DENVER — More than 30 schools in Denver Public Schools will release students early — or have canceled school altogether — on Wednesday and Thursday as unseasonable temperatures reach into the upper 90s.
Some of the schools do not have air conditioning.
Near-record, and even possibly record-breaking, heat will continue around Colorado through much of this week. Around the Front Range, unseasonable temperatures will stay in the upper 90s, with some places on the eastern plains reaching up to 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service out of Boulder.
READ MORE: Blast of late summer heat hits Colorado, bringing near-record temperatures
This is about 12 to 18 degrees above normal for this time of year, the NWS reported.
The following schools are early release Wednesday and Thursday:
- Asbury Elementary
- Cory Elementary
- Cowell Elementary
- Park Hill Elementary
- Skinner Middle School
- Stedman Elementary
- University Park Elementary
- Ellis Elementary
- Bradley Elementary
- Sabin World School
- Thomas Jefferson High School
- Carson Elementary
- Denison Montessori
- Steele Elementary
- Bryant Webster Dual Language
- McMeen Elementary
- Lake Middle School
- Polaris Elementary
- Traylor Academy
- Manual High School
- Math and Science Leadership Academy - Rishel
- Goldrick Elementary
- Doull Elementary
- Denver Montessori, (closed only Thursday)
- Whittier ECE-8
- George Washington High School
- West Middle School
- West High School
The following schools will be closed for a full day due to the heat:
- Barrett Elementary, Wednesday and Thursday
- Columbine Elementary, Wednesday and Thursday
- Knapp Elementary, Wednesday and Thursday
Each school will communicate these altered schedules with students' parents and guardians.
All DPS schools without air conditioning have industrial fans and portable air conditioners, plus other resources, to keep the buildings cool, DPS said.
In 2020, Denver voters approved a bond that provided air conditioning in 24 of 55 schools that did not have air conditioning as of 2019. Six schools from that list had air conditioning installed in 2021. While nine others were expected to have it installed by the end of this summer, supply chain issues slowed this process so only eight schools had the installation partially completed. This will finish this fall, DPS said.
To learn more about this project, click here.
The Thompson School District and the Poudre School District announced Tuesday they were also releasing students two hours early on Wednesday and Thursday due to high temperatures. Both school districts anticipate a normal schedule for Friday.