Pueblo School District 60 students won’t be returning to the classroom this school year.

And with no more in-person instruction comes a cancellation of all school activities, including sports and graduation ceremonies.

During a special meeting conducted virtually Thursday, the D60 board voted to support Superintendent Charlotte Macaluso’s recommendation that schools remain closed through June 4, the final day of instruction.

The vote was unanimous with the exception of board Vice President Margaret Wright, who wanted to hold off on a closure decision until the board’s regular meting later this month.

Citing the safety of students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, the district closed all school facilities on March 16. On April 1, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order suspending in-person instruction at all Colorado schools until April 30.

The board, however, elected not to wait for further direction from the governor, agreeing with Macaluso that the time for a decision is now.

Last week, Pueblo County School District 70 extended its school closure through the remainder of the school year.

Macaluso said her recommendation resulted from ongoing consultations with healthcare and academia professionals.

And it was not one she arrived at lightly.

"In fact, it has weighed very heavily on my heart and my mind," Macaluso said. "Today we find ourselves in a crisis that is unprecedented, and our response needs to be commensurate with the challenge. Our families, educators and students need an opportunity to plan for the near future.

"The safety and well-being of our students, families and community surpass all the priorities that we have."

With in-person graduation ceremonies canceled, Macaluso added, "We will continue to explore and plan how best we can honor and celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2020 through a virtual type event."

Before casting a dissenting vote, Wright cited her concerns centered around the delivery of remote curriculum to students, especially younger students and those in the Exceptional Students Services program.

"I would feel more comfortable if we give ourselves at least before the end of April to come back to make that decision," she said.

Her colleagues, however, did not agree.

"Up to this point in time, we’ve put our trust, and rightfully so, in the hands of people who best know how to deliver the educational resources of our students," said board member Dennis Maes. "Assuming we wait until April 26 to make a decision, we are somewhere in the neighborhood of five weeks away until of the school year.

"How much of that time is going to be spent, if we come back to the schools, getting prepared for all that, for all the kids to come back in? I think the reasons Superintendent Macaluso have given for her recommendation are solid."

Board member Tommy Farrell noted that an extended closure will be especially painful for seniors and their families "who didn’t expect their school year to end this way. It’s a situation that we can’t control and I know that everyone is working hard to provide what we can."

To act now, Farrell said, will be more beneficial for families and educators in the long run.

Although the cancellation of graduation ceremonies, as well as spring musical and theatrical productions and other events, comes with great pain, board member Barb Clementi said doing so now is essential for "the proper and intentional planning that can be done for some kind of graduation celebration for our seniors.

"And if we’re going to do something completely different — something virtual, something drive-by, some other plan — we have to start from the ground up. And I believe we have to do that now."

Clementi also noted that with but a few exceptions, all school districts up and down the Front Range have extended the closure of schools through the end of the school year.

Board President Taylor Voss preceded his vote by reiterating the district’s concern for the health and safety of its students and reaffirming his confidence in staff to continue to successfully and productively deliver services remotely for the next two months.

jpompia@chieftain.com

Twitter: @jpompia

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