Colorado School Reopening Updates: District 27J And Mapleton Are The Latest To Plan Shift To Remote Learning

Denver CO

18 November, 2020

12:51 AM

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From Chalkbeat Colorado: By Chalkbeat Staff Updated November 17, 2020 Get news and updates on Colorado school districts' evolving fall plans below. Know something we should know? Have questions we could answer? Write us at [email protected]. District 27J and Mapleton will move to remote learning The 19,000-student 27J and 9,000-student Mapleton districts are the latest two in metro Denver to announce a shift to remote learning after offering in-person instruction for the last three months. Mapleton students will move to remote learning Nov. 18 and continue in that model till they return for second-semester classes Jan. 11. In a letter sent Monday, Superintendent Charlotte Ciancio said she'd planned to continue with in-person learning for the remainder of the semester, but the surge in local cases and likelihood of new restrictions from the Tri-County Health Department prompted the reversal. In Brighton-based 27J Schools, middle and high school students will start remote instruction Dec. 1 and elementary students will start Dec. 2., according to a letter from Superintendent Chris Fiedler. Students will continue with remote instruction through the end of the first semester on Dec. 18. Fiedler explained the shift, citing the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, the staffing and operations challenges of continuing in-person school, and the possibility of more restrictive public health orders coming this week. "I know this is disappointing news," he wrote. All 27J students will begin second semester on Jan. 5 learning remotely, with students who've opted for in-person instruction going to in-person classes starting Jan. 12. Fiedler explained the delay of in-person learning by a week in second semester, writing, "Being candid, the Halloween holiday weekend was hard on us operationally in terms of the number of required quarantines brought about due to activities outside of the school setting. We want that additional week after winter break to be remote so we can be in a strong position operationally when we return to in-person learning on Tuesday, Jan. 12." — Ann Schimke This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here.