Breaking: Return to RHS in question as Covid cases rise

APS Superintendent Rico Munn announced Monday night that by October 22, the school district would come to a decision on whether to keep kids in school or go fully remote due to an alarming increase in Covid cases in the metro area.

The district is in a difficult place as K-8 students returned in cohorts to school on Monday, but plans to make the decision “in the interest of the health and safety of students, staff, and their families”.

With the health and safety of families in mind, APS developed a decision matrix based on a point system which gives the best recommendation for the system of learning implemented. 

“Our decision matrix considers health data specific to our community and school and district conditions including the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and staff COVID-19 testing,” stated APS Superintendent Rico Munn.

The more points awarded by reaching certain criteria, the closer the matrix recommends the system be to traditional school. The decision to return to school is being reevaluated due to the score currently being 13/30, when 14 is the minimum score for “social distanced learning.” According to the decision matrix, Rangeview should be doing fully remote learning at the moment. 

High School students are currently still remote learning, but are expected to begin the hybrid model starting on October 20. Unless APS decides to change its stance based on the data from the decision matrix before that date, students who have decided to go back to school will return then. 

Students going back have been grouped into Cohorts A and B. These groups will switch weeks in attending their AM classes, while joining remote learners in attending PM classes virtually. Until the decision comes by next Thursday, classes are expected to follow the hybrid model. 

“I feel as though to say that we should go to school right now is just not a good call. There are so many things that can happen and are happening because of Coronavirus already but then to open schools, it just seems wrong to me,” freshman Preston Russell said. 

Potentially taking the example of universities across the United States that have opened up and eventually closed down due to Coronavirus outbreaks, opening back up and subsequently closing back down is a challenging decision for APS. DPS is considering a similar move within the next 48 hours according to the Denver Post.

“I feel as if they’re making it such a big deal, they could just leave the numbers how they are and continue like that,” sophomore Esmeralda Hernandez said. 

The 13/30 points score is just one point away from the school district’s plan to have kids in and out of classrooms. The decision to go back to only remote learning is controversial, but it might be a necessary change to keep APS students, staff, and their families safe from getting sick and spreading a disease.