Adams 12 is latest Colorado school board voting to close schools as enrollment continues to fall

The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 Wednesday night to close five elementary schools and one middle school, approving a consolidation plan that will affect nearly 1,600 students.

The plan calls for the closure of North Mor, Rocky Mountain, Centennial, Cherry Drive and The Studio School elementary schools, along with Shadow Ridge Middle School. The schools will remain open through the end of the current school year, with the closures taking effect July 1, 2027.

District leaders say the changes are necessary as Adams 12 continues to lose students.

Superintendent Chris Gdowski told board members at the meeting the district has about 7,400 fewer students than it did eight years ago. Adams 12 had projected a decline of about 658 students this school year, but current enrollment numbers now indicate the district could be down slightly more than 1,200 students.

"We're going to make this OK," Gdowski said. "We are going to lean into our kids and families and staff and make this OK."

Under the approved plan, North Mor students will move to Hillcrest or Westview elementary schools. Rocky Mountain students will move to Cotton Creek, Federal Heights or North Star. Centennial students will move to Arapahoe Ridge, while Cherry Drive students will move to Riverdale.

Shadow Ridge students will move to Century or Rocky Top middle schools.

Hulstrom K-8, a gifted magnet school with a waitlist, will move into the current Shadow Ridge building and expand from about 690 students in K-8 to roughly 950 students in preschool through eighth grade.

The district also plans to open a new K-8 magnet school with an arts emphasis at Hulstrom's current campus in Northglenn.

That school will only open if at least 420 students commit to enrolling by Dec. 15.

Students currently attending The Studio School will be guaranteed a seat at the new magnet if it opens. If it does not reach the enrollment threshold, those students can attend their neighborhood school or apply to another Adams 12 school through the district's choice process.

The district says the consolidation plan is expected to save about $5 million annually after the first year of implementation.

The vote followed five weeks of community engagement, including more than 30 hours of listening sessions, school meetings and public comment hearings.

Centennial Elementary parent Lori Moore was among the parents who repeatedly asked the board to reconsider.

"I'm very sad that they put the money first ahead of our kids' needs," Moore said. "I imagine we won't go back to Adams 12 next year."

Board Secretary Paula Battistelli cast the lone vote against the plan.

Battistelli said she believes school closures may eventually be necessary, but raised concerns about whether enough protections are in place for students moving into new schools.

"I want to see some guarantees that class sizes will be kept reasonable," Battistelli said.

She also questioned how the district will support multilingual learners, students with additional needs and families who depend on after-school services.

Board President Lori Goldstein voted in favor of the plan and said declining enrollment and available space at nearby schools were major factors in determining which schools were included.

Goldstein acknowledged the difficulty of the transition and encouraged families to visit their new schools and learn about the programs available there.

"They're great schools too," Goldstein said.

The six schools employ 341 staff members. The district said it will work with employee associations to provide "commensurate job opportunities" for affected employees through the 2027-28 school year.

Gdowski says employees in good standing will have jobs within Adams 12 next year.

Gdowski also acknowledged Wednesday that continued enrollment declines could eventually force Adams 12 to consider additional closures. For now, he said the district's focus is on helping families through the changes already approved.

Families affected by the closures will also receive priority consideration during the district's school choice window, which runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15.

District leaders said transition planning will begin immediately and will include school visits, transportation for eligible students, continued services for students with IEPs and 504 plans, and efforts to preserve the histories and traditions of the schools that are closing.