School closure notice from Poudre School District:
We are experiencing unprecedented heat in Northern Colorado right now and I know that staff and students are being severely impacted.
ALL PSD schools will be closed tomorrow, Friday, August 30 for heat. This includes B.A.S.E. Camp.
All scheduled athletics and after-school events/activities WILL TAKE PLACE as planned.
This decision was not made lightly and is the result of several factors including:
· Our nighttime cooling procedures, which are designed to circulate cool air into the buildings, are not as effective as they can be as outdoor temperatures have remained high overnight.
· Our systems are unable to keep up with the rising temperatures.
· Federal guidelines require we constantly circulate outside air into the buildings during the school day.
· Hot temperatures are typically a temporary situation.
· Each school presents its own unique issues when dealing with heat.
· Out of 50 schools, some are fully air conditioned, some are partially air conditioned, some have tempered air and some have no cooling at all.
· The 2010 Mill/Bond Committee, based on years of listening sessions with the community, did not include air conditioning in building renovations because of the $45-$50 million price tag and the fact that heat is typically a temporary situation.
I recognize that heat is impacting the beginning of every school year. To help plan for the future, administration will be discussing potential long-term solutions for next year, including possible modifications to the calendar. Any solutions will be presented to the community for feedback before decisions are made.
As forecasts call for cooler temperatures next week, future heat related closures/dismissal decisions are unlikely.
Our students and staff have done a tremendous job of dealing with these unusually hot days.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all deal with these temporary heat conditions.
Sincerely,
Sandra Smyser, Ph.D.
Superintendent