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Families in the Poudre School District aren’t giving up the fight to try and keep several schools open.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Families in the Poudre School District aren’t giving up the fight to try and keep several schools open.
Right now, the school district has several different scenarios they’re considering pointing toward potential closures and consolidations. The board was expected to vote on a closure plan for the district during their meeting in June.
But Monday night, an emergency board meeting was called. The first item of action is considering an end to the long-range planning process – that’s the term Poudre Schools has been using for their school closure and consolidation plans.
With so much uncertainty for schools, students at Blevins Middle School walked out of class Monday in protest. Blevins is one of the schools being considered for closure by Poudre’s planning steering committee.
On the sidewalk, carrying signs, students joined staff members, parents and community members telling the Poudre school board they want to save their school.
“I was shocked. I was shocked,” said Medora Huseby, a parent of a seventh grade student at Blevins Middle School. “The students, at least my student, loves it there. I’m just shocked that Blevins has been continuously listed since October for closure.”
Citing reduced enrollment and budgeting shortfalls, the school board and superintendent tasked the committee with identifying which schools should merge and which should close. The process has been a painful one, with parent and community outcry over the closures and questions of transparency plaguing board meetings and listening sessions in recent months.
“We’re finding out after these decisions are being made and then, we’re having to push back to get our voices heard to get our input into the conversation,” Huseby said.
With the future of Blevins up in the air, Huseby joined students on the protest line. Those gathered said they’re hopeful the board hears their message loud and clear.
“Yes, very hopeful that they will listen to us, that they will see how many people depend upon Blevins being a neighborhood school,” Huseby said.
She said she wants to see more conversation and clear answers from the district explaining where closures are needed and why.
“We all want what’s best for the students and our community. We want PSD to stay strong,” she said. “We just need to make sure we’re thinking far enough ahead when we make these big, big choices that impact so many people and right now, we don’t have that information.”
The emergency school board meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Monday night.
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