Pueblo School District 70 will keep its buildings closed for the rest of this school year, and move to remote learning starting Monday.
According to the district website, Superintendent Ed Smith recommended pushing back its return date and switching to a remote learning system until further notice.
District 70 says it made this decision based on official statements and guidance from Governor Polis and from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.
Principals and educational staff met online over the past week to ensure all teachers were trained on the platforms students will be using for the rest of the school year.
Students and families will be contacted the week of April 6 to begin the remote learning process and schools will provide workbook packets to families who need them.
Parents are encouraged to check their email frequently to stay in contact with schools.
A letter sent to parents today reads:
Dear District 70 Community,
Pueblo District 70 Superintendent Ed Smith has decided that in the best interest of the students and staff, D70 schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for our staff to make. But we believe that this is the right choice given all of the information that we have received from local and state health officials,” stated Superintendent Smith. “The health and safety of our students, staff and families is our priority. We believe that finishing this school year through our remote learning platform is one of the most effective ways in which we can do our part to avoid exposing anyone to unnecessary risk.”
D70 looks forward to returning to school in August when we can welcome our students, staff and families safely back into our buildings. District officials will begin to make plans for end of year activities, including options for high school graduation, and will have further announcements as those plans are finalized.
Remote Learning began in some D70 schools this week and will be implemented District wide on April 6, 2020.
