Our Plans for Full In-Person Learning for the 2021-22 School Year
As we look ahead to next year, we continue working closely with our trusted health partners in our preparations for the return to school in the fall. We’re excited to share our plans for a full return to in-person learning for all students in all grades next year, and we’re optimistic that classrooms will look a lot more like they did prior to the pandemic.
What will class look like for students?
We anticipate that students of all ages will participate in a regular schedule (full-time, in-person learning Monday-Friday) and that students will not need to be in cohorts.
Some health protocols may still be in place, such as the use of masks and limiting the number of students in large gatherings.
We will continue to work with our health partners and share more details about health protocols as we get closer to the start of school in the fall.
Benefits of In-Person Learning
We know there is no substitute for in-person learning. And we’ve seen that for most students, face-to-face time spent with teachers, peers and school-support staff results in a more engaging, successful learning experience.
For our younger learners in particular, quality in-person instruction is crucial for them to develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally, and sets them up for a lifetime of learning. We believe children learn best from interactive and hands-on experiences with the support of caring educators — which is why we recommend this option for the majority of our kids.
Transportation
Based on recent changes to health guidance, we can now allow two students (wearing masks) per seat when the bus windows are open. With this updated guidance, we are planning for a full return to normal transportation operations next year. Typical transportation services will be available for all eligible students on DPS school buses, as well as RTD passes for students who qualify.
Please note that bell times for many of our schools will be adjusted next year to allow us to provide full Transportation services to all eligible students. For more information, visit the Transportation website.
Updates From Our Health Partners
We continue working closely with our partners at Denver Health, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) in our preparations for the return to school in the fall, and are following their guidance as we welcome students back to a more typical school year.
Information About Vaccines
We’ve worked closely with our health partners to ensure that all DPS employees have been given the opportunity to become fully vaccinated if they choose. As of April 2021, we estimate that about 70% of our staff have taken advantage of the opportunity.
Additionally, everyone over the age of 16 became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. We are currently partnering with Denver Health and Children’s Hospital to administer vaccines to many of our eligible students before the end of this school year.
Clinical trials of vaccines for younger children are also underway, and we expect to learn more about their availability in the coming months. While vaccines may not be available to younger students right away, it’s important to remember that COVID does not impact everyone in the same manner, and young children are much less likely to become very ill than adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Option for Remote Learning
Families who are interested in continuing with remote learning for the full 2021-22 school year will have the option to enroll in a Remote Learning program for students in grades K-12.