AURORA, Colo. — The freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall on Friday forced Aurora schools and Arapahoe County offices to put a delay on their schedule. For safety concerns, the officials opted to change the start times due to the condition of the roads which remained slushy due to snow from the night before.
Aurora Public School Changes Their Schedule
In the case of Pickens Technical College and other public schools in Aurora (APS), a delay of two hours on the start time for all students has been issued. Due to winter weather conditions, the APS officials gave notice that students were to start school and arrive with a delay of two hours, meaning buses would also leave two hours late.
Evening preschool classes are still scheduled, however, the morning ones have been canceled for Friday. The schools will open at a later time, but close at regular hours and all preschool students will be able to enjoy breakfast to “go” on their way to school.
Corey Christiansen, APS spokesperson, confirmed that all teachers and staff are expected to report to work at their regular hours, or when they can safely travel.
Cherry Creek Schools Also On Delay
The Cherry Creek schools, same as the districts, put a weather delay but the modifications differ for every grade.
In elementary schools, the start time for attending classes and pickup for buses is pushed back by one hour. High school and middle school time is now set for 0900, which is 90 minutes later than before.
Regardless of the delays, the before-school childcare programs continue to run on time, which makes it possible for families that need early supervision to access it.
Arapahoe County Gouvernement Offices
Initially, the Arapahoe County government offices would open two hours late at 10 a.m. The county courts would also keep to this schedule on the same day.
Aurora and Adams County had not yet made any weather-related schedule changes or announcements by the date of reporting.
Snowfall and Expectations
The National Weather Service noted four to seven inches of snow have fallen in the city of Aurora in the last 24 hours. Snowfall is expected to decrease come morning, with temperatures stabilizing around 40. Warmer temperatures this weekend should aid in melting some of the snow off the roads and allow for better travel conditions.
A residential approach involving the community clean-up of snow is required. Schools and government institutions will continue to observe and provide maximum available updates regarding the situation.
