Adopted Changes to the Crest View Elementary/Heatherwood Elementary & Centennial Middle/Nevin Platt Middle Attendance Area Boundaries

As part of BVSD’s continued efforts to foster balanced enrollment across our schools and maintain high-quality learning experiences, the Board of Education adopted an attendance boundary adjustment in the Gunbarrel area at its Sept. 23, 2025 meeting.

This change was proposed during the Board of Education’s review of attendance area boundaries this spring, with discussions taking place during work sessions on March 11, 2025,  May 20, 2025, and Sept. 9, 2025.

DETAILS

The adopted change reassigns the area east of the Diagonal Highway (Hwy 119), west of 63rd Street, and north of Independence Road in Gunbarrel from Crest View Elementary to Heatherwood Elementary and from Centennial Middle School to Nevin Platt Middle School. This area will continue to be assigned to Boulder High School. 

The change will be effective beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

All BVSD students who live in this area are eligible for bus transportation to Heatherwood, Nevin Platt, and Boulder High. In addition, there are safe bike routes to Heatherwood and Nevin Platt from this area, and BVSD has resources to help families identify the best routes. 

These changes allow for a few exceptions: 

1. All elementary students enrolled at Crest View Elementary in the 2025-26 school year have the option to remain at the school through 5th grade.  School bus transportation will not be provided for students who opt to remain at Crest View. 

2. All middle school students enrolled at Centennial Middle School in the 2025-26 school year have the option to remain at the school through 8th grade. School bus transportation will not be provided for students who opt to remain at Centennial. 

BVSD staff will contact families in the Fall of 2025 to explain the options and support them with updating their enrollment. 

WHY MAKE THESE CHANGES?

This consideration is guided by several core principles, including: 

• Fostering community and neighborhood cohesion

BVSD believes there is value in supporting neighborhood-based relationships as students move through the school grades. The area that would be reassigned is in Gunbarrel, and the change would have them join the rest of Gunbarrel which is assigned to Heatherwood and Nevin Platt. 

• Aligning with geologic features such as major roads

The new boundary eliminates the necessity to cross the Diagonal Highway. 

• Balancing enrollment among schools in order to help maintain high-quality learning experiences for students 

BVSD is committed to ensuring every student has access to high-quality learning experiences and opportunities. When enrollment is uneven across schools, it impacts funding and the ability to provide essential programs and staff, such as classroom teachers, counselors, and specialists in art, music, P.E., and libraries. Fewer students can mean fewer adults to support them, which affects the overall student experience.

There are currently more than twice as many students living in the Crest View attendance area compared to Heatherwood, and Centennial has significantly more students in its attendance area than Nevin Platt. Adjusting attendance boundaries can help rebalance enrollment, making it possible to sustain strong academic programs and provide more equitable opportunities for all students.

• Maximization of pedestrian access to schools, and efficient use of transportation

The area being considered for reassignment is closer to Heatherwood than to Crest View. Families would still qualify for school bus transportation to Heatherwood. For those who enjoy biking, the route to Heatherwood is quieter and less congested, making it a safer and more realistic option for families.

For families who prefer to drive, Heatherwood offers a shorter commute to school and easy drop-off and pick-up areas along Heatherwood Drive. 

At the middle school level, students would attend Nevin Platt Middle School and be eligible for bus service. For students who want to bike, the path from Gunbarrel to Nevin Platt has recently become more accessible with a new bike path at 61st and Valmont, making the ride safer and more enjoyable by being almost exclusively on bike paths. For parents who choose to drive, Platt has on-campus hug-and-go lanes on the east and west sides of the building and recommended park-and-walk locations on nearby streets. BVSD’s Safe Routes to School team has resources to support students with walking to school safely.