Douglas County considers closing up to 3 Highlands Ranch elementary schools amid unequal growth
The district is looking at "pairing" up to six elementary schools in the Highlands Ranch High School, Mountain Vista High School and ThunderRidge High School feeder areas.
The Douglas County School District continued its school consolidation discussion with parents Wednesday night, sharing its timeline to close two to three Highlands Ranch elementary schools.
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“We have an odd situation where we’re building schools in one area and combining schools in another,” said Brad Geiger, a member of the Douglas County School District Board of Education.
While communities like Sterling Ranch are booming, families with young children are no longer moving to areas like Highlands Ranch, according to Geiger. Data from the school district shows 10,484 students were enrolled across Highlands Ranch’s 18 elementary schools in 2014. But in 2028, that number is expected to plummet to 6,476 students across the 18 schools.
To address the declining enrollment, the district is looking at “pairing” up to six elementary schools in the Highlands Ranch High School, Mountain Vista High School and ThunderRidge High School feeder areas. In other words, three of those elementary schools would “absorb” another three schools nearby.
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