BOULDER, Colo. - Boulder Valley School District gave an update Tuesday night about proposed school attendance boundary changes set to impact 150 students.
BVSD says the move is to help balance enrollment in certain areas. According to the district, some schools have lower enrollment while other nearby schools have double the amount of students.
This is the first time in 40 years the district has updated their boundaries. The district has described the process as an effort to build community in neighborhoods.
Education
Boulder Valley School District considers boundary changes to address enrollment
Several parents spoke at Tuesday's meeting to push back against the plan.
"New boundaries should only apply to incoming families," suggested Debbie Liu, a mother of twin boys who would have to leave Creekside Elementary School if the boundaries are approved.
"Not only are families within the boundary effected, but also the children who will not change schools but will lose the classmates they have spent the past four years building friendships with," said Cathleen Donohue, a Creekside Elementary parent advocating for families living in the boundary change.
Several parents with students at Crestview Elementary, another school identified in the boundary changes, filled the front row of the meeting and asked to share their thoughts. They were denied and told anyone who wanted to participate in public comments needed to sign up ahead of time, per Board rules.
The Follow Up
Families concerned with proposed Boulder Valley School District boundary changes
Late into the evening, the district presented how much feedback they were able to gather over the summer from impacted families. For one boundary change option, 103 students would be impacted and 27 parents participated in interviews to offer feedback.
Read through the full presentation below:
Based on the family feedback they received for all of the boundary changes, the school board was presented with some new options.
The new option would still approve the changes, but would delay the impact to families.
Any current students in the changed boundary would be able to stay in their current school for the next school year, if approved.
"There's real consequences towards having the balance in the enrollment in the schools not be right. In the long run we need to get that balance correct so the services are all there, so the kids are getting the ESPs they need, and other things," said Board Member Alex Medler, who represents District C.
A final decision on each of the proposed school boundaries will happen at the next board meeting on September 23. Any approved changes would take effect the 2026-2027 school year.
