WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) — Jefferson County parents and students voiced their opinions Monday night over the proposed plan to consolidate and close 16 elementary schools in the district.
The Jefferson County School District is holding hearings for each proposed school to allow parents and students within those communities to voice their thoughts and concerns.
The consolidation and closures come after Jeffco announced that the district only serves 69,000 students out of its allotted space to serve 96,000. Jeffco said it doesn’t have enough students to justify the expenses.
Back in August, the district released the names of the 16 elementary schools that could close and consolidate:
- Emory
- Peck
- Thomson
- Campbell
- Peiffer
- Colorow
- Green Mountain
- Bergen Meadow
- Molholm
- Glennon Heights
- Parr
- Sheridan Green
- Witt
- Vivian
- Wilmore-Davis
- Kullerstrand
On Monday, community members of Vivian, Wilmore-Davis and Kullerstrand Elementary were invited to Wheat Ridge High School to attend a public hearing.
One parent at the public hearing told FOX31 that the closure plan happened too fast.
“In my opinion, it feels like the school district is just trying to rip this bandaid off and get over it instead of listening to what the parents need,” said Valerie Beck, a parent in the district.
Beck also said the district needs to have real community engagement before making these decisions so that parents and families can be part of the plan about where their children will go to school.
Each of the proposed 16 elementary schools will have an individual public hearing. For a list of locations and times of these hearings, visit the Jeffco website.
The school board is set to make its final decisions on Nov. 10.