Denver Public Schools will delay the fall semester by one week and begin classes remotely, with students using online-learning platforms starting Aug. 24 and not returning to their classrooms until September at the earliest, district officials announced Friday.
Colorado’s largest district will not reopen its schools until “at least Sept. 8,” based on new COVID-19 guidance from local public health officials, Superintendent Susana Cordova notified principals and other senior staff in a letter ahead of the announcement.
“We know that the educational, emotional and social needs of our students are best met in person… but the COVID crisis is not over,” Cordova said during an evening news conference. “Our priority remains reopening schools safely for in-person learning when it is safe.”
New coronavirus infections have been increasing in Colorado for the last month, and health officials in Denver and statewide have raised concerns about a late-summer spike in cases that could strain area hospitals’ intensive care units.
Based on current models of COVID-19 spread in Denver, “we have come to the determination that it would not be possible to open schools with the size of cohorts we’d been planning,” she said.
The district’s draft reopening plan, obtained by The Denver Post earlier this week, had suggested schools would have “cohorts” — groups of kids who stay together to minimize contact with others — of 30 students. While social distancing will be encouraged in schools, DPS officials were not planning to reduce class sizes.
Starting the week of Aug. 17, teachers will begin reaching out to individual students to build relationships and assess their technology needs for remote learning. DPS handed out laptops and hotspots in the spring to students who needed them and plans to expand that effort going into the fall, Cordova said.
Most classes will begin Aug. 24, though dates for charter and innovation schools may be different. The change affects all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Early childhood education will not be available in this format, Cordova said; however, the district will provide activities for families to use at home in lieu of remote education.
Athletics can proceed outdoors as planned and will continue to follow Colorado High School Activities Association standards, according to the announcement.
This is not the first time DPS has shifted its plan for the fall.
In May, the district floated the idea of a hybrid approach that would have kids in school for in-person instruction part-time and have them supplement that with online work remotely. In June, DPS leaders announced plans to welcome students back for in-person learning five days a week with the option of a 100% online curriculum for families that did not feel comfortable returning to school.
This week, parents were informed that the district was considering delaying the start of the school year and in-person learning, even as officials were making plans for a full return to school.
When DPS surveyed families about their preferences, about 75% said they wanted schools to reopen fully, Cordova said. Enrollment for the online option opens July 27.
Cordova acknowledged the new format may be a challenge for many families. It wasn’t an easy decision, she said, adding the district aims to be thoughtful and proactive in informing families of when the students might transition back to in-person learning.
That decision will be made at a later date based on analysis of local rates of COVID-19, she said.
Metro school districts including those in Douglas County, Aurora and Littleton also have announced delayed openings to their fall semesters, but so far have not revealed plans to start students online before returning to the classroom.
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Denver Public Schools to start school year online, transition to classrooms in September at the earliest - The Denver Post
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