BOULDER, Colo. — The Boulder Valley School District board voted 5-2 Tuesday night to move forward with consolidating schools next fall, a plan that closes four schools and impacts 16 in total.
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The plan comes as the district faces declining enrollment and thinning resources. Since 2017, the district reported that enrollment has decline by 3,675 students while building numbers have stayed the same. They’re expecting another 1,700-student decline by 2030, resulting in what would be about a $26 million loss over the next five years.
The district will close Douglass Elementary, Flatirons Elementary, Birch Elementary, and Mesa Elementary. In addition to closures, the plan includes consolidations, grade changes, and campus relocations for other schools.
Families rallied outside the Boulder Valley School District headquarters on Arapahoe Road in Boulder before the vote, calling on administrators to save their schools and vote no on the plan.
"It makes me want to burst out and cry," said Douglass Elementary fourth grader Luke Woodward. "Change is really hard because I've only been here for two years, and it's been an amazing experience. And then changing is just going to be like that whole experience all over again."
"Douglass completely changed my life. In preschool I didn't really know what to do. I was so confused, and Douglas was able to help me," said Douglass fourth grader Miles Gee.
Hayley Wetzel, whose three children attend Douglass Elementary, said she fears the closure will send them to different schools, as the district plans to divide Douglass students among Coal Creek, Eisenhower and Heatherwood.
"The special education is my biggest concern. Keeping my kids together is a big deal because they are all brothers and they're all very close in age, as well as having a place that feels safe and a solid structure like Douglas has provided," said Wetzel.
After Tuesday's board meeting, BVSD Superintendent Rob Anderson told reporters he believes the district is ready to move forward with consolidation.
"This has been a really difficult process for many of the folks in our community and a long time coming. We're looking forward to moving forward to support our families and support our students as we transition," he said.
When asked whether the closures could push more families out of the district and lead to further enrollment decline, Anderson said BVSD's track record gives him confidence they will stay.
"We're the highest performing district on the Front Range, but we're not just high performing academically. We care about our kids. We care about making sure that all of our students belong. We're incredibly inclusive, and we hope that those are the things that will keep our families here in BVSD," he said.
He said the consolidation decisions came down to three key data points: where students live, where schools are located, and five-year enrollment projections. Anderson said the district still needs to develop a timeline around dual language programming and engage those communities more deeply before making further decisions.
"I wouldn't say that we rushed anything. I think that we've been talking about this for a long time. I think we were very transparent on the dollars that we would recoup and reinvest in the student experience, which is what our community told us when we asked them last spring," said Anderson.
After the vote, Flatirons Elementary parent Elise Longbottom said she has lost trust in the school district.
"I do not feel that they listened to the community," she said. "I don't see how you could have listened to this many community members and not stopped to you know think is there a different way."
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