The Poudre School District, PSD, has proposed closing nine schools and consolidating two more in its latest plan to address dropping enrollment. Eight elementary schools, including the three rural mountain schools, are on the closure list, as well as a middle school. Two high schools would be consolidated into one. 

The changes are not official, but if approved, they would go into effect at the start of the 2027-28 school year.

“The recommendation being brought forward is about sustaining and improving the educational experience in every school, for every student, every day,” said Superintendent Brian Kingsley. “We can do more and do it better in fewer schools because we can concentrate our resources and make sure every student has access to everything that they deserve.”

According to the latest plan, Beattie, Irish, Johnson, Putnam and Timnath Elementary schools would close. The three mountain schools, Stove Prairie, Red Feather and Livermore Schools would also close, along with Blevins Middle School. All students would be reassigned to other schools. Additionally, the proposal calls for the consolidation of Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy into a single high school.

Like a lot of Front Range districts, PSD has been losing students for years. Birth rates are down, and families with school-aged kids are leaving for less expensive areas. 

District officials say consolidation is necessary because chronic underenrollment has been sapping education resources, as half-full buildings are expensive to operate, maintain, and staff. According to the PSD, nine schools in the district are already operating at less than 50% capacity, and another eight are less than two-thirds full. 

The district proposed more modest consolidations two years ago but shelved the plan after major community pushback. The new plan is meant to address a continued drop in enrollment. High school seniors in PSD now outnumber this year’s kindergarten cohort by about 1,000 students, and there are more than 10,000 unfilled seats throughout the district. 

The school board will hold a number of community listening sessions throughout October before voting on whether to approve the plan on October 27th.