D49 First Full Day: All Remaining Grades Start School Tuesday With Heat Advisory in Effect
Quick Reference
- Who starts today: All D49 grades not in the August 3 staggered group
- Who started Monday: Kindergarteners, 6th graders, and 9th graders
- Heat advisory: In effect; afternoon highs near 100ยฐF this week
- More info: d49.org
Tuesday marks the first full day of school for District 49. After Monday's staggered start brought kindergarteners, 6th graders, and 9th graders in first, every remaining D49 grade reports today for the official beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
The staggered approach is intentional. D49 uses it to give students entering major transition years โ starting elementary, moving into middle school, beginning high school โ one day to navigate their new environment before the full student body arrives. Monday's smaller groups allowed teachers and staff to give transition-year students more direct attention and time to find their lockers, classrooms, and routines without the crowds. Today, the hallways fill in completely.
Heat Advisory: What It Means for Afternoon Pickup
Colorado Springs is under a heat advisory this week. After an already-warm Monday that approached 100 degrees, Tuesday and the rest of the week are expected to continue in the upper 90s. El Paso County sits at over 6,000 feet elevation, which intensifies solar radiation even when temperatures are comparable to lower-altitude cities.
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Advertise hereFor families with students who walk or ride bikes home, the timing matters. The hottest part of the day is typically between 2 and 5 PM โ which is when many COS schools let out. A few practical steps: send water bottles, encourage students to avoid direct sun exposure during the walk or wait, and if your student stands outside waiting for a bus or a parent pickup, try to minimize that time.
Parents who drive for pickup should expect higher-than-usual car temperatures inside vehicles that have been sitting in the sun during school hours. Keep water in the car, and never leave children in a parked vehicle.
A Note on D49's Start Compared to Other Districts
D49 is among the earliest Colorado Springs districts to begin the school year. Harrison School District 2 starts August 10. D11 begins August 12. Academy District 20 begins August 17-18. Families with students in multiple districts may be managing different start schedules this week and next. D49's full schedule, including bell times and early release days, is available at d49.org.
What's Next
With all D49 grades now in school, attention turns to the rest of the Colorado Springs district calendar. D11 families have the board's $775 million bond vote tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM. D11's first day follows on August 12. D20 families should note that the correct start date is August 17-18 โ not August 13 as was earlier reported. The full week of transition is underway in Colorado Springs.
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