"Nobody wants to close schools," Other Jeffco elementary schools ready to support 16 set to close
We now know Jefferson County Board of Education will close all 16 schools on their list for consolidation. The board unanimously approved the decision during a meeting on Thursday night.
The decision puts an end to the fight for families trying to keep their schools open. All 16 schools will close at the end of the school year.
CBS New Colorado visited Jeffco school Powderhorn Elementary on Friday morning, which was not part of the schools set to close. Instead, this elementary school is one of those in the district that will now be accepting students from the surrounding Jeffco schools that will be closing.
"The thing that we thought about the most is just the affected students, staff and families. We really empathize with them. You know, nobody wants to close schools," Powderhorn Principal Tom Szczesny told CBS News Colorado. "It's a very difficult thing. They invest so much in their building. We really just have a lot of care and concern for them, and Jeffco Schools has developed a process to make sure teachers at affected school have an opportunity to apply at schools next year."
All the schools set to close are elementary schools in Jefferson County. The decision was made after weeks of community meetings and public comment at Thursday night's school board meeting. The board said in the face of declining enrollment and budget restraints, it was a decision they had to make.
It certainly was an emotional night for hundreds of students and dozens of teachers in Jefferson County, as they learned of those 16 schools closing.
Consolidation for Jeffco Schools is expected to begin during the 2023-2024 school year
As for those soon-to-be vacant school buildings, the public engagement process will be starting this winter where the public can give input on what they want to see done to those buildings.