MORE STUDENTS ARE HEADED TO REMOTE LEARNING
Two Douglas County high schools will halt in- person classes
In- person classes are ending for all in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.
All students in Adams 12 Five Star Schools will be learning remotely come Nov. 16, as COVID- 19 cases continue to surge in the Denver metro area.
The district previously moved sixth- through 12th- grade students to remote learning but maintained in- person classes as an option for younger learners. That’s no longer feasible given the current conditions surrounding COVID- 19, said Superintendent Chris Gdowski in an announcement Monday.
Meanwhile, two schools in Douglas County School District — Douglas County High School in Castle Rock and Legend High School in Parker — will transition all students online Tuesday, according to announcements sent to families Monday. Both expect to resume in- person classes on Nov. 30, after fall break.
A note to Douglas County High families cited “a number” of positive cases that led to “a large number of staff members, in addition to many of our students” being quarantined. Spokesman Nate Jones could not immediately clarify how many cases have been reported; however, the district has notified families and staff of at least three other cases this month.
Legend High School has also reported at least three cases this month. On Nov. 5, ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch shut down for similar reasons.
Douglas has yet to implement remote learning broadly, but newly appointed Doug County Superintendent Corey Wise said Friday he was strongly considering such a transition. The board of education is planning to discuss the issue at its meeting Tuesday, Jones said.
In Adams 12, Friday will be the last day of in- person learning at all preschools and elementary schools, as well as at Bollman and Washington Square technical schools. On Nov. 16, students will connect with their teachers virtually and prepare for synchronous, or real- time, learning on Nov. 17.
This transition also applies to Before and After School Enrichment programs, students with special needs and advanced academic needs, and English learners.
Gdowski said instruction will continue remotely through the conclusion of the fall semester for students on Dec. 17. In- person supports for special needs, advanced academic needs and English language learners may be available starting Nov. 30, but the district is still working through details, he said.
“I realize this news is the latest in a long string of disappointments in 2020,” Gdowski said in his note. “Simply put, we’ve now reached the point at which the benefits of in- person learning for our youngest students are outweighed by the disruption caused by abrupt transitions to quarantines and by the risk of COVID exposures within our schools.”
Since mid- September, COVID incidence rates have increased by nearly 900%, Gdowski said, adding that more than 200 staff and students who have tested positive for COVID and more than 3,900 people have been quarantined.
Numerous other metro- area districts that have transitioned online in light of the recent COVID- 19 surge, including Cherry Creek School District, Aurora Public Schools, Sheridan School District No. 2, Westminster Public Schools, and Adams County School District 14. Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest district, has implemented or extended remote learning for all grades except K- 2.