PSD to name schools proposed for closure, consolidation, boundary changes Oct. 13
The school board is scheduled to hear the recommendation without voting that day. A final presentation and vote are set for Oct. 27, with changes scheduled to take effect in 2027-28.
Poudre School District’s Comprehensive Planning Committee is scheduled to name on Oct. 13 the schools it recommends for closure, consolidation or boundary changes.
The committee’s recommendation is scheduled for presentation to the school board on Oct. 13, with no vote that day. A final presentation and board vote are scheduled for Oct. 27. The timeline lists changes as taking effect in the 2027-28 school year.
The committee had prepared a recommendation and was getting ready to share it with the board and broader community, a staff member said. The district would discuss the recommendation as humanely and with as much dignity as possible. The closure and consolidation process would be difficult, and nobody in the community wanted to take part, the staff member said.
The district has more than 10,000 empty seats, and fewer children are arriving in kindergarten each year, the staff member said. Data indicate the enrollment decline will not reverse on its own, the staff member said. The decline is not the fault of district staff: “It's demographic, it's persistent, and it must be addressed,” the staff member said.
School funding is directly tied to student attendance, the staff member said. Moving from three classes per grade to two would mean larger classes and one fewer teacher. A school facing declining enrollment and funding might also reduce art, music or physical education. Spreading students across more buildings than needed keeps resources from reaching students and staff as they should and diminishes educational experiences, the staff member said.
District buildings are community assets paid for by taxpayers, the staff member said. Housing, emergency services, behavioral health and the nonprofit sector are among the community needs that could be considered in discussions about the buildings. The district planned to begin a longer-range conversation with community partners in January 2027 about keeping buildings vibrant whether or not they remain schools, the staff member said.