Poudre School District to close eight schools by 2029
Fort Collins district board voted Tuesday to shutter campuses as declining enrollment drives a statewide wave of closures.
By Elijah Davidson ·
The Poudre School District board voted Tuesday night to close eight schools in Fort Collins and Timnath. The decision responds to a sustained drop in student numbers across Colorado. The district is the third major K-12 system in the state to announce such measures in recent months.
Enrollment declines stem primarily from lower birth rates and high living costs. The district plans to complete all closures before the 2028-29 academic year. Five elementary and middle schools will shut their doors before the 2027-28 school year begins. These include Beattie, Johnson, and Putnam Elementary, along with Blevins Middle School.
Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy will also close before the 2027-28 year. The district will merge these two institutions into a new school. The location for this new campus remains undetermined. Irish Escuela Bilingüe will close one year later, before the 2028-29 academic year starts.
Timnath Elementary faces a conditional closure. It will close before the 2028-29 school year unless the town secures funding for a new building. Timnath Mayor Robert Axmacher requested a delay to allow time for a solution. He offered to pay for an independent consultant to evaluate funding alternatives in a Facebook post.
The board spared three mountain schools from closure. Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Elementary, and Stove Prairie Elementary had been recommended for shutdown. The board voted to keep them open instead. This decision contrasts with the fate of the eight other campuses identified for closure.
Poudre Superintendent Brian Kingsley addressed parents in a letter regarding the vote. He described the moment as challenging but necessary for long-term stability. "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," Kingsley wrote.
Other Colorado districts are taking similar actions. Adams 12 Five Star Schools will close six buildings next year. Boulder Valley will shut four elementary schools and restructure grade levels at two others. Denver Public Schools closed seven schools last year. Jeffco Public Schools has closed 21 campuses in recent years, while Douglas County closed three elementary schools in July.
Source: The Denver Post
