On Wednesday, the Adams 12 Five Star Schools board will make its final decision on a consolidation plan that could reshape several school communities.
The proposal calls for the closure of five elementary schools and one middle school, which would impact more than 1,500 students.
Watch Sophia Villalba's report in the video player below:
Here’s what’s being proposed.
- North Mor Elementary
- Students move to Hillcrest and Westview elementary schools
- Students move to Hillcrest and Westview elementary schools
- Rocky Mountain Elementary
- Students move to Cotton Creek, Federal Heights and North Star elementary schools
- Students move to Cotton Creek, Federal Heights and North Star elementary schools
- Centennial Elementary
- Students move to Arapahoe Ridge Elementary
- Students move to Arapahoe Ridge Elementary
- Cherry Drive Elementary
- Students move to Riverdale Elementary
- Students move to Riverdale Elementary
- The Studio School
- As a magnet school without an attendance boundary, students will be guaranteed enrollment at a new K-8 magnet school with an arts emphasis in Northglenn. The Studio School students can also opt to attend their neighborhood school or apply to another school through the district’s choice process.
- As a magnet school without an attendance boundary, students will be guaranteed enrollment at a new K-8 magnet school with an arts emphasis in Northglenn. The Studio School students can also opt to attend their neighborhood school or apply to another school through the district’s choice process.
- Shadow Ridge Middle
- Students move to Century and Rocky Top middle schools
- Students move to Century and Rocky Top middle schools
“The full recommendation also proposes to relocate and expand Hulstrom K-8 at the current Shadow Ridge site, open a new K-8 magnet school with an arts emphasis on Wyco Drive (the current Hulstrom K-8 building), and adjust two middle school attendance boundaries. No closures or boundary changes are recommended at the high school level,” the district said.
All five elementary schools recommended for closure serve fewer than 300 K-5 students.
Shadow Ridge serves fewer than 600 students and is the district’s only middle school using less than half of its building.
“I wish that with the proposal we could take parts of it and not just have to accept it as a whole. I understand why certain schools need to close, but other schools may not need to close, and it's accept it all or nothing. I think a better proposal may have been presented,” Cherry Drive Elementary parent Nicole Jaegle said.
For some Adams 12 parents, it hits home for a place their kids have been familiar with.
“Kids rely on consistency, and having them move when they've been growing up with the same kids — it's going to be a very hard transition for everybody,” Nicole Jaegle said.
Cherry Drive Elementary parent Nicole Jaegle attended schools within Adams 12 growing up and told Denver7 her younger siblings attended Cherry Drive Elementary, a place her children currently call home.
“I just fell in love with the school and the staff and how it felt here. I wanted to make sure we got a house in this area. I wanted my future kids to go here because I just loved it so much,” Nicole Jaegle said.
The district said declining enrollment is driving the recommendation.
Back in April, Denver7 spoke with Adams 12 Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Gdowski.
“It’s because of declining birth rates and because housing in places like Colorado has become really expensive,” said Chris Gdowski, Adams 12 Five Star Schools superintendent.
Adams 12 has lost more than 6,000 students over the last seven years, and district officials said the smaller schools also have fewer opportunities to offer some specialized classes and programs.
The recommendation is expected to generate around $5 million in annual savings after the first year of implementation.
The district said if the consolidation plan is approved, students will have guaranteed placement at their new neighborhood schools and eligible students will still receive transportation.
“In all circumstances, students with specialized learning plans such as IEPs, 504s and ALPs would continue to receive services at their new schools,” the district said.
For some parents, a new school means having to go further to drop their kids off.
“It's not only further for us, but also no longer walkable. We're within walking distance of the school. We use the school and the playgrounds over the summer. If the school is not ours anymore to use, we no longer have that community resource,” Cherry Drive Elementary parent Andy Jaegle said.
For some families at the impacted schools, it could mean saying goodbye to a place they’ve known for years.
“They have friends here, they have family here, and they've spent many years building a community at this school. To just pluck them up and move them — they're not just names on a spreadsheet. They are people with lives that matter,” Nicole Jaegle said.
341 staff work at the six schools recommended for closure. The district is working with its employee associations and said it's committed to providing commensurate job opportunities for impacted staff through the 2027-28 school year.
“It’s hard on parents. It's also hard on the teachers. As a parent, we have to figure out where our kids are going in November, but we don't know where some of these teachers are going until February, and that would really help my decision of where my child is going because I do love the staff here so much,” Nicole Jaegle said.
If the board approves the plan Wednesday night, the changes would take effect at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.
“As a former Adams 12 student, I know firsthand how our school communities shape our identity and sense of belonging. I do not take lightly what this recommendation asks of the communities directly affected, and honoring what has been built within these schools will be central to our transition planning,” Superintendent Chris Gdwoski said.
The board meeting starts at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
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