Latest news with #elementaryschools
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heat-related early releases, closures possible as Poudre School District begins new year
With forecasts calling for high temperatures of 97 degrees on the first two days students return to school for the start of the 2025-26 school year, Poudre School District is reminding the community of its protocol for heat-related early releases or school closures. The district will consider, but not necessarily implement, two-hour early releases or full-day closures for all elementary and middle schools and alternative high schools other than its three mountain elementary schools, whenever: The HeatRisk Index for Larimer County, as determined by the National Weather Service, is at the red (major) or magenta (extreme) levels NWS forecasted highs of 95 degrees or above for ZIP code 80525 NWS forecasted highs of 90 degrees for three consecutive days, including weekends, for ZIP code 80525 'The meeting of these conditions does not automatically result in a heat-related early release or closure,' the protocol on the district website reads. 'As these decisions are made, the district will notify staff and families.' Schools subject to heat-related early releases and closures include all early childhood programs and elementary schools other than Livermore, Red Feather and Stove Prairie, all middle schools, Centennial High School, Polaris Expeditionary Learning School and Poudre Community Academy, according to the district policy. PSD's traditional high schools — Fort Collins, Fossil Ridge, Poudre and Rocky Mountain — all have air conditioning and would remain open, as would Timnath and Wellington middle-high schools, Poudre Global Academy and Transitions Pathways programs. Conditions at the mountain elementary schools will be monitored but remain in session unless otherwise noted, the district policy reads. The NWS forecast Aug. 11 for the 80525 ZIP code for Aug. 13, the first day of school for sixth- and ninth-graders in PSD, and Aug. 14, the first day of school for all students in the district, called for a high temperature of 97 each day. PSD is adding air conditioning to all of its school buildings that don't have it with money from the 2024 debt-free schools mill levy that was approved by voters. But it can only complete a handful of schools each year because of financial constraints and the availability of contractors to perform the work, Chief Financial Officer Dave Montoya has said in multiple presentations to the Board of Education over the past two years. Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@ and This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Heat-related early releases or closures possible as school year begins Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
24-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘A bit of a slog': New public school in Saskatoon's core is years behind schedule
WATCH: A new building intended to amalgamate three westside elementary schools in Saskatoon is years behind schedule, the school board says.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Huntington Beach police chase over stolen leaf blower leads to school lockdowns
The Brief Police chased two men through Huntington Beach on Friday, after one allegedly stole a leaf blower. Dwyer and Smith Elementary Schools were locked down after the suspects ditched the car. Officers arrested Clayton Lohman of Florida and Kurstin Pulliam of Texas. HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - A high-speed police chase in Huntington Beach on Friday morning led to the brief lockdown of two local elementary schools — all over a stolen leaf blower. What we know Huntington Beach Police officers were called out to the area of Yorktown Avenue and Goldenwest Street just before 9 a.m. Friday, after a gardner reported that someone had stolen the leaf blower from out of his truck. When the officers got there, the alleged thieves were already gone, but based off the description they got, they were able to track down the car. When they tried to pull the car over, the driver sped off and officers chased them. SUGGESTED: 4 injured, including 2 kids, in Inglewood pursuit-crash The driver headed toward downtown, and officers called off the chase because of what they called "the suspect's erratic driving." HBPD officers eventually found the car abandoned, and officers said witnesses helped point them in the direction of the two suspects. While the HBPD searched the area, Dwyer and Smith Elementary schools were briefly placed on lockdown. Soon after, officers arrested Clayton Lohman of Florida and Kurstin Pulliam of Texas. Dig deeper HBPD said that Lohman is a convicted felon with "a history of leaf blower thefts," and an active warrant for drug possession in Texas. They also said that Lohman had a gun on him when he was arrested. The Source Information in this story is from a Huntington Beach Police Department press release.
CBC
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Education minister lauds first year of school lunch program but tweaks are likely
Social Sharing Officials with the province's Education Department are not tracking food waste associated with the new school lunch program, but the cabinet minister responsible says even with some issues that might need tweaking he's pleased with the first year of the program. "Nothing is perfect, but we've served over two million meals since the start of the lunch program," Education Minister Brendan Maguire told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Halifax on Thursday. The program was launched early into this school year, beginning in 250 elementary schools across the province. Families order meals in two-week blocks and can choose how much they want to pay, with an option to pay nothing. The government budgeted $18.8 million for the first year of the program. The 2025-26 budget more than tripled that figure to $61.2 million in order to speed up the rollout and reach all junior high and middle schools for the coming fall. Maguire conceded that some people have expressed concerns about the program, including the overall menu and quality of some of the meals. He said there would be tweaks heading into the next school year based on feedback. "I always say I have three children and I could put the same meal in front of those three children and they're not necessarily going to like it." The minister, on the other hand, praised the meals he's been able to sample so far, including a bean burrito, pizza and butter chicken. Maguire said his children are small enough that they don't always finish the food, which means he sometimes gets the leftovers. He acknowledged that he may have a less discerning palette than some younger diners. "You've got to know that I'm not a picky eater," he said. Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said he's supportive of the lunch and breakfast programs, noting the importance both play for some students each day. But Mombourquette said that if the program is to be the best it can be, officials need to look at ways to improve it, including tracking food waste. "Because really, those statistics help make the choices around what food selections should be in place and what the students will actually consume more of," he told reporters. NDP MLA Susan Leblanc, whose party advocated for years for a universal school lunch program, said there may be shortcomings in the first year of the rollout but the broader intent of the program should not be missed. "The idea of school lunches is a success," she told reporters. Still, like Mombourquette, Leblanc said she'd like to see more attention paid to food waste and menus adjusted to ensure the program benefits students as much as possible as it continues to be introduced in more schools.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
OCDSB votes to approve contentious elementary school program review
Ottawa's largest school board has approved a controversial overhaul of elementary schools Tuesday night, which includes a slate of changes to programs, grade structures, and boundaries. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Elementary Program Review will consolidate elementary school programming into Enhanced English and French Immersion, eliminate Middle French Immersion and close Alternative Schools. Approximately 1,500 more students than normal will be required to change schools in September 2026 due to the changes. 'This recommendation is the culmination on the enormous amount of work from our staff and the enormous amount of input and feedback of the entire OCDSB community across the city of Ottawa,' Trustee Lynn Scott said at the conclusion of Tuesday's special board meeting. The review passed nine votes to three, with trustees Amanda Presley, Nili Kaplan-Myrth and Lyra Evans voting against. The board launched the program review last spring, saying the goal was to offer programming in English and French at each school and to have 'community-based education' for students. The proposal had been met with months of debate after parents and trustees took issue with changes to school boundaries, cuts to specialized programs and the closing of alternative schools. Ultimately, OCDSB staff reversed some of the changes, including modifications to grade structures at some of its schools. Trustees also voted last week to maintain special education programs after 26 programs in the primary gifted program, the language learning disabilities program (primary and junior), and the learning disabilities semi-integrated program (junior and intermediate) were to be phased-out. Presley moved a motion Tuesday evening that would require staff to determine the viability of modifying the phase-out of alternative schools in a report to be presented to the board by the fall of 2027, but trustees voted it down after Director of Education Pino Buffone expressed concerns it would make the review unworkable for staff. Parents had protested the move to close alternative schools in recent weeks, with many saying the closure of alternative schools would negatively impact learning of special needs students if required to attend classes in a mainstream school. 'We know that students are not being met where they need to be in our mainstream classrooms,' Presley said. Kaplan-Myrth argued the review does not properly address disparities in the district, especially for students with special needs, racialized children, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. 'We have not found the best option for all students,' she said. 'I want on the record that we have let down these students.' The review will see changes to the grade structures at 18 schools and alterations to the boundaries at dozens of schools. Under the plan, the last cohort will enter Middle French Immersion in September 2026 and finish Grade 8 in 2021. Alternative schools will be phased out in 2035. The last cohort of Middle French Immersion students will enter Grade 4 in September 2026 and complete Grade 8 by the end of the 2030-31 school year. Students in Middle French Immersion will, in most cases, remain at their current school. The last cohort of Junior Kindergarten students starting in September 2025 will complete Grade 6 at the end of the 2032-33 school year, and Grade 8 in 2034-35. Staff say the four K-Grade 6 Alternative schools and one Grade 7-8 school will begin to transition to community schools in September 2026. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
