2020-21 School Year FAQS

• Why did PSD decide to shift middle and high school students to Phase 4 now? Since returning in January, PSD has had fewer cases of COVID-19 at all grade levels when compared to case levels while students were in Phase 3 hybrid learning this past fall. With cases continuing to trend downward in Larimer County, and based upon the timing of our Spring Break and start of the fourth-quarter grading period, we believe it is time make this shift. Our decision was made in consultation with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE). “Our goal has been to get students back to in-person learning as soon as it is safe to do so. We’ve worked closely with our school districts throughout this pandemic and have confidence that their COVID-19 protocols prioritize the health and safety of the students and staff,” said Tom Gonzales, LCDHE public health director, who supports this decision by PSD and the county’s two other school districts, which are also shifting all grade levels to full-time in-person learning. Vaccinations and testing are contributing factors to this decision. Learn more about this decision in this Feb. 25 news item.

• Why return on March 22, after Spring Break when cases could increase from traveling? PSD is aware of the timing and will closely monitor the impact of shifting middle and high school students to Phase 4. PSD cannot restrict travel that students or staff do in their own time. As of February 2021, there is not currently a statewide or local requirement to quarantine for 14 days when traveling to or returning from travel to Larimer County, as posted on the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment website. Following LCDHE guidance, people should know that it is possible to have been exposed to COVID-19 on their travels. According to the LCDHE, you may feel well and not have any symptoms, but they can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus. Additionally, Larimer County did not see a significant uptick in cases following Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve. There are some international travel restrictions. More information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention >> 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance in February about how schools should operate, as possible. Based on PSD’s data, it appears that neither middle nor high schools should be operating with all students at school full-time. Why is PSD doing this? Guidance from the CDC and White House has evolved greatly in the past couple of weeks, shifting from a goal to get all students across the U.S. in school at least one day a week to getting all K-8 students in school five days a week. Looking at current CDC benchmarks for when students in different grade levels are recommended to be learning in-person, it is our belief that the minimum number of COVID-19 cases is unattainably low in our current national and community conditions. Students and staff are at their best when they are in school, strengthening their connections while teaching and learning together. This in-person experience is critical to addressing some of the student learning losses that we have measured during the pandemic. We are also seeing some stability in PSD's COVID-19 data. More elementary students have been quarantined during the second semester, but that is by design; with enhanced contact tracing for primary grades, all students in a class are shifted to remote when there is a case. The inverse is that since Jan. 19, about 3% of elementary students have been in remote per day on average, meaning that 97% have been able to attend school five days per week. Comparing the weeks all students were in Phase 3 hybrid learning this fall to the time this semester they have been in Phases 3 or 4, case totals at all grade levels are lower now than before. Therefore, it appears that having more students in schools more often has not contributed to case increases. For those reasons, we believe it is time to take this next step. 

• Will students or staff be required to isolate/quarantine after Spring Break travel? No. PSD cannot restrict travel that students or staff do in their own time. As of February 2021, there is not currently a statewide or local requirement to quarantine for 14 days when traveling to or returning from travel to Larimer County, as posted on the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment website. Following LCDHE guidance, people should know that it is possible to have been exposed to COVID-19 on their travels. According to the LCDHE, you may feel well and not have any symptoms, but they can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus. Regardless of where you traveled or what you did during your trip, take these actions to protect others from getting sick after you return: When around others, stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people who are not from your household. It is important to do this everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are outside of your home. Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol). Watch your health and look for symptoms of COVID-19. Take your temperature if you feel sick. There are some international travel restrictions. More information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention >> 

• What does this mean for fall 2021?PSD is focused on supporting students, staff and families in Phase 4 and is not ready to comment on fall 2021. 

• Do all secondary students have to participate in in-person learning? Can they also stay in a remote learning model? We know some families may not feel comfortable sending their students to school. They will continue to have the option to keep their middle and high school students at home and should contact their school’s principal for more information regarding specific options. 

• How many students will be in each classroom? There is no districtwide maximum for the number of students permitted in each classroom; this number varies from school to school and classroom to classroom based upon school layout and square footage. Following district protocols, staff and students will maximize social distancing. With more students in school more of the time, 6 feet of social distancing will not always be possible. Recognizing this is a challenge for most schools in the State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Larimer County Department of Health and Environment guidance allows schools to seat students between 3-6 feet apart. Among many prevention measures, including required masks for students and staff, PSD may also utilize plastic partitions. 

• What is the plan for lunches in middle and high schools? Many of the Phase 3 meal best practices and protocols will also be followed in Phase 4. Each school will plan to maximize distancing as much as possible (i.e. utilizing seating charts or cohorting students to the extent possible, etc.). Please visit the Phase 4 Schools Open with Safety Protocols web page for details.

• If students have a free period during the school day will they be able to leave and return to campus? Preparations for the shift to Phase 4 are underway. More information will be shared as soon as possible. 

• Maintaining six feet of social distancing will not be possible with all middle and high school students in school. What is PSD doing to address this? Maintaining 6 feet or more of distance is not always possible within some PSD schools due to space constraints that are difficult to reconcile with educating more students more of the time. Recognizing this is a challenge for most schools in the State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Larimer County Department of Health and Environment guidance allows schools to seat students between 3-6 feet apart. Among many prevention measures, including required masks for students and staff, PSD may also utilize plastic partitions.  

  Maintaining our shared health and safety culture is a must to Keep Schools Open. We will maximize social distancing and follow our safety protocols, but we also know that maintaining six feet of distancing will not always be possible. Utilizing additional layers of prevention will be important. Students and staff are still required to wear masks and the enhanced cleaning and disinfection of our schools and workplaces will continue. Ventilation will remain a focus and, as the weather improves throughout the spring, we will open doors and use our outdoor spaces more frequently. Our COVID-19 Response Teams will also continue following protocols rooted in medical best practices and public health guidance to promptly respond to cases. More information is on the Health and Safety and COVID-19 Protocols web pages. 

• With middle and high school students shifting to Phase 4 in March, will PSD start doing daily student wellness and temperature checks at school? No. PSD will continue to follow established health and safety protocols. Parents/guardians and students are expected to evaluate themselves for symptoms and NOT go to school if they are experiencing illness symptoms, which include but aren’t limited to a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more. More information on PSD COVID-19 protocols >> 

• Is it true that there will be teacher workdays in March and April? PSD has added two new teacher workdays to the calendar this spring on Friday, March 12 and Monday, April 19. On these two days, elementary students will not go to school; middle and high schoolers will participate in asynchronous online learning days. Teachers can use this time to prepare classrooms, lessons and more.
   
  • Will there be childcare options for parents/guardians who have to work either or both days? PSD’s contracted childcare provider AlphaBEST is planning to offer services those days. For more information, please visit https://www.alphabest.org/poudreco/. 
     
  • How will teachers utilize the time on those workdays? Teachers may choose how they use their time these days. Many teachers have increased workloads due to COVID-19, and their work on these days may include but isn’t limited to cleaning, developing lesson plans, preparing individual student learning materials (the sharing of materials is discouraged) and more. 
     
  • Can’t PSD just utilize substitute teachers? PSD has designated site substitute teachers at each school this year, and the district is now opening its regular substitute call-out system to provide backup for teachers who may be out for a number of reasons, including if they are shifted to remote education for a COVID-19 case. At this point, the district is unsure how many substitutes will be available for support through the remainder of the school year and encourage community members to consider working as a PSD substitute to help Keep Schools Open. More information: PSD Careers web page
     
  • Other districts in Colorado have not added workdays. Why is PSD doing things differently? We understand the workdays may pose challenges for some of our families and students. As we shared in the district update, many of our teachers have needed additional time in their contracted schedules to manage significantly increased workloads due to COVID-19. Of all the options considered, the district and PSD Board of Education felt this change was the most optimal way to balance all needs. We are aware that some regional school districts have opted for students to be in school four days a week and learn asynchronously online one day a week during the second semester. In PSD, the district and school board decided that it was important to have students in school as much as possible and chose to add the two workdays, instead. 

When all students are in Phase 4, will my student still use a district-issued laptop or device at home? Yes, any student could potentially be shifted to remote learning if there is a COVID-19 case, following district protocols. Therefore, students will continue to use their district-issued devices in-person and at home. 

Will my student still be able to use a district-issued MiFi device? Yes, families, at all levels, that continue to need a MiFi device for internet connectivity may keep their MiFi throughout the remainder of the school year. Later this spring, families will be asked to return MiFi devices. MiFis will be provided to summer school students based on the same requirements that were followed during this school year. 

PSD elementary schools will not simulcast/livestream at the elementary level. In situations when students are absent from school due to exposure or quarantine, we will provide work to complete at home, as we would have prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. One reason elementary schools will not offer classroom simulcasts is because many of our youngest learners would likely have difficulty accessing their online learning materials and the simulcast without a dedicated adult to support them, as compared with their older peers.    
    
PSD secondary schools will offer simulcasts/broadcasts. These will serve as a one-way window into the classroom; teachers will be focused on their in-person students and are not expected to interact with students accessing the broadcast. The broadcasts serve as a complement to the learning materials secondary students access online through their Teacher Learning pages (teacher notes, presentation slides, reading materials, etc.).

We encourage families who are not comfortable with their student returning to the classroom to submit a transfer request for PSD Virtual, for the 2020-21 school year, or submit a School of Choice application for Poudre School District Global Academy Virtual for the 2021-22 school year.     

• With middle and high schoolers moving to Phase 4, will the staff testing site hours and days of operation be expanded? Will PSD open a second testing site? As of now, PSD will continue to operate one symptomatic staff rapid COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot on the west side of Poudre High School. PSD does not currently plan to open a second site, based on the current number of appointments. The site is not open to symptomatic students or the general community. For information about testing for minors in Larimer County, please visit the Health and Safety FAQ web page. 

• Many physicians or pediatricians' offices will test for their patients if they’re symptomatic or have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19

• Are vaccines required for staff? PSD is not requiring staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. 

• Are vaccines available for students?  As of April 2, Colorado is currently vaccinating everyone eligible in previous phases of the vaccine distribution plan and the general public ages 16 and older.  Currently (as of April 2), those who are 16 or 17 years old can only receive the Pfizer vaccine, which has limited availability. Parents/guardians should check with a provider to see which vaccination is available prior to their child’s appointment. More information >> 

• Will all PSD staff be vaccinated by March 22? Vaccinations and testing are contributing factors to this decision. PK-12 educators and staff became eligible to be vaccinated under the state’s tiered distribution plan on Feb. 8. Staff continue to book appointments with different providers, including UCHealth (UCH), Kaiser Permanente, Banner Health, and LCDHE – and the results are encouraging. As of Feb. 23, UCH data show that over 3,000 PSD employees have registered with UCH to receive their vaccination, with nearly 70% of those registered already receiving their first dose. Banner and Kaiser have not provided data to PSD, but we know that many staff have also booked vaccination appointments with these providers. Additionally, PSD will continue to operate its symptomatic staff rapid testing site through the end of the school year. 

• Will volunteers be able to receive the vaccine early? No. Volunteers are not included in the 1B education tier of the State of Colorado’s vaccination plan. That said, a volunteer may qualify personally (not in connection with PSD) to receive the vaccination if they meet the requirements of another tier (e.g. If a volunteer is a first responder, they may have already received the vaccination. If they are 65 years or older, they may now qualify to be vaccinated, as of February).  

• With high school students returning to Phase 4, what are PSD’s plans for prom? For information, please visit the Activities, Athletics and Events Status web page.  

• What is the plan for graduation, given the shift to Phase 4? As of February 2021, the plan is to host in-person graduation ceremonies in May with COVID-19 protocols. Discussions and planning are underway, and we will share more information about this important topic as soon as possible. 

• Will clubs/student organizations begin to meet in-person? Yes, if they are run by a PSD employee and meet safety protocols, including but not limited to wearing masks and social distancing as possible.

With a shift to Phase 4, will there be changes to athletics? Middle school athletics begin March 1. Current information is available on the Activities, Athletics and Events Status web page. 

What technical support is available? A technical support website designed specifically for parents and students is available. The PSD website offers device troubleshooting information, application technical support and covers other common technical issues that parents and students sometime experience. 

• Access the PSD Community Tech Portal here.
•  Email covidtechhelp@psdschools.org or call the student/family support line at 970-490-3339
• Technical Support and Resources web page. 

How do we stay connected to teachers and get the resources we need when remote learning is in place? Online teacher learning pages provide remote learning resources Every teacher and/or department has their own online learning pages where students can find their remote learning resources. For example, an elementary teacher's page may feature messages from the teacher, and links to Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, other learning applications. These pages serve as the entry point for students to access content when remote learning is in place. We also encourage parents/guardians to communicate with teachers, principals and other school staff when you have questions or want to discuss support for your student. 

What does remote learning look like? Please see the Remote Learning: What to Expect web page.

Grades will be assigned. Grading practices and expectations will be communicated. 

• What does education for students with disabilities look like this year? Please visit the Support of Students with Disabilities in 2020-21 web page for information.

• How does PSD support at-risk students in Phase 1? PSD staff have been working with many community partners throughout the pandemic to identify ways to support our most vulnerable students. In Phase 1 remote learning, the district will continue to operate remote learning support centers at many PSD schools for students identified with specific needs. 
  
  Students supported through this model are those who lack the resources at home to participate in remote learning; those who are English Language Learners; and those identified as needing significant intervention for English or mathematics. Remote learning support centers were initially opened in late August and early September as spaces where students had a safe place to access meals, internet services and mental health support, while engaging in the remote educations. To be clear, staff will be supervising students in-person while they engage in remote learning online with their grade-level or content area teachers. Supervisory staff do NOT provide in-person instruction. 

PSD's last day of school is Wednesday, May 26. We will communicate if the last day changes.

What are the plans for student opportunities this summer (e.g. summer school, Camp SOL, STEM-X)? PSD staff are working with community partners to plan summer programming. It may include but isn’t limited to summer school for credit recovery, as well as other potential in-person programs with health protocols. It is important to note that some options will be by invitation only, while others may be open to broader registration. More information will be available on this Summer Learning Opportunities web page. 

What are the plans for staff learning opportunities this summer(e.g. Summer Institute, Launch Learning)? Once summer programming for students is finalized, the Professional Learning Team will collaboratively determine opportunities for staff. Classes will be available; however, they will likely be offered on a much smaller scale so as not to compete with the need to serve our students and due to limited resources. Staff received information via email beginning in March. 

The district’s 100 percent online option for the 2020-21 school year is PSD Virtual. PSDV transfers are being accepted by grade level, depending on space availability, following PSD’s School Transfer Request Process. You may begin the school transfer process by completing the School Transfer Request (also available in Spanish - School Transfer Request).    

K-5 may submit transfer requests to Sonja Ballstadt at sballsta@psdschools.org.  

6-12 may submit transfer requests to Kristen Besanceney at kbesance@psdschools.org. 

PSD Virtual will conclude with the end of the 2020-21 school year. Those interested in a fully virtual model for the 2021-22 school year have the option to apply through School of Choice to Poudre Global Academy Virtual (PGAV), which is offering a new K-12 model in addition to its current hybrid model. Families may apply now, during the School of Choice second-consideration application period. For more PGAV information, visit PGAV's website >> 

We know some families may not feel comfortable sending their students to school. Middle and high school students will be given opportunities to learn from home, and families should contact their school’s principal for more information regarding specific options. 

PSD Virtual was established as an option for the 2020-21 school year as an alternative for families who opted for the consistency of learning online all the time. PSD Virtual will not shift among the district’s educational phases, which are dependent on current public health conditions, guidance and orders.  

PSDV teachers will use the standards-based curriculum from Colorado iLearn Collaborative, locally developed curriculum, and concurrent enrollment courses at Front Range Community College at the secondary level and curriculum from Colorado Digital Learning Solutions and locally developed curriculum at the elementary level. PSD Virtual teachers will also supplement with other district curriculum materials for teaching and learning. PSD teachers in the home schools will use district curriculum materials for their remote instruction.   

Additionally, classes of PSD Virtual students will have students from schools across the district. For example, a first-grade class may have students whose home schools are Bennett, McGraw, Timnath and Zach elementary schools. Students who don’t enroll in PSD Virtual will remain in class with students who are all from the same home school.  

Whether enrolled in PSD Virtual or attending their home school, PSD students will experience support from compassionate and professional teachers and staff as well as be connected to their peers, teachers and others within unique school communities. 

To unenroll in PSD Virtual:

•  Email psdvinfo@psdschools.org with the subject line “Unenroll.”
• In the body of the email, please provide your parent name, student name, and student ID number. 

Enrolling your child at PSD Virtual is a year-long commitment. There may be a possibility of transitioning back to your student’s neighborhood school at the semester break, but that opportunity will be on a space-available basis and is not guaranteed. For more information, visit the PSD Virtual website.

PSDV transfers are being accepted by grade level, depending on space availability, following PSD’s School Transfer Request Process. You may begin the school transfer process by completing the School Transfer Request (also available in Spanish - School Transfer Request).    

• K-5 may submit transfer requests to Sonja Ballstadt at sballsta@psdschools.org.  

• 6-12 may submit transfer requests to Kristen Besanceney at kbesance@psdschools.org. 

Some grade levels at PSDV are full and cannot accept transfer students at this time because PSD has reached its capacity.   

Virtual students who wish to return to their neighborhood or choice school (if they were approved for the 2020-21 school year) for the current school year should complete PSD’s School Transfer Request Process. You may begin the school transfer process by completing the School Transfer Request (also available in Spanish - School Transfer Request). Please be aware that not all PSD schools are accepting transfers at this time.   

• K-5 may submit transfer requests to Sonja Ballstadt at sballsta@psdschools.org.  

• 6-12 may submit transfer requests to Kristen Besanceney at kbesance@psdschools.org. 

You can find guidelines and information about what you need to do to homeschool on the PSD Homeschool web page. 

• Although PSD authorized the charters, the district does not manage PSD-authorized charter school operations or staff; charter school employees are NOT PSD employees.     

• Therefore, PSD is not overseeing or managing COVID-19 response at any of the district's authorized charter schools.   

• If people have questions about how PSD-authorized charter schools are operating during COVID-19 or anytime, they should contact those schools directly.      

• Larimer County Department of Health and Environment reviews all school plans to operate.   

• A significant reason PSD is different than charters or a single private school, say, is the school district’s size. The overall impact of communitywide spread and cases is much more significant on a system with approximately 3,000 staff and 27,000 students than a private or charter school with several hundred or even 1,000 or more people all together.