Aurora Public Schools change course to remote learning following Denver, JeffCo

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

After a three-hour meeting on July 24, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education reversed course from their decision to open for in-school learning on August 18, opting for fully remote classes for at least the first eight weeks of the school year. The decision followed the board’s review of current increases in the number of cases of COVID-19 in the two counties from which its students hail, Arapahoe and Adams.

The 3-Day Rolling Average of Positive COVID-19 Cases, Past 28 Days chart from Tri County Public Health (TCPH) indicates that new coronavirus cases in Adams and Arapahoe Counties have doubled between July 1 and July 24, with Adams County going from 37 to 78 new cases per day and Arapahoe County going from 34 to 70 new cases per day.

A more positive message comes from the Daily Hospitalizations by County (Date of Admittance) illustration for Adams and Arapahoe Counties from TCHD. That chart tells us that in Adams County, there were three new hospitalizations for the coronavirus on July 1 and only one new hospitalization on July 24. In Arapahoe County, 2 people were newly hospitalized for the virus on July 1 and zero were admitted on July 24. Similarly, deaths from the virus have remained extremely low for over six weeks. Thus, although there is encouraging information, significant decisions are generally based on flattening the curve of new cases and that goal is still ahead for the areas where Aurora Public Schools students live.

Denver and Jefferson County Schools have announced that they will both start the school year with two weeks of solely remote classes, then re-evaluate whether it is possible to return to in-person learning.

Fmiklin.villager@gmail. com

Aurora Public Schools changes course to remote learning, following Denver, JeffCo