DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County School District Board of Education unanimously voted on Tuesday to consolidate six Highlands Ranch elementary schools.
Under the plan, Saddle Ranch Elementary will consolidate into Eldorado Elementary, Heritage Elementary will consolidate into Summit View Elementary, and Acres Green Elementary will consolidate into Fox Creek Elementary.
The consolidation will begin with the 2026-27 school year.
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Prior to the vote, several board members said it was one of the most difficult decisions they've faced during their tenure.
"From the superintendent down… I’ve literally spoken to custodians, and they’ve all had opinions, and they’ve all mattered, and they’ve all been considered," said DCSD Board of Education member Brad Geiger.
"I have a lot of hope that this is going to make better opportunities for our students and our families, and I will work to make sure we’re able to live up to the promises that have been made," said fellow school board member Susan Meek.
Following the vote, DCSD issued a release, saying the decision came "after nearly two years of careful planning and evaluation" in order to address declining enrollment in Highlands Ranch. The schools were selected based on criteria outlined in this district policy.
Several parents attended the meeting, hoping to sway the board from its final decision.
"Losing the vibrance of children playing outside and a community gathering place is going to be a profound loss for us," said Cali Wolf, a Heritage Elementary parent.
Other Heritage Elementary School parents expressed concerns about class sizes ahead of Tuesday's vote.
"We’ve been told there’s 22 classrooms at Summit View and there’s 22 classrooms at Heritage, yet we’re going to have more students at Summit View," said Katie Bibler. "It’s all about lack of trust."
DCSD said Eldorado, Summit View and Fox Creek will receive "any necessary building improvements" ahead of the consolidations. The district said it also plans to continue maintenance at Saddle Ranch, Heritage and Acres Green so the playgrounds, fields, and other spaces are available for community use. DCSD said the three closing schools will house district programming, which will be determined next school year.
The school board said Tuesday that the closed schools will be used as bus stops following the consolidation.
Education
Douglas Co. School District names Highlands Ranch schools up for consolidation
The school board and district officials cited unequal growth in Douglas County as the reason for the consolidation. According to Geiger, communities like Sterling Ranch are booming as families with young children move to areas other than Highlands Ranch.
Data from DCSD shows 10,484 students were enrolled across Highlands Ranch's 18 elementary schools in 2014, but in 2028, that number is expected to plummet to 6,476 students across the schools.
In addition to the consolidation, the school board on Tuesday approved changes to the way the district classifies Highlands Ranch sixth graders.
Sixth grade will be moved to middle school beginning in the 2026-27 school year. This will only affect Highlands Ranch elementary schools that feed into Cresthill, Mountain Ridge and Ranch View middle schools. However, in a previous release, the school district said it is looking to create a timeline for moving sixth graders throughout the district to middle school.
The district is also making "minor elementary school boundary adjustments," which will take effect ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
Denver7's Claire Lavezzorio contributed to this report.
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