UPDATE: Poudre School District’s consolidation plans on hold in Northern Colorado
On Monday, a walkout took place at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in western Fort Collins. Hundreds of students, along with staff and parents, joined forces to protest against the Poudre School District’s decision to consolidate and relocate multiple schools. The district’s announcement, made without prior public discussion, came as a surprise to many parents and students.
Polaris is a unique educational institution that provides education to students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Numerous students have chosen to transfer from other schools within the PSD area to Polaris, seeking the distinctive learning approach it provides.
Elin Docherty, a student who helped coordinate the walkout, expressed their strong opposition to the situation. They firmly stated that they refuse to tolerate it, as it undermines the unity of their school and community. Splitting it apart goes against the very essence and goals of their educational institution.
Docherty expressed her astonishment to CBS News Colorado at the significant turnout of students and parents who participated in the march towards the district’s headquarters.
PSD has announced a division in the student body, where younger students will be relocated to the present Olander Elementary School building, while middle and high school students will be relocated to the current Blevins school facility. Both schools are situated on the west side of Fort Collins.
Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy would be relocated to the current Polaris school building. Meanwhile, the current Centennial High School, situated close to Old Town, would be transformed into a dedicated educational center catering specifically to students with disabilities.
On Monday, a multitude of students, ranging in age from young children to older teenagers, rallied outside of their school to voice their opposition to the proposed division of the current Polaris school.
Docherty exclaimed that it was incredible to witness the majority of our school being present.
Under the watchful eye of both school security and Fort Collins Police Services, the students made their way to PSD’s headquarters located in northwest Fort Collins by marching confidently.
According to Madeline Noblett, the chief communications officer for PSD, she informed Northern Colorado reporter Dillon Thomas that the district had acknowledged the community’s disapproval of their proposals.
Noblett acknowledged the valid emotions of frustration, anger, confusion, sadness, and even grief that were expressed in response to the announcement made last week. He emphasized that change can be difficult.
According to Noblett, the district anticipates a decrease of over 10% in their yearly enrollment in the upcoming years. The district attributes this decline to various factors such as diminishing birth rates and the high cost of living in Fort Collins and neighboring areas like Timnath.
In addition to the curriculum chosen by the board and others, the community has also observed a significant number of parents withdrawing their children from the district. This has led to a surge in families opting to enroll their children in nearby charter schools.
According to Noblett, the district has recently employed a demographer who assessed that the district’s existing facilities require over $1 billion in capital funding in the near future. However, she acknowledged that the district does not currently possess the financial means to cover this amount. Additionally, due to the growth of communities like Timnath, the district had to reallocate funds and resources to meet the needs of their expanding student populations.
Noblett stated that by dividing Polaris and relocating them to more spacious facilities, the district can simultaneously tackle the program’s waiting list issue and optimize the utilization of their facilities.
Noblett stated that the objective of this action is to enhance the capacity to accommodate more students at that specific building.
Noblett acknowledged that many individuals are feeling frustrated with this decision in the district. CBS News Colorado spoke to some parents who expressed their belief that the decision was made without prior consultation with the community.
Noblett stated that it would be extremely challenging to request anyone from our community to volunteer for a task that involves embracing change and progressing.
Adam Musielewicz, a parent of a kindergartner at Polaris, expressed his participation in the protest due to the frustration of the decision being imposed on parents without any prior community dialogue. He emphasized his appreciation for the current arrangement at Polaris, where all operations are efficiently conducted under one roof.
Although he acknowledged and respected the district’s need to implement changes in response to declining enrollment, he believed that there existed a more effective approach to address the situation.
According to Musielewicz, the values of many schools are reflected in the culture, community, and safety that my family loves. The sight of parents and kids sitting together is a perfect representation of these values.
The Poudre School District has scheduled a community meeting for Tuesday night to address the issue. When questioned about the decision’s finality and whether the community could influence it, Noblett responded that these changes were necessary for the district to responsibly manage its finances and prioritize the students.
