For those families that choose, cohorts will be a thing of the past by Monday, March 29.

The Weld Re-8 board of education voted unanimously Feb. 25 to return Fort Lupton High School and Fort Lupton Middle School to in-person learning when the district’s spring break ends. The health and safety guidelines, such as separation and wearing of masks, are part of the new routine.

Re-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor, who is on a personal, paid leave of absence through March 29, said the seven-day positive test rate for the district was 4.37 percent.

“We are trending in the right direction,” he said. “It’ll be great to bring kids back to full, in-person learning. Our staff is weary of the remote learning process.”

The option to continue with remote learning is available, too. The deadline for parents to decide is Wednesday, March 10. 

“We’re excited to welcome kids back in the building,” said middle school Principal Lisa Schwartz. “I’m cautiously optimistic. The quarantine systems we have in place are going to continue to promote safety.”

Concerns for students

Not everyone was on board, though. Student Lashya Tijerina said students and teachers were concerned about being in the same room.

“Teachers want to put barriers around our tables. That’s going to make it worse,” she said. “I still feel I’d be quarantined. We want some normalization, but this is not fair. If we keep our masks up, we should be fine.”

“I’m excited to get kids back,” FLHS Principal John Biner said. “It’s been challenging for kids socially and emotionally. It’s taken a toll.”

Fort Lupton Education Association President Kim Flanagan called hybrid learning “a necessary step in a strange school year.”

“I don’t think you’ll find an educator who thinks students learn best in a hybrid situation,” she said. “Please proceed with transparency. Put a COVID dashboard on our district’s website. We trust you all to keep us safe.”

“I want to say thank you to the teachers for the efforts they provided and acknowledge the work they did,” Kaylor said. “Kids learn better with in-person learning.”