All Poudre School District Students to Move to Phase 4 In-Person Learning

February 26, 2021 Steven Bonifazi Business & Education Comments Off on All Poudre School District Students to Move to Phase 4 In-Person Learning
Girl writing on a piece of paper with a pencil. student.

Poudre School District middle and high school students will join grades PK-5 for Phase 4, full-time in-person learning starting on Monday, March 22.

The district has had fewer cases of COVID-19 at all grade levels since returning in January compared to case levels while students were in Phase 3 hybrid learning last fall. Poudre School District (PSD) believes it is time to make this shift as cases continue to trend downward in Larimer County.

“Our goal has been to get students back to in-person learning as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Tom Gonzales, LCDHE public health director, who supports this decision by PSD and the county’s two other school districts, which are also shifting all grade levels to full-time in-person learning. “We’ve worked closely with our school districts throughout this pandemic and have confidence that their COVID-19 protocols prioritize the health and safety of the students and staff,” Tom said.

Case Comparisons Over Time by Level are as follows:

Elementary School Cases

  • Oct. 19 – Nov. 25, 2020 (38 days) 
    • Students – 79
    • Staff – 30
    • Total – 109
  • Jan. 19 – Feb. 25, 2021 (38 days)
    • Students – 58
    • Staff – 12
    • ​​​Total – 70

Middle School Cases

  • Oct. 19 – Nov. 25, 2020(38 days) 
    • Students – 62
    • Staff – 7
    • Total – 69
  • Jan. 19 – Feb. 25, 2021 (38 days)
    • Students – 34
    • Staff – 7
    • ​​​Total – 41

High School Cases

  • Oct. 19 – Nov. 25, 2020(32 days) 
    • Students – 125
    • Staff – 11
    • Total – 136
  • Jan. 19 – Feb. 25, 2021 (32 days)
    • Students – 65
    • Staff – 10
    • ​​​Total – 75

Vaccinations and testing are contributing factors to the decision to move to phase 4, with PK-12 educators and staff eligible to be vaccinated under the state’s tiered distribution plan on Monday, February 8. UCHealth data showed that over 3,000 PSD employees had been registered with UCHealth to receive their vaccination as of Tuesday, February 23.

PSD plans to maximize social distancing and follow safety protocols and utilize more prevention from wearing masks to enhanced learning and disinfecting of the schools and workplaces. Doors will be opened, and outdoor spaces will be used more frequently as the weather improves throughout the spring to focus on ventilation.

Middle and high school students will be provided opportunities to learn from home if families do not feel comfortable sending their students to school. PSD has also added two new teacher workdays to the calendar this spring on Friday, March 12, and Monday, April 19. Elementary students will not go to school these days, with middle and high schoolers participating in asynchronous online learning days.

PSD will continue to monitor health conditions and public health guidance throughout the pandemic so that they can make adjustments as needed. PSD remains committed to helping their students learn and grow, and they understand that students are at their best when they are in school every day.

For more information regarding Poudre School District and Phase 4 in-person learning, visit https://www.psdschools.org.

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