FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Parents in the Poudre School District breathed big sighs of relief after the school board voted Monday night to stop talks of school closures.
Tuesday afternoon, just outside Johnson Elementary in Fort Collins, parents joined their kids for a bike ride. The bike parade was originally scheduled as a protest of the proposed consolidation, but instead, it felt like a victory lap.
"I am not the most emotional person but there were definitely tears of joy last night," said Kelly Steinway, a mother of two and Johnson Elementary School PTO president.
Steinway and other parents watched closely Monday night when the board took its vote.
"As the votes went, our hands just kept getting higher and higher for every person and finally, the last vote came in and the cheers erupted," Steinway said. "It was such a feeling of relief and also, a little somber because we know it's only buying us time."
Parents from Johnson Elementary along with a number of other Poudre schools have been pushing back on the proposed closing of schools for months.
"And the speed of it just made me question a lot. There were a lot of red flags," Steinway said.
Emily Shockley, communications coordinator with the district, said the board's vote Monday night ensures no schools will close during the 2025 school year, giving the district more time to fully weigh what changes might be needed in the years to come.
"I think the board just really wanted to be comfortable with the process, so they wanted to take more time to research other possibilities. I think a lot of people in the community reached out with ideas, with thoughts, with things that they'd also like to consider and they'd like to possibly explore even the idea of a ballot measure," Shockley said.
For months, Poudre Schools has stressed that consolidation plans were needed due to budget shortfalls and declining enrollments in the district.
Now, Shockley said, the board will consider the feasibility of moving Poudre Community Academy, an alternative high school, to a new location, as well as moving the district's transition programs and pathways into a new facility for the 2025-26 school year.
Shockley said funding cuts will need to be considered in the future.
“Yeah, there’s still the funding picture to look at. So, there will be some funding trims to our central office budget and also to some school budgets coming up from the school year. We anticipate that," Shockley said.
Steinway said she knows the board's vote will likely only kick the cuts and closure talks down the road for the district. She hopes to see those plans laid out clearly and more transparently when that time comes.
"We're adults. We realize if something has to happen, it's going to happen. But let's not make a rash decision about it. Let's look at the facts, consider all of the options and is closing a school really worth it? If it is, then we're more adept to take that as what we have to do. And if it's not, then let's get creative," Steinway said.
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