D91 News & Updates
February 2021
Board To Review COVID-19 Plan
As COVID-19 conditions continue to improve in eastern Idaho, the Board of Trustees is considering moving to the Green Phase with five days of in-person instruction beginning with the start of the third trimester on March 8. No final decisions have been made yet. Board members are continuing to monitor conditions and trends. They are expected to discuss this issue, and maybe take action, at their next business on Wednesday, Feb. 10. D91’s board meetings are currently being streamed via WebEX because of Idaho’s Stage 2 order limiting gatherings. The link will be available on the district website and D91Proud Facebook page. Public input should be submitted by 4:30pm on Feb. 9 to Brandi Moreno at morebran@sd91.org.
If the board does vote to move to the Green Phase for third trimester, Late Start will be on Fridays. Late Start provides our teachers with critical time to work in Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) and focus on increasing student achievement. 
Supplemental Levy Election March 9
D91 parents and patrons will go to the polls on March 9 to vote on renewal of the district’s supplemental levy, which generates $6.8 million in funding for our schools. “The levy is supplemental in name only and we appreciate our patrons’ longtime support of this critical funding source,” said Superintendent George Boland.
The levy has been in place for more than 30 years. The levy amount has not changed since 2003, but Idaho law requires patrons to renew supplemental levies every two years. The Board of Trustees has taken several steps recently to reduce taxes for D91 patrons. The bonds patrons approved in 2012 for facility upgrades were refinanced last summer resulting in more than $2 million in taxpayer savings. In addition, the district’s overall tax rate has dropped in the last year from $4.19 per $1,000 in taxable value to $3.45 per $1,000 in taxable value.
Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm. All eligible voters living within Idaho Falls School District 91’s boundaries can vote in the election. More information about voting precincts is available from the Bonneville County Elections Office by clicking here or by calling (208) 529-1350.
Board Adopts 2021-22 Calendar With May 27 End Date
The Board of Trustees has adopted a new 2021-22 School calendar with school ending on May 27 instead of June 2 as originally proposed. The new calendar also replaces traditional parent-teacher conferences with ongoing parent communication throughout the school year. The board is expected to make a final decision about whether Late Start will be on Mondays or Fridays later this year. Under the new calendar, school will start on Aug. 25, 2021. It includes a week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks off for Christmas/New Year’s and a week off for Spring Break.
D91 Celebrates 10 Years of One District, One Book 
We are proud once again to offer the One District, One Book program to our elementary school families. This districtwide book club of sorts is part of D91’s ongoing efforts to promote literacy and reading. Every family with a child in a D91 elementary schools will receive a copy of this year’s book today. Families will be encouraged to read together following the reading calendar. On the district and school websites families can find daily trivia questions, video recordings from local celebrities, a writing contest, and more.
This is the 10th year of D91’s One District, One Book program. We thank the William J. and Shirley A. Maeck Family Foundation for its longtime support and its generous donation to purchase this year’s title. Please join us in building a community of readers. 
Time To Support Souper Bowl
The annual Souper Bowl organized by Idaho Falls and Skyline students is under way and continues through Feb. 5. Last year, students collected more than 115,000 cans of food for the Community Food Basket. This amazing community service project now accounts for about a third of the food basket’s annual donations.
As always, IFHS & SHS are involving elementary and middle school students by working with their feeder schools. Students are also collecting cans at area grocery stores. In addition, patrons can donate online in support of the Souper Bowl.
Please do what you can to support the Souper Bowl!
We are D91PROUD of this student-led effort. 
D91’s Early Childhood Program Looking For Peer Models 
D91’s early childhood program is currently accepting children ages 3 to 5 with developmental delays or disabilities as well as typically developing peer models. The focus of the district’s early childhood program is on development of cognitive skills, communication skills, personal/social skills, adaptive skills and motor skills.
Benefits of the early childhood program for typically developing peer models include learning opportunities in all areas of development including vocabulary enrichment, exposure to school readiness skills, early literacy practice, development of social skills including compassion and empathy, and development of positive perceptions of children with disabilities.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in the peer model program, please complete the preschool peer model application by clicking here. Space is limited and it is a tuition-based program. If you have development concerns about your preschooler, please contact the Early Childhood Special Education Office. Email Mikelann Beckvold or call (208) 525-7563. 
Update on Search For New D91 Superintendent
Thank you to all parents, patrons and staff who took time to provide input on the ideal qualifications for D91’s next superintendent. The Board of Trustees will use that feedback as one of many tools as it considers prospective candidates. The board has contracted with the Idaho School Boards Association to conduct the superintendent search to replace Supt. George Boland, who is retiring at the end of the school year. Applications for the position are being accepted through Feb. 8. Watch for more updates in February.
D91 Continues To Provide Free Meals To Students 
Just a reminder D91 continues to provide free breakfast and/or lunch to all students through the end of the school year or until funding runs out. Students still provide their student ID number as they go through the lunch line, but they are not charged for the meals.
Families can also still order take-home meals for Fridays. Parents are encouraged to order a meal by completing the Google Order Form, and then students pick up the meals at school on Thursday. Our Child Nutrition staff is also providing free curbside grab-and-go meals to any children in the community, including D91 Online Academy students, from 9 am to 9:30 am on Mondays through Fridays at Compass Academy and Skyline High School.
No District Musical This Year, But Planning For A Big Show in 2022
The directors of the Idaho Falls School District musical have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 District Musical. This decision was made after considering many factors such as current COVID-19 restrictions limiting gatherings. They also considered the amount of time needed to produce the musical with more than 150 people, and determined it was just not feasible to conduct a production of this magnitude at this time. However, plans are already under way for the 2022 musical, which will be the 40th anniversary of D91’s District Musical. We hope to make it the biggest one ever! Stay tuned for more details. 
Idaho Falls School District 91 | Email | 208-525-7500 | Website