The Poudre School District (PSD) is changing its mind on plans to close schools.
The school board voted unanimously 7-0 to keep schools open instead of closing and consolidating them.
Concerned families gathered before Monday night's board meeting to make their voices heard.
"The whole community came together," said PSD parent Lori Schumacher. "Everyone in the community really feels a new sense of their community being strong, the fact that we were able to rally together for the greater good of all the kiddos."
The long-range planning process would have seen potential school closures and consolidations.
"They were looking at schools that had lower enrollment and trying to save money, but Linton [Elementary School], 97% of students walk to school every day, so they would’ve ended up having to bus these students everywhere," said Schumacher.
A variety of options for consolidating several different schools, including Beattie and Johnson Elementary and Blevins Middle Schools, were recommended.
Education
Poudre School District considers consolidating schools
A steering committee said it considered consolidating schools based on the following criteria: schools under 70% utilization, enrollment numbers and proximity to other schools.
The district still has to solve low enrollment and budget cuts, which is why the board will keep its June listening sessions on the schedule to talk about future changes.
"Now we’re going to take a deeper dive and look at the maybe possibility of a ballot measure to see if voters would support some funding to help some of the smaller schools stay open," said Emily Shockley, PSD communications director.
Enrollment in the district has dropped by 1,230 kids. The district anticipates a 9.26% decline in enrollment by 2027-2028.
The next opportunity families will have to voice their opinions is June 4 — both during an online and in-person session.
