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July 23, 2020
DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 37
Inside the Denver plan for returning to school What’s certain: The school day won’t look the same BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT COLORADO
count of people living on the streets or in shelters conducted every January across the nation. According to results released July 15, 6,104 people were experiencing homelessness on Jan. 27-28 in the seven counties covered by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. That was up 6% from the previous year.
Singing would be prohibited. So would fans, portable cooling units, or anything else that could circulate classroom air — and possibly, the coronavirus. Masks would be required, and students would have to sit at desks all facing in the same direction. There would be no sharing of pencils or markers, no visitors, no field trips, and perhaps a shorter school day. That’s a glimpse at what school could look like next month if Denver Public Schools reopens campuses to in-person learning five days a week, according to a 61-page draft planning document obtained by Chalkbeat. Denver, like other districts across Colorado, switched to remote learning in March in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19. While Denver has announced a full-time return, it’s not a sure thing: COVID-19 cases are rising in Colorado, and the district said in a letter to families July 15 that it remains “ready to adjust our plans if health conditions change.” At press time, the district planned to release more details July 20. What is sure is that if buildings do reopen next month, the school day won’t look the same.
SEE SURVEY, P13
SEE SCHOOL, P11
Cast Iron Queens, featuring lead vocalist Erica Brown, on stage at the Oriental Theater in Denver.
PHOTO BY JEFFREY DALLET/ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
City Park Jazz finds temporary home at theater Shows are streamed from a venerable music venue BY JEFFREY DALLET ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
When COVID-19 struck, and Colorado shut down in mid-March, small
music venues across Denver were among the many businesses facing revenue loss and employee layoffs. After almost four months of closure, bars and clubs were allowed to
reopen, only to have to close again two weeks later due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Still closed today, music venue owners wonder just how long the closure will last. Musicians, club, and SEE JAZZ, P9
Survey: Denver homelessness rose even before virus ‘Point in time’ tally shows 6,104 people unhoused in metro area BY DONNA BRYSON DENVERITE
Homelessness was increasing in the Denver area even before the coro-
navirus arrived. “There was a homelessness crisis in our community … and the nation prior to the COVID outbreak, and the COVID outbreak has only made it worse,” said Matt Meyer, executive director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, which is the local coordinator of an annual survey of homelessness known as the Point in Time. The Point in Time is a one-day
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10
POOLS REOPEN AMID PANDEMIC PERIODICAL
But COVID-19 concerns limit pool capacities and have delayed some improvement projects P10