Covid and school: Three ways US schools are responding

Amid the heated national debate over safely reopening schools, a group of parents in Idaho have planned a high school prom this spring in the absence of a school-organised event.

The Melba School District has welcomed students back to classrooms but has not held major gatherings since the pandemic began.

But social media users spotted flyers on Facebook for a Melba High prom hosted by parents.

The event's tagline reads: 'A little party never killed nobody'.

The prom is Great Gatsby themed, according to one parent, Chanall Astle.

Ms Astle took down the Facebook post after the tagline drew heat on social media but declined to comment on whether the event would be shut down.

"It's hard enough to give our kids some enjoyment this year and let them have a little fun," she told the Idaho Statesman. "It's really disappointing as a parent when you try to do a good thing, but people turn it into a bad thing."

A year has passed since schools first closed to slow down the initial spread of Covid-19, prompting concerns over how the pandemic may have stunted academic growth and harmed the mental well-being of students.

The Biden White House announced on Thursday it will soon implement coronavirus testing programmes in schools, but states and local school districts have largely gone it alone so far in planning and funding a return to normalcy.