Poudre School District drops plan to close schools
DENVER (KDVR) — Poudre School District’s board voted unanimously Monday to drop a plan that would have led to the closure or consolidation of several campuses.
Cheers erupted from the audience after the 7-0 vote, which ends any planned school closures or consolidations for the 2025-26 school year. The Board of Education called an emergency meeting to address the issue.
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“I’ve heard the community say, and I’m trusting the wisdom of this community, that we will work together to find solutions to keep all of our schools open,” Board of Education President Kristen Draper said before the vote. “So, I am very hopeful that this community will stand by that promise and if the district were to ask for a mill levy override, that our community will deliver for all of our students.”
“There are all different types of tools in the toolbox that we can use so that we don’t have to lay off teachers and custodial staff and paraprofessionals. None of them. We’ve got many different alternatives to doing that,” Director Conor Duffy said.
Blevins Middle School students, whose campus was among three slated for certain closure under the plan, led a walkout on Monday afternoon in protest.
Poudre School District leaders and the Board of Education have said the closures and consolidations were necessary because of declining enrollment and budget reductions in per-pupil funding from the state.
The proposal sparked pushback from parents across the school community of 30,000 students.
Beattie Elementary, Johnson Elementary and Blevins Middle were set to close under the proposal, with several other schools under consideration for the same, but all proposals are off the table after Monday’s vote.
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