Poudre Board Votes to Close Eight Fort Collins Schools by 2029

The Poudre School District Board of Education voted Tuesday night to close up to eight schools in Fort Collins over the next two years. The decision makes Poudre the third major Colorado district to announce cuts in recent months.

Enrollment figures drove the vote. District officials attributed the decline primarily to fewer births among Coloradans and the high cost of living in the region. All scheduled closures will be finished before the start of the 2028-29 academic year.

Beattie, Johnson, and Putnam elementary schools will shut down before the 2027-28 school year begins. Blevins Middle School will close in the same timeframe. Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy will also close before 2027-28, with plans to open a new combined school at an undecided location. Irish Escuela Bilingüe is scheduled to close before the 2028-29 year.

Timnath Elementary faces a conditional closure. The board will close the school before 2028-29 unless the town of Timnath pays for a new building. Mayor Robert Axmacher asked for a delay to find other solutions. He posted on Facebook earlier this week that he would fund an independent consultant to review alternatives and funding options.

Town spokesman Ben Bodiker responded in a statement Wednesday. "The town welcomes the decision to delay the closure of Timnath Elementary," Bodiker said. He noted the district’s response "appears to place responsibility for identifying and funding a long-term solution exclusively on the town." The Town Council will review the district's position before deciding on next steps.

The board also rejected recommendations to close three mountain schools: Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Elementary, and Stove Prairie Elementary. Superintendent Brian Kingsley addressed families in a letter, calling it a challenging moment. "I believe these changes will make us a stronger district that is better able to support our students as we move into this new future," Kingsley wrote.

Poudre joins other Colorado systems shrinking their footprint. Adams 12 Five Star Schools will close six buildings next year. Boulder Valley School District will close four elementary schools and restructure grades at two others. Denver Public Schools closed seven schools last year, while Jeffco Public Schools has shuttered 21 campuses in recent years. Douglas County School District closed three elementary schools in July.