DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. - Denver7 has been covering the ups and downs of communities within the Douglas County School District as older schools have been consolidated and new schools have begun construction.
Now, Denver7's Danielle Kreutter follows up as the district seeks input on new school boundaries.
"We're very big, so we have pockets," Superintendent Erin Kane said. "We have pockets of growth and we have pockets of decline. But the pockets aren't next to each other."
In less than a year, the district decided to consolidate six schools into three.
"People moved into their homes 25, 30 years ago and put all of their little kids through our school systems, and we built all these schools. Those people stayed in their homes, so now we do not have anywhere near as many young children in those communities, as we had 20 years ago," she said.
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Meanwhile, the new schools, one in Lone Tree and a second in Sterling Ranch, aim to be a good fit for the growing communities there.
"When you look at Sterling Ranch, it's already 20% built out. So we're seeing families with kids moving into those neighborhoods," Kane said.
Right now the district is collecting public input on potential boundaries for the two new schools.
The preferred boundary for the elementary school in Lone Tree is here:
The preferred boundary for the elementary school in Sterling Ranch is below:
The final proposals are set to go before the school board as soon as May or June.
Denver7's Danielle Kreutter asked if there were concerns that the problem might repeat 20 years from now, forcing the district to consolidate again.
"We've thought of that. We've designed our new elementaries to hold about 700 to 750 [students], so when they do dwindle in enrollment in 20 years, they'll 'dwindle' to 400 or 450 which is still a thriving school," said Kane.
The new schools are set to open in the fall of 2027.
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