Douglas County Schools CLOSED March 16 - 27

Douglas County Schools CLOSED March 16 - 27
Posted on 03/12/2020
remote learningDear Douglas County Community,

In an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Douglas County School District will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. This includes our already scheduled Spring Break next week.

This two-week school closure includes Before and After Care (BASE), preschool, outdoor education, and any DCSD-sponsored spring break activities, field trips, and camps, as well as facility rentals.

We will reassess the situation as we get closer to that end date, and decide if students and staff should return on Monday, March 30. Superintendents are calling on the Colorado Department of Education for flexibility on mandatory seat time and state testing requirements.

We strongly encourage student attendance tomorrow, Friday March 13. Students will be receiving instructional materials and directions to be ready for remote learning during the week of March 23-27. If your child has any personal items at school, including any medications, we strongly encourage parents to pick those items up prior to the end of school on Friday, March 13.

We are facing an unprecedented public health crisis in our community. The decision to close our school district was extremely difficult, made in consultation with other area Superintendents and out of an abundance of caution for our families. We know that closing our schools will have a significant impact on our families, but we also believe that strong, urgent action must be taken to prevent the spread of this disease and to protect lives.

During the closure, all schools, district facilities, buses will undergo additional deep cleanings with recommended disinfectants. We encourage the community to continue hand washing and follow other recommendations from the CDC about how to avoid the spread of illness.

Our goal is always to protect the safety, health and wellness of our students, staff, and families. Our strength as a community is our greatest asset. We can work together to protect each other and slow the progression of COVID-19.

We will continue to remain in contact with our partners at the Tri-County Health Department and the Colorado Department of Education, and we will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

Please continue to check your email, DCSD website (www.dcsdk12.org) DCSD mobile app, social media, and text for updates. We thank you for your support and partnership in this effort.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Douglas County School District
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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).