SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City School District will start classes Monday after canceling opening week due to ongoing power outages and windstorm-related damage.
By delaying the opening until Monday, the move will help families deal with any wind damage at their homes, and give time for power to be restored for those who are still without.
Several other schools in a handful of northern Utah districts also remain closed.
The Salt Lake City School District planned its first day of classes for this year on Tuesday, but the windstorm resulted in a massive power outage, forcing SLCSD to delay the start of the school year.
"We know many families in our city remain without power. Teachers will be flexible, and no student will be penalized for being unable to access coursework this week," a message on SLCSD's Facebook page said. "Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we've navigated the additional challenges from this week's storm."
The school district will begin the year with online-only classes to keep students, teachers and staff physically distanced amid the pandemic. District leaders will continue to evaluate the possibility of bringing students back for in-person classes, or a hybrid of in-person and online classes, when the rate of COVID-19 transmissions drops below a safe threshold. Such a transition would occur no earlier than October.
