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Resilient Schools: Responding to declining enrollment

Resilient Schools Proposal

On Aug. 25, Boulder Valley School District leadership presented a proposed plan to the Board of Education to close, consolidate, reconfigure, or relocate eight schools.

Watch the Meeting View the Presentation

Important Decision Milestones

Proposal Discussion

Board Work Session

Staff will present a proposal of school adjustments to the Board for consideration and discussion.

Consistent with standard work session format, there will be no public comment.

Watch the Meeting

Proposal Discussion

Board Meeting, 5 p.m.

The Board will continue its consideration and discussion of the proposed changes.

The community will have the opportunity to provide input during the regular public comment period.

Public Comment SignUp

Proposal Action

Board Meeting, 5 p.m.

The Board will take action to adopt or deny the proposed changes.

The community will have the opportunity to provide input during the regular public comment period.

Public Comment SignUp

The Proposal

Realizing that enrollment has declined to a point where we do not have the resources in every school to provide the high quality, BVSD education each and every student deserves, last November, the Board directed staff to move toward taking action. The following is the proposal made to the Board on August 25.

WATCH: Resilient Schools Proposal: Brief video covering what you need to know about the plan presented on August 25.

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

Boulder

School Closure & Relocations: Close Douglass Elementary School and divide its attendance area among Coal Creek, Eisenhower and Heatherwood; Move High Peaks Elementary to the former Douglass Elementary campus; 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 Consolidation: Close Mesa Elementary and merge the school communities in the Bear Creek building
School Closure: Close Flatirons Elementary and divide its attendance area between Whittier and Foothill elementary schools.

Close Douglass; Relocate High Peaks and Community Montessori

An icon representing the closure of a school and redistribution of its students to neighboring schools

An icon representing the move of a focus school to a new building

The proposal

The proposal calls for the closure of Douglass Elementary and that its attendance area be divided among Coal Creek, Eisenhower and Heatherwood elementary schools.

In addition, the proposed plan relocates High Peaks Elementary to the Douglass campus. Then, Community Montessori will relocate into High Peaks’ current location. The Community Montessori building would be closed.

Maps showing proposed boundary changes for Douglass

How we arrived at this proposal

Douglass’s resident student population is among the lowest in Boulder. Both its resident population and enrollment are below two classes/grade and are projected to stay at that level. Additionally, the Douglass attendance area is large and less densely populated than other, non-mountain attendance areas.

Relocating High Peaks, BVSD’s most in-demand focus school, to the Douglass campus would give more students, particularly those in east county, access to the focus school. It also allows the district, through relocation of another focus school, to close the Community Montessori building and reduce excess capacity in Boulder.

Additional considerations

The ICAN program currently housed at Douglass would be relocated to Heatherwood.
Transportation would continue to be provided based on BVSD policy, and as required by a student’s IEP.
Preschool would continue to be offered in the area. More information about specific locations for programs will be provided by Oct. 1.
School Age Care (SAC) would be offered at Heatherwood, Coal Creek, and Eisenhower.

Consolidate Bear Creek and Mesa

Icon representing the consolidation of two schools

The proposal
The plan proposes the closure of Mesa Elementary and merging of the school communities in the Bear Creek building. The attendance area boundaries for both schools would be redrawn to create a single attendance area, with addresses in the consolidated area now assigned to the Bear Creek building.

Maps showing proposed boundary changes for Mesa

How we arrived at this proposal

While many schools in the South Boulder area have been impacted by declining enrollment, Mesa is currently one of the lowest-enrolled schools, and projections show its numbers are expected to continue to decline. Additionally, Mesa, which currently uses about half of its capacity, also has the second-lowest number of resident students in its attendance area.

Bear Creek, located less than a mile away, has a larger building capacity and can house the projected enrollment of both schools in 2027-28 and beyond.

Closing Mesa reduces excess capacity in South Boulder. Combining the attendance areas provides the resident student population for a three-round school at Bear Creek.
Bringing more students into Bear Creek will help grow and sustain the staffing, programs, and opportunities that create a high-quality student experience.

Additional Considerations

All existing AIM and RISE programs would be housed at Bear Creek.
Transportation would continue to be provided based on BVSD policy, and as required by a student’s IEP.
Preschool will continue to be offered in the area. More information about specific program locations will be provided by October 1.
School Age Care (SAC) will be offered at Bear Creek.

Close Flatirons and distribute students to Whittier and Foothill

The proposal
The plan proposes the closure of Flatirons Elementary at the end of the 2026-27 school year and that its attendance area be divided between Foothill and Whittier Elementary Schools. Addresses north of Boulder Canyon Drive would be assigned to Foothill Elementary, while addresses south of Boulder Canyon Drive would be assigned to Whittier Elementary.

Maps showing proposed boundary changes for Flatirons

How we arrived at this proposal
Flatirons has the lowest enrollment of the Boulder schools, sustaining only a single class at each level and using less than half of its building’s capacity. Closing the school reduces excess capacity in Boulder. Whittier and Foothill each have the capacity to house a portion of Flatirons’ students.

Additional considerations

The RISE program currently at Flatirons would move to Whittier Elementary.
To help facilitate mountain routes, Whittier Elementary’s bell schedule will need to shift 45 minutes later. Currently, it is 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. After the changes, it would be 8:35 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., which aligns with other elementary schools that serve mountain addresses.

Broomfield

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

Consolidate Birch and Kohl

Consolidate Birch and Kohl

The proposal

The proposal recommends that Birch Elementary close at the end of the 2026-27 school year, and that the Birch and Kohl school communities merge in the Kohl Elementary building.

The attendance boundaries for both schools would be combined into a single attendance area assigned to the Kohl building. The ICAN program currently located at Birch would also move to Kohl Elementary.

Maps showing proposed boundary changes for Broomfield

How we arrived at this proposal

Among the Broomfield elementary schools, Birch has the lowest projected enrollment and the lowest number of current and projected resident students. This is largely driven by declining birth rates in the area.

As we considered our options, our data shows that Kohl has enough capacity to house both schools’ current and future enrollment, something that the Birch building cannot accommodate. This move reduces excess capacity in the region and provides the resident student population to support a three-round school at Kohl. Additional student enrollment will help grow and sustain the staffing, programs, and opportunities that support a high-quality student experience.

Additional Considerations

The ICAN program currently located at Birch will also move to Kohl Elementary.
Transportation will continue to be provided based on BVSD policy and as required by a student’s IEP.
Preschool will continue to be offered in the area. More information about specific program locations will be provided by Oct. 1.
School Age Care (SAC) will be offered at Kohl.

Superior/Louisville

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.

Reconfigure Monarch PK-8 and Eldorado PK-8

Reconfigure Monarch PK-8 and Eldorado PK-8

Icon representing the grade reconfiguration of PK-8 schools to Elementary and Middle schools

The proposal

The proposal calls for grade reconfigurations at both Monarch and Eldorado PK-8 schools to create an elementary school in the Eldorado building and a middle school in the Monarch building beginning in the 2027-28 school year.

The current Monarch and Eldorado middle-level attendance areas would combine into one attendance area for both the middle and high schools. Additionally, Monarch PK-8’s elementary attendance area would be divided among Fireside, Superior and Eldorado’s attendance areas.

Maps showing proposed boundary changes for Louisville and Superior

How we arrived at this proposal

Following the engagement with our community and an analysis of school enrollment and choice, it was evident that the Louisville/Superior communities needed a unique plan of action focused on natural feeder areas/neighborhoods, while ensuring that schools in this area are made more sustainable for the future.

Consolidating the middle grades on the Monarch campus creates the opportunity for more robust middle school programming, as well as synergies with Monarch High School.

Currently, fewer than half of Monarch’s K-5 resident students attend Monarch and almost one third choose to attend Fireside, Superior or Eldorado. At the middle level, more Eldorado resident 6-8 grade students choose to attend Monarch than Eldorado.

The proposed move reduces excess elementary capacity and increases resident students for the receiving elementary schools and Monarch 6-8. Additional student enrollment will help grow and sustain the staffing, programs, and opportunities that create a high-quality student experience.

Additional Considerations

The new Eldorado elementary school and Monarch middle school will continue to serve students with autism through AIM and RISE programs.
Transportation will continue to be provided based on BVSD policy, and as required by a student’s IEP.
Preschool will continue to be offered in the area. More information about specific locations for programs will be provided by Oct. 1.
School Age Care (SAC) will be offered at Eldorado, Fireside, and Superior.

Dual Language Schools

During the process of reviewing BVSD's schools, the team identified some opportunities for improvement with the dual language programs in both Boulder and Lafayette. The team also recognized that more information is needed before proceeding with a recommendation.

Review, Community Engagement & Return with a Recommendation

Review, Community Engagement & Return with a Recommendation

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.

Resilient Schools Proposal
Frequently Asked Questions Resilient Schools Proposal Supporting Data

What Families Should Know

Enrollment

In-district students currently enrolled in a school that is proposed to close or relocate will be placed in their new neighborhood school or continue with the school at its new location.
If families prefer another BVSD school, they may apply through Open Enrollment and receive first priority to a non-charter BVSD school in the lottery.
Out-of-district students currently attending a school that is proposed to close must apply through Open Enrollment and will receive first priority to a non-charter BVSD school in the lottery.

School Age Care

Special Education

Students with an Individualized Education Plan will continue to receive support, as outlined in the IEP.
Information about changes to specific Special Education programs is included in the school proposals.
Families with students in impacted Special Education programs will be contacted directly by the Special Education department.

Supporting students with special needs during school changes

Support for Students, Families and Staff

The closure and consolidation of schools is a significant change that affects students, families, employees, and the broader community. While these decisions are difficult, we want to support every member of our school community with clear communication, practical guidance, and compassion throughout the transition.

Our schools have plans in place to provide immediate support and, throughout the process, families and students will receive:

Clear, school-specific information about key dates, decisions, open enrollment options, and transition events.
A dedicated district transition liaison to help families get information, answer questions, and navigate the transition.
Resources for caregivers to help them talk with students and provide age-appropriate support and reassurance.
Opportunities to connect with receiving schools, including school visits, transition events, and opportunities for students and families to begin building relationships within their new school community.

Social-emotional support for students during school change

Transportation

Eligible students will receive transportation to their assigned neighborhood school.
Transportation required by a student’s IEP will continue.
Families who choose a school outside their assigned attendance area are responsible for transportation; students may use an existing bus stop if space is available.

Transportation Eligibility and Frequently Asked Questions

Questions?

If you have a question or comment that is not addressed there, please submit it using this form. We’ll review submissions to help inform updates to our FAQs and other public information.

Resilient Schools Questions and Comments Form

BVSD Enrollment Impacts Newsletter

To keep our community informed we've developed a regular newsletter to carry information about this important work.

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: Proposal presented to Board August 25
August 18, 2026

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: A time to rest and prepare for what comes next
June 24, 2026

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: Thank you for sharing your voice
May 12, 2026

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: Why we are approaching engagement differently this time
April 10, 2026

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: Let's have the courage to imagine an even better school district
March 12, 2026

BVSD Enrollment Impacts: Our promise as we begin this difficult journey
February 10, 2026

Let's Talk Education Livestream

Monday, August 31 at 3:30 p.m.
Watch on BV22 and YouTube

Superintendent Dr. Anderson will talk about the Resilient Schools Proposal, Board President Rajpal will discuss next steps and both will answer questions received from BVSD parents and staff via this form.

Declining Enrollment in BVSD

BVSD has been closely monitoring enrollment trends in the district since 2022.

What is happening with enrollment in BVSD

Aligning with a trend for school districts across the nation, Boulder Valley School District has experienced declining enrollment since 2018. Despite our best efforts, the latest projections show the district will continue to experience significant declining enrollment into the foreseeable future.

In five years, we project having 1,700 fewer students than we have today, for a total decline of over 5,000 students since 2017.

In addition to dwindling birth rates and an aging population, the high cost of living in BVSD, coupled with low housing inventory due to people aging in place and more affordable housing opportunities in surrounding districts, further fuel our decline.

Pie chart showing Projected Utilization 2030-31

BVSD has the capacity to serve 14,543 K-5 students in our non-charter schools.
We currently serve 9,732 (SY 25-26) K-5 non-charter students.
The utilization rate is 67% with 4,811 open seats (SY 25-26).
Projected to go to 9,433, or 65% in 5 years with 5,110 open seats.

Why declining enrollment matters

Every BVSD school is a strong and beloved community. The recommendation to close and reconfigure schools is not about school quality.

It’s about responding responsibly to sustained enrollment decline across the district. As enrollment falls, staff and resources are stretched across more buildings than are needed to serve fewer and fewer students. Closing and reconfiguring schools allows us to concentrate our resources for each grade span in fewer buildings so that every student has access to a high-quality, BVSD learning experience and every staff member can thrive professionally.

However, when resources dwindle with dropping enrollment at schools, it becomes much harder to offer all students the benefits of collaborative grade level teams; full-time specialists, counselors, and support staff; depth of specials programming and enrichment opportunities; and consistent staffing year to year that deliver the full promise of a BVSD education. Over time, these impacts lead to growing inequities across schools and continued spending on underutilized buildings. These effects are being felt more acutely at the elementary level.

Read a first-hand perspective from one classroom teacher

Our response

Early efforts to address declining enrollment

Since 2022, the Board, Long Range Advisory Committee, and staff have been studying enrollment trends, developing metrics, engaging communities, and updating policies. The pace and scope of this work reflect sustained Board of Education interest and direction over multiple years.

Fall 2025: Board directs staff to create proposal

Facing accelerating enrollment decline and the associated reduction of funding, the Board of Education has determined that more substantial action is needed to allow BVSD to use resources more efficiently in order to maintain the high-quality learning experiences students currently receive.

School adjustment options the Board could consider include:

Introducing or expanding focus programs
Reconfiguring grades, e.g. K-2 & 3-5 or convert K-8s to elementary and middle schools
Relocating focus programs
Consolidating two or more schools into one building (existing or new)
Closing one or more schools and distributing students to multiple schools

Learn more about these options

Spring 2026: Community Engagement

Before developing specific proposals for reconfiguring schools at the elementary or PK-8 level, we knew it was important to hear from our community—families, staff, and community members—about their values and priorities for their students and schools.

During the second semester of the 2025-26 school year, BVSD reached out to connect with our community in a variety of different ways on this important topic.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW BVSD ENGAGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY

Summer 2026: Creation of a Proposal

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 consequences and possibilities.

Resources

Enrollment Data Dashboard

Long Range Advisory Committee

Open Enrollment Matrices

Heatherwood Community Process

Attendance Area Boundary Changes (September 2025)