December 8th 2024.
The Douglas County School District is facing a complex problem - while they are seeing a decline in enrollment and need to close down some schools, they also need to build new ones in rapidly growing suburban areas that are miles apart. According to district officials, they will be shutting down three elementary schools in Highlands Ranch by the end of the 2025-26 academic year, in response to the overall decline in public school enrollment in the state.
However, there is another side to this issue. The construction of new housing developments in Douglas County has caused a shift in where families are living, resulting in what Superintendent Erin Kane has referred to as "school deserts". To address this, the district has plans to build two new elementary schools in the expanding communities of Sterling Ranch and RidgeGate. This is made possible by the $490 million bond that was passed by voters in November.
Kane emphasized that while they are reacting to the decrease in enrollment, they are also striving to keep the district strong and offer students the best opportunities possible. This was discussed during a recent presentation on the district's closure plans. They are currently considering 16 elementary schools in Highlands Ranch for consolidation, with the ultimate plan being to close two to three of them.
It's worth noting that a decade ago, there were over 10,400 students attending elementary schools in Highlands Ranch. Now, that number has decreased to 7,409 and is expected to continue to decline to 6,476 by 2028. Kane explained that it would not be feasible to have the same number of buildings accommodating significantly fewer students, as the overhead costs would be "catastrophic". This is why they are taking action now, rather than waiting until they reach a point of financial crisis.
The 16 schools being considered for consolidation in Highlands Ranch feed into three secondary schools: Highlands Ranch High School, Mountain Vista High School, and ThunderRidge High School. According to the district's chief of staff, Steve Colella, the decrease in enrollment is most prevalent in these three areas. He also added that even after the closures, the district will still have smaller schools.
At this point, no decisions have been made regarding which specific elementary schools will be closed and merged with others. In January, the district plans to present the criteria they will use for consolidation to the Board of Education. The final closure plan will then be presented to the board in April, with a vote taking place on April 22. Kane assured that employees affected by the closures will not lose their jobs, as they will have the opportunity to find employment at other schools within the district, including the new ones being built for their students.
The district has scheduled two more public meetings this month to discuss the potential closures with families. One will be held in person at Cresthill Middle School, while the other will be held virtually. Interested individuals can RSVP on the district's website.
Enrollment data from the Colorado Department of Education shows that during the 2023-24 academic year, the Douglas County School District had 61,964 students, which is a decrease of over 8% from five years prior. This decline in enrollment also affects the funding that schools receive on a per-pupil basis. As a result, it can impact academic offerings and extracurricular activities.
The Douglas County district, which is the third largest in Colorado, is not the only one in the Denver metro area facing these challenges. Denver Public Schools, the largest district in the state, will be closing seven schools and restructuring three others to serve fewer students. Similarly, Jeffco Public Schools has closed over a dozen schools in recent years.
These districts are all in a unique position due to the decrease in enrollment and changing housing patterns in the metro area. As they close down schools, they are also building new ones in areas that are experiencing rapid growth. In the case of the Douglas County School District, which covers a large area, this has resulted in the need to bus students from neighborhoods without schools to those that do have them. Kane acknowledged that this has caused significant challenges for the district.
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