Poudre School District has announced that students will return to some form of in-person learning following winter break as the district has learned that COVID-19 has lower case prevalence and transmission rates among school-aged children.
The district’s Phase 4 for preschool will be Monday through Thursday, with no school on Fridays. Elementary students will be in school full time, five days a week, with health protocols in place with Polaris Expeditionary Learning School K-12 following the district’s rest.
Poudre Global Academy, Centennial, and Poudre Community Academy will communicate schedules to their families and students. In contrast, Poudre School District (PSD) Virtual students will continue with 100 percent online learning following the district’s transfer process and accepting transfers by grade level.
Remote learning will take place following winter break so that PSD can monitor the community’s health conditions, prepare staff, buildings, and materials and gauge the impact of a return to schools without bringing all students back full-time. The district plans to maintain in-person learning for the remainder of the school year as they close schools or classrooms to control the spread of COVID-19.
Temporary school closures will occur from Monday, January 11, if PSD leadership and staff from Health Services find it necessary once a school’s case percentage surpasses 1 percent. Families should prepare for this new change and receive little notice before a temporary closure occurs.
The district will be providing free meals to PSD students (Pre-K-12) through the end of the 2020-2021 school year as all current PSD meal programs will continue at schools and kitchens as they are currently in Phase 1 – 3. Elementary school kitchens will switch only to serve students who are in-person when schools move to Phase 4.
Transportation services are adapting ridership plans to align with new phases by grade level after winter break. PSD will bus students who legally need transportation and those who applied and were approved for busing this school year.
Busing will continue as it is now:
- The weeks of Tuesday, January 5 and 11 for PreK-5 students
- The weeks of Tuesday, January 5 and 11 for 6-8 students
- The weeks of Tuesday, January 5, 11, and 18 for 9-12 students
Remote learning support centers will remain open to provide safe spaces with internet and meals to identify students supervised by an adult while participating in learning online with their teacher(s). PSD follows Colorado High School Activities Association and local and state public health guidance for athletics.
For more information regarding PSD’s plans for after winter break, visit: https://www.psdschools.org/News/AfterWinterBreakPlan