Denver Public Schools Considers Late Start To 2021/22 School Year

Next year may look a little different for Denver Public Schools.

The district is considering a delayed start to the 2021/2022 school year, reports FOX31.

While most surround school districts will start the week of August 16, DPS is looking at either August 23 or August 30 for their start date.

Two reasons for the delay are the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of air condition in 55 of the district's schools.

"I'm envisioning kids still wearing masks and the sweat dripping off their faces into the soggy masks that they've been wearing all day," District 1 board member Scott Baldermann told FOX31.

Baldermann is in favor of starting no earlier than August 30.

To help make their decision, the district polled over 3,500 of its educators. The majority of teachers prefer a one-week delay to the start of the new school year.

Starting on August 23 would also mean a later end date. DPS students and teachers would end their school year during the first week of June.

Six schools will have air condition installed this summer after voters approved a 2020 bond to spend $130 million on air condition units in 25 schools.

However, the majority of schools in the district won't see changes until 2022.

A public comment session about when to start the 2021/22 school year is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16.

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