Bold headline: Schools brace for possible Xcel power outages that could disrupt end-of-year activities.
Three districts—Boulder Valley, St. Vrain Valley, and Adams 12 Five Star Schools—told parents today to prepare for the potential impact of an extended power shutoff by Xcel Energy. This is the final week of school before winter break for all three districts.
Xcel Energy is considering a prolonged outage starting at noon on Wednesday in response to forecasts of high winds and dry conditions that elevate wildfire risk. Restoring power could take from several hours to multiple days after the weather threat subsides. The planned outage would affect multiple counties, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld.
In Boulder Valley, spokesperson Randy Barber described the possibility as being treated much like a snow day, but with added complications such as families losing power at home and schools potentially coming back online at different times. Parents can expect an update Tuesday afternoon.
A district letter to families acknowledged that an extended outage would make keeping schools open very difficult and that some schools may need to close. “We are closely monitoring the situation and no decisions have been made. We recognize the significant impacts that any closure would have on this week—especially with end-of-term events and finals,” the letter states.
In St. Vrain Valley, five schools could be affected: Erie Elementary, Erie Middle, Niwot Elementary, Niwot High, and Red Hawk Elementary. If Xcel proceeds with the outages, the district will report the operational impacts to families on Tuesday afternoon.
Beyond student safety, the district’s letter emphasizes priorities: keeping schools open if possible, helping high school students complete finals before winter break, and giving families as much notice as possible.
Adams 12 also warned that if Xcel implements targeted outages, many of their schools would likely be affected. The district promised additional information on Tuesday.
Commentary hooks: This situation highlights a delicate balance between safeguarding communities from wildfire risk and preserving instructional time during a critical week. As outages unfold, questions arise about how best to support students with finals, remote learning contingencies, and families managing power restoration timelines. And this is the part many readers might miss: even short outages can cascade into transportation delays, meal service disruptions, and attendance reporting challenges. How would you prioritize school operations if you were designing an emergency plan—keeping some schools open with staggered schedules, or consolidating to a single site with adjusted bell times? Share your views about this approach in the comments.
