McMeen Elementary

Heat Information

08/19/24, 3:14 PM

August 19, 2024

Dear McMeen Families,

During the late summer, Denver can occasionally experience extreme heat. There are 29  schools within DPS that have partial or no air conditioning and may experience increased temperatures within the building. McMeen is one of those 29 schools.

We understand that heat days come with short notice and are an inconvenience for many of our families, and that child care may be an issue for some. We make every effort to ensure that our school stays open and that our students and educators feel comfortable, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of them all. If the temperature within our facility rises to a degree that we feel is unsafe to host classes, there is a possibility that our school may have an early-release Heat Day.

In the past few years, Denver Public Schools has put a number of solutions into place to reduce the impact of extreme heat within our schools.

• We have invested in cooling solutions in our schools over the last seven years.

• We have purchased portable cooling units for schools without air conditioning.

• We have provided additional training for staff on how to manage excessive heat. 

• We have created a process to allow schools that do not have air conditioning to call an early release day after an extended forecast of extreme-heat conditions. 
  
  

In the event that we do need to declare an early-release Heat Day, we will communicate the decision by 5 p.m. the day prior to the early release. An early-release Heat Day notice will immediately be posted on our school’s website. An email and automated robo-call will be sent out to alert our families of the change in schedule for the following day.

We are working closely with DPS Transportation to ensure that a modified bus route will be implemented on an early-release Heat Day, and that students will be dropped off at their normal locations. Parents who do not wish for their students to ride the bus home during the heat day's early release do have the option to pick up their students from the school at the designated release time.

We are available to answer questions you may have regarding the possibility of an early-release Heat Day. As always, thank you for your continued support of our school, and we very much appreciate your patience as we successfully navigate through the first weeks of the school year.

Please note, I do not know when McMeen is getting air conditioning.  Additionally, the criteria for a heat day is dependent on many factors, please trust that we will do what is best for the safety of our students and staff. 

 

 

Sincerely,

Andria Hinman

Principal