Dear DPS Community,
As we begin planning for the rest of the school year, we wanted to share information for families who would like to change their learning option (either in-person or virtual) for next semester.
Elementary school families with students in grades K-5 can request a change to their current learning option the week after Thanksgiving break. The window to make a change will be open from Monday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 6. Elementary families that don’t take action will remain enrolled in their current learning option through the end of the school year.
We will share more information with middle and high school families after Thanksgiving break once we have updated information on COVID trends and guidance from our health partners.
Next semester, we are hoping to be able to offer in-person learning for all elementary students next semester, including 3-5 graders, along with a 100% virtual option, but it will depend on current health conditions at the time. Therefore, families enrolled in the in-person option are choosing that they want their student to attend school in-person as much as possible as soon as the health conditions allow through the end of the school year. Families that don’t feel comfortable having their student participate in in-person learning for the spring (through May 2021) should be enrolled in the 100% virtual option.
Families who would like to request a change to their current learning option for their elementary student should complete the Learning Option Update form on the Parent Portal between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. They can also call their school’s front office to complete a paper form or make a request for changes over the phone. Please note, families whose students attend a charter school should check with their school for details on how and when they can change learning selections.
Schools will make every effort to accommodate change requests for families who need it. Families who put in a request for a change to their student’s learning option can expect to receive confirmation from their school after Dec. 7.
As a reminder, all K-12 grades will be remote through at least Dec. 18, including our special-education and newcomer center programs, and ECE families will receive support for at-home instruction. We will continue to assess health conditions and will share more information about the January return in December.
Thank you for your continued support and flexibility through these times of change.
Be safe, and have a great Thanksgiving break!