It's something some parents see often whenever the weather changes schools' schedules. Parents who say they were left with little time to figure out childcare because they still have to work.
Just last month several schools had to release kids early because it was so hot and their schools don't have air conditioning.
A dad in the Poudre School District (PSD) reached out to Denver7 with his own concerns.
“From a childcare standpoint, if you're a working parent, good luck because there's no options at that point,” PSD parent John Foster said.
Foster said it really comes down to communication and planning. He and some other parents said when school is delayed, canceled, or released early because of snow or extreme heat, working parents can be left scrambling to figure out childcare sometimes with very little notice.
“That's a time when working parents are kind of in a pickle,” PSD parent Lauren Chiarelli said.
They want to know how the district makes those calls and where PSD is at with its AC installation project.
Denver7 reached out to PSD for answers and the district said there are several factors for deciding a heat day.
“The protocol was developed by a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure student and staff safety,” a PSD spokesperson said.
If one or more of the following conditions are met, PSD will consider calling a two-hour early release or full school closure:
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Heat & Health Tracker for Larimer County indicates major or extreme levels of risk of heat-related impacts to individuals. The NWS HeatRisk Index defines major and extreme levels of risk using a color-coded system. Red indicates major risks associated with heat, and magenta indicates extreme risks associated with heat.
- HeatRisk Index for Larimer County is Red (3) or Magenta (4) level
- National Weather Service forecasted highs of 95°F or above for zip code 80525
- National Weather Service forecasted highs of 90°F+ for three consecutive days, including weekends for zip code 80525“For snow days, the decision is similarly based on national weather predictions to keep students safe,” the district said.
Foster said they understand weather can make changing the school schedule necessary, but this can be difficult for families who still have to go to work, especially when an announcement comes the night before as parents have seen in the past.
“Decisions were made the night before where there's no planning, there's no ability to react or set up care for that next morning. I've seen kids stay at home that are very young,” Foster said.
The district said the superintendent makes the final call on closures, delays, and early releases after consulting with district experts about things like road conditions, snow removal, buses, and temperatures.
“While safety of kids is paramount, the superintendent balances that with the importance of students being able to go to school to learn and access critical services, such as breakfast and lunch services through the PSD Child Nutrition Department,” PSD public relations and media coordinator Austin Fleskes said.
The district said for cancellations or late starts, the final decision is made by 5am the day of or if possible, by 10:30 the night before. For two-hour early releases, a final decision is made by 10am the day of. They send these alerts by email, text, and phone and try to make those calls as early as possible.
“So far this school year, PSD has had three early release days due to high temperatures. This is comparable to last year when PSD had two early release days due to heat,” Fleskes said.
PSD sent messages to families about early release due to heat at the following times this school year:
- Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. to announce a two-hour early release on Thursday, Aug. 20
- Thursday, Aug. 20 at 3 p.m. to announce a two-hour early release on Friday, Aug. 21
- Sunday, Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. to announce a two-hour early release on Monday, Aug. 24
In regard to the air-conditioning concerns, PSD said 30 schools still do not have cooling. The 2024 mill levy is helping fund installations but completing the work will take time.
Foster told Denver7 he also has concerns about the scheduled start time saying a 7:30am start time is too early for some kids.
“PSD is a very large geographic area, stretching from Loveland all the way to the Wyoming border. Because of this, PSD has staggered start and dismissal times to allow effective transportation for students coming to and from school on district buses,” the district told Denver7. “Bell times are decided ahead of each school year and are meticulously crafted to ensure that each school is meeting the required instructional minutes that are expected by the State. These times are adjusted to ensure bus transportation is as efficient as possible.”
The district said parents can continue to bring these concerns directly to them or speak during public comment at school board meetings which is something John Foster said he has already done.
“I feel for the working parents that don't have family or immediate family that can take care of kids when these when these interruptions happen,” Foster added. “Two years ago, when we had a nanny because we just didn't have any other alternatives, it was very costly.”
According to the district’s website, Alpha Best is one option for before and after school childcare, but that will cost you money.
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