FREMONT COUNTY — School districts across southern Colorado are planning to bring students back into the classroom this fall.
On Thursday, Fremont School District RE-2 told News 5 that it plans to start in-person learning on August 17.
In speaking with Superintendent Brenda Krage, there's lots of decisions that still have to be made when it comes to bringing kids back so it's unclear what exactly this new school year could look like, and of course, it'll all depend on what coronavirus numbers look like in the coming weeks.
A sign outside Penrose School says "Stay Safe See You in August!" It's a message that schools across Colorado hope to fulfill. For those in the Fremont School District: "We have staff and families and students who are definitely ready to come back to school," said Krage. "But certainly there's anxiety."
Because it's still uncertain what kind of threat coronavirus will have come August. Even so, the district is moving forward and planning to brings students back for in-person learning.
Krage said, "Generally, I feel like people are ready to get back to some sense of normalcy."
While making plans for reopening, the district has also released a "Pathways to Opening." It includes three categories: in-person, hybrid, and remote learning. The different paths - letting families know that there are backup scenarios in the works if things go south.
Krage said, "Should a spread occur would we shut down a school temporarily and maybe do some remote combination with in-person learning? All the way to going back to everybody being remote once again."
If some families aren't comfortable sending their kids back to school Krage said, "We will have the capacity to provide remote learning, online learning for their child."
As far as a final decision, Krage shared that the district is working closely with Fremont County Public Health and anticipates releasing details about returning to school in early August. We're also told guidelines are being worked on for what classrooms will look like and what, if any, equipment will be recommended or required for staff and students.
