The Poudre School District in Fort Collins will close as many as eight schools over the next two years, becoming the third major K-12 system in Colorado to announce closures in recent months. The district's Board of Education approved the plan Tuesday night.
Falling enrollment is behind the move. The source of the decline is mainly Coloradans having fewer babies, along with the high cost of living. All closures will be completed before the 2028-29 academic year.
Three elementary schools, Beattie, Johnson and Putnam, will close before the 2027-28 academic year, as will Blevins Middle School. Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy will also close before 2027-28 and form a new school at a location that has not yet been determined. Irish Escuela Bilingüe will close before the 2028-29 academic year.
The district will also close Timnath Elementary before the 2028-29 school year unless the town of Timnath can pay for a new building. Timnath Mayor Robert Axmacher had asked the district to postpone the closure while the town, parents and district search for another solution. He has offered to pay for an independent consultant to help evaluate alternatives and possible funding sources, according to a Facebook post he wrote earlier this week.
In a statement Wednesday, town spokesman Ben Bodiker said, "The town welcomes the decision to delay the closure of Timnath Elementary." He added that the district's response "appears to place responsibility for identifying and funding a long-term solution exclusively on the town," while the town's commitment has been to work collaboratively with the district on options. The Town Council will review the response and consider next steps.
The board also voted not to close three mountain schools that had been recommended for closure: Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Elementary and Stove Prairie Elementary.
Superintendent Brian Kingsley addressed families in a letter to parents. "This is a challenging moment for our community, but I believe these changes will make us a stronger district that is better able to support our students as we move into this new future," he wrote.
Poudre joins a growing list of Colorado districts shrinking their footprints. Adams 12 Five Star Schools will close six buildings next year, and the Boulder Valley School District will close four elementary schools and restructure grade levels at two others next year.
Elsewhere in the state, Denver Public Schools, the largest district in Colorado, closed seven schools last year. Jeffco Public Schools has shuttered 21 campuses in recent years, and the Douglas County School District closed three elementary schools in July.
