Poudre board approves closure of four schools in Fort Collins

The Poudre School District Board of Education voted Tuesday to close four schools and merge two others, a decision reached after nearly nine hours of deliberation. The board approved plans to shutter Beattie Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Putnam Elementary, and Blevins Middle School between 2027 and 2028.

In a related move, the board approved the consolidation of Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy into a single institution. The district also voted to close Irish Escuela Bilingüe in the fall of the 2028-29 school year, with plans to create a more unified dual language program in the future.

Timnath Elementary School will not close immediately. Instead, the board granted the school an additional year to secure full funding for a new building. Kristen Tatti, a parent in the Timnath community, stated that the extension provides necessary time to develop a solution for long-term district needs.

Three mountain schools were removed from the proposed closure list: Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Elementary, and Stove Prairie Elementary. Nina Heeren, a former parent at Livermore Elementary, described the decision as exciting news for the local community.

Heeren said she woke her children to share the news, noting that even though they were in middle and high school, they understood the impact of the potential closure and were happy it was off the table.

The district stated that students from closing schools will receive priority consideration through the school choice process. Transportation will be provided for students living outside the walking zones of their newly assigned schools.

The board meeting drew a large crowd of parents, students, and community members who advocated for their respective schools before the final votes were cast.