We are opening schools on Wednesday because schools are the center of our community and we need to be there to support those who need it.

Thanks to the diligent work of our emergency management partners and utility companies, all Boulder Valley School District schools will reopen on Wednesday, January 5, as planned. This is incredibly important knowing that schools – both in the area of the fire and outside – can serve a very important role of supporting students and their families following this large tragedy.

This morning, BVSD Maintenance teams were given access to the evacuation zone and began assessing our buildings. While there has been so much destruction, with more than 500 homes lost, it appears that our buildings were spared by the fire. Some were impacted by the heavy smoke and several remain without electricity, gas, water or access to the general public.

Our goal this entire school year has been to keep our schools open five days a week, knowing the importance that in-person learning and support has for our students. As we prepare to welcome students back, a week from today – Wednesday, January 5 – that remains our focus.

Since the beginning of the school year, school districts across the country have been experiencing an increase in student behavior incidents, which, in part, can be attributed to a new trend on social media. Challenges originating from TikTok (a social media application typically known for its fun videos), have encouraged students to vandalize schools and to slap teachers for social media notoriety. Unfortunately, this week the new trend is provocative, in some cases threatening or talk of rumors of school violence on Friday, December 17.

The recent school shooting at a suburban Detroit High School that killed four students and injured seven others is another grim reminder of why it is important that juveniles not have unsupervised access to firearms and that these weapons are safely locked away.