Woodland Park School District announces plan to consolidate elementary schools

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) - The Woodland Park School District issued a release Friday announcing plans to consolidate elementary schools.

According to the district, classes will not be held at Gateway Elementary in the fall and both Columbine and Summit Elementary Schools will expand enrollment space to accommodate the students who are currently attending Gateway.

"This is a financial decision," Woodland park School District Superintendent Ken Witt said. "This is a fiscal exigency that we need to consolidate these three schools. We don't have a choice. The best answer is clearly closing the older higher facility cost building and working to continue classes in our newer buildings."

The district said the decision "aims to ensure the sustainability and enhancement of the district's educational offering while right-sizing facilities and staffing for current enrollment."

The district also stated in its release that the consolidation will "create a more appropriate balance between staff and students, optimizing resources to provide an enhanced educational experience with highly qualified teachers."

When asked directly if that meant the district would be laying off staff, Witt responded, "We don't know exactly what the staffing plan will be, but it will certainly be reduced."

In regards to Gateway Elementary teachers, the release stated it is "working collaboratively to ensure affected staff members have opportunities to contribute their skills and expertise elsewhere within the district."

According to the district, starting in the '24/'25 academic year, students who would have attended Gateway Elementary can enroll at either Summit Elementary or Columbine Elementary.

This is a decision that impacts parents who rely on the centralized location of Gateway Elementary the most.

"We chose Gateway because we have kids at the high school who walk across the street and pick up their siblings after school," Samantha Fletcher, a Gateway Elementary parent said. "If he's not able to get into after-school daycare and my daughter can't walk across from my high school to pick him up, then I have to leave work."

Witt said that the district will provide transportation for any student in the district to go to any school.

Regardless of immediate solutions, a teacher with the district also chose to speak out but remained anonymous to protect her job, saying she felt her concerns were not being heard.

"We're notified of what's happening. We're not given any voice in what's happening," she said.

The teacher explained that she fears the change will impact students the most, as the shifting environments can reduce student motivation and cause uncertainty.

"We are confident this strategic consolidation will enable us to provide a more robust and sustainable educational experience for our students," said Superintendent Ken Witt. "While this decision is undoubtedly difficult, it is essential to adapt to the changing dynamics of education and continue delivering the highest quality learning environment for our students."

Witt said there are currently no plans for classes to be held in the empty building in the next school year.

For more information, visit http://wpsdk12.org