COVID back on agenda

The Coeur d’Alene School District added a formal COVID update back to its board meeting agenda following an increase in cases.

The district has had 1,912 cumulative positive cases since winter break with both students and staff combined. Valerie Nelson, MSN, RN, the new director of school health services, reported at the board meeting Monday evening at the Midtown Meeting Center.

Nelson said the good news is numbers have peaked and are now coming back down.

Superintendent Shon Hocker said last week was rough, with more than 100 staff absent.

“It’s just been all over the place,” Hocker said.

The surge in COVID cases spiked in late January and early February, resulting in a high number of staff absences and demand for substitute teachers, Scott Maben, director of communications, said.

Hocker said Monday was a good day with only about 60 staff out. Still, he thinks getting down to under 40 to 50 absences is doable.

“It's very challenging when you have one absence and one position, doesn't matter where it is,” Hocker said. “It seems like there's a trickle effect and that has an impact across multiple positions throughout the district.”

The district reported on Jan. 14, the possibility of temporary closures of school buildings due to staff absences from COVID-19 and other illnesses. Since then, Woodland Middle School was the only school to move to temporary remote learning for Jan. 21 and 24.

“To be a district our size and really have only had to close one middle school for two days, a Friday and a Monday, for this whole year is quite an accomplishment,” Hocker said.

Maben said fortunately the district is on the downside of that surge now, and it’s getting easier to cover absences with the available substitutes.

"We’re optimistic about this trend," Maben said.

The Coeur d’Alene School District has 18 schools.