Poudre School District Board votes to close or consolidate schools

FORT COLLINS, Colo. After nearly nine hours of discussion, the Poudre School District Board of Education voted on school closures and consolidations that will affect families across the district.

The decisions came after a lengthy board meeting packed with parents, students and community members advocating for their schools.

WATCH: Poudre School District Board votes to close or consolidate schools

One of the biggest outcomes was the boards decision to give Timnath Elementary School an additional year to find ways to fully fund the cost of building a new elementary school.

Kristen Tatti, a Timnath parent, said the extra time gives the community an opportunity to work toward a solution.

Really grateful that we have the extra time to come up with a solution that will meet the long-term needs of the district and the community, Tatti said. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

The board also voted to remove three mountain schools from the proposed closure list: Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Elementary and Stove Prairie Elementary.

Nina Heeren, a former Livermore Elementary parent, said the decision was welcome news for the community.

Yay! Excitement. I even woke up my kids to let them know because we were so excited, Heeren said. Even though they were in high school and middle school, they understood the impact, and they were super happy that it was no longer on the table.

However, other schools remain affected by the districts plans.

The board plans to close Beattie Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Putnam Elementary, and Blevins Middle School, beginning in 2027 and 2028. The board also approved plans to merge Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy into one school.

It has voted to close Irish Escuela Bilinge in the fall of the 2028-29 school year, but it plans to develop a more unified dual language program in the future.

Students from schools slated to close will receive priority consideration through the districts school choice process.

Transportation will be available to students who live outside the walking zones for their newly assigned schools.

For families whose schools remain on the closure list, the decisions mark the beginning of another transition period as they prepare for changes to their children's education.

Tatti said the additional time for Timnath Elementary is an important first step, but the community still has work ahead.