Resilient Schools Proposal

Dear BVSD Families and Staff,

This afternoon we met with the BVSD Board of Education and presented our plan to make our schools more resilient during this time of declining enrollment.

Before I share the specifics, I want to once again recognize that this is an incredibly difficult moment, especially for the schools that will be impacted. 

Before considering options, we heard from our community. Last Spring, we engaged our elementary school leaders, educators, families and residents – knowing that their values, priorities and perspectives were key to our decision making. We heard clearly that our community values smaller class sizes, having fewer multi-grade classes, and having more time for dedicated educators and other professionals, beyond classroom teachers, to provide targeted learning or social emotional support or expand access to art, music and physical education. 

With that in mind, this summer, the BVSD leadership team worked to evaluate options, including school closures, consolidations, reconfigurations and relocations. Analyzing enrollment trends, building capacity, facility conditions and long-term students needs, they weighed the potential challenges and possibilities.

Today, our team presented the following recommendations to the Board of Education. 

If approved by the Board of Education on September 22, these changes would take effect beginning with the 2027-28 school year. 

Families and staff at schools who are named in the recommendations below will receive additional communication shortly explaining the rationale for each one, as well as the measures we will take to support students, staff, and families.

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BOULDER

School Consolidation
Close Mesa Elementary and merge the school communities in the Bear Creek building

School Closure
Close Douglass Elementary School and divide its attendance area among Coal Creek, Eisenhower and Heatherwood

School Relocation
Move High Peaks Elementary to the former Douglass Elementary campus

School Relocation
Close the Community Montessori building. Move Community Montessori to the former High Peaks Elementary space on the Aurora 7 campus, co-locating with the Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies (BCSIS)

School Closure
Close Flatirons Elementary and divide its attendance area between Whittier and Foothill elementary schools

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BROOMFIELD

School Consolidation
Close Birch Elementary and merge the school communities in the Kohl building

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LOUISVILLE/SUPERIOR

Grade Reconfiguration
Eldorado PK-8 becomes an elementary school and Monarch PK-8 becomes a middle school. Divide the Monarch PK-5 attendance area among Fireside, Superior and Eldorado elementary schools. Combine the Eldorado 6-8 and Monarch 6-8 attendance areas.

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Learn more on the Resilient Schools webpage

DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

During the process of reviewing our schools, the team identified some opportunities for improvement with our dual language programs in both Boulder and Lafayette. The team also recognized that we need more information before we proceed with a recommendation.

Therefore, the team’s proposed next steps are to take this next year to engage in a thorough review process of BVSD’s PK-5 and 6-8 dual language models in both Boulder and Lafayette. The review will include an internal analysis of programming, a systematic review of national research, and opportunities for teachers, families, and students to provide feedback.

The team will return to the Board at a yet to be determined time to provide an update and recommendations, which could include program and/or facility changes. Dual language programming remains a district priority.

NEXT STEPS

The Board of Education will be carefully considering the recommendations and hearing from the community during its meetings on Sept. 8 and 22. BVSD families, staff and residents may sign up for Public Comment on the Board of Education’s website.

Again, we take the actions presented in this proposal very seriously and know that any changes to our schools, especially those that involve closure will be difficult for our community and especially for those involved.

Our Resilient Schools website has additional information about the plan, an FAQ and resources for impacted families and staff. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Rob Anderson

Superintendent
Boulder Valley School District