be in session on Friday and Tuesday.
The district did not specifically say what illness has caused so many staff to be out sick, but we continue to hear from local health officials, hospital administrators and other school districts around the state about surging COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, the Payette School District announced that students who attend Payette High School will not be returning to the classroom until Sept. 13 because there's been a cluster of COVID-19 illnesses at the school. Students will have to learn remotely next week.
On Monday, Compass Charter School in Meridian informed parents they will be closing for a week to get a handle on the coronavirus. A growing number of students have reported symptoms or having a family member at home that has COVID-19 symptoms. Students are encouraged to wear a mask when school resumes on Sept. 7.
And students at Grand View Elementary School in Owyhee County were told to stay home this week because more than one-third of the students had been exposed to someone with COVID-19. They are expected back to class next Tuesday.