Longmont’s charter schools are weighing their approaches to starting the new school year after St. Vrain Valley School District decided to go exclusively with online learning at least until the end of September.
Twin Peaks Charter Academy is going ahead with plans to offer full-time, in-person learning for elementary students, while secondary students will attend in-person classes every other day and learn from home on alternating days.
Twin Peaks Charter Academy Director Joe Mehsling told the school’s community on Facebook classes will start on Aug. 20 with the hybrid plan for secondary students. The reason for moving forward with the hybrid approach will be discussed at a board of directors meeting this evening, Mehsling said.
Mehsling also told Twin Peaks parents earlier this week via YouTube that remote learning is no substitute for in-person classes. “Remote is not the same as being in school,” he said.
Most students at Flagstaff Academy will be learning online on a daily basis, said Wayne Granger, the school’s executive director. But the school will now bring in small groups of students who need additional support such as those in special education, academic intervention and English language learners programs and those with other at-risk factors, Granger said.
“Regardless of the instructional model, we are exploring alternatives for connecting with our students to start out the school year on a positive note, “ he said.
Aspen Ridge Preparatory in Erie is delaying its start until Aug. 31 for first through eighth graders, Sept. 1 for kindergarten and Sept. 8 for prekindergarten/preschool. The school will offer students the option to attend in person five days a week.
Carbon Valley Academy in Frederick is planning to bring back students on a full-time basis on Aug. 19
Firestone Academy had planned to start the year offering a “full cohort model” in which all students who want to be in the building could attend in-person learning every day, according to the school. Officials told parents they were considering the St. Vrain reopening plan and will inform them soon about any changes.
Firestone Academy also will offer an online curriculum separate from the district’s online program.
St. Vrain Valley School District via an email sent to parents Tuesday announced it was switching from its initial hybrid model of in-person and online learning to an online-only approach to start the year. “Over the past few days, we have been in communication with the leadership of Boulder County Public Health and we have received additional information that has a significant impact on our plans for reopening our schools. To this end, we are updating our reopening plan to begin the school year in a fully online-learning model for all students, which will continue through the last week of September. At that time, we will re-evaluate the status of the coronavirus data, including the number of cases, positivity rate percentages, and more,” Superintendent Don Haddad announced in the email.
Among the reasons cited for the switch back to online learning for the start of the coming year were the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s guidance on school reopenings released last week, and the continuing upward trend of coronavirus cases across the country.
Haddad also said the decision was driven by feedback from the community.
“... We have received numerous communications from parents, students, teachers, and staff expressing valid concerns regarding the safety and well-being of our community,” he stated in the email. “Given the significant shift in information and the unrest that exists at this time, we do not believe that an in-person learning model would be conducive to learning and/or physical and emotional well-being.”
School administrators will be following up with families next week, according to the email.
St. Vrain students in first grade through high school will start Aug. 18, and kindergartners will start on Aug. 20.
