Jefferson County School Board votes to close 2 more schools

The population of school-age children in Jefferson County has been declining, leaving just too many schools for too few kids. Thursday night, the school board voted to close two more. 

The latest on the chopping block are two kindergarten through eighth grade schools: Arvada K-8 School and up in the foothills, Coal Creek Canyon K-8 School. Vigorous efforts by parents to save these two smallest schools did not work.

Kim Cameron, a Coal Creek parent, was not happy. She said, "despite being told this was not about numbers, all we have been hearing is numbers. We can't help but feel that they have put little dollar signs over the heads of our children."

Closures have been widespread, with 21 announced in the past three years, but this is the end for the foreseeable future.

Kimberly Mahugh, Jeffco Schools executive director for communication said, "hopefully, we will not have sweeping closures again. Instead, we will do regular ongoing check-ups of other schools to ensure that we have properly resourced schools."

The options for parents include schools further away, charters and leaving the district. 

Kim Cameron added, 'I got a little emotional about this, and tears were coming out. It's unfortunate to have made the bonds that I have in the way that I have, and I'm glad that I have."

The two schools just announced will close at the end of this school year. 

The closures are tough. The district has been told that families are having fewer children, and Jefferson County has been especially impacted.