FORT COLLINS — A parent group is fighting a proposal to close five schools in the Poudre School District, claiming the schools serve a good chunk of the district’s low-income and Latino kids.
“We have some serious concerns about this plan and why these schools were picked,” said Cheryl Distaso, a co-founder of the Coalition to Save Our Neighborhood Schools.
The group will ask the Poudre school board tonight to dump the closure plans and figure out another way to save money.
Officials in September unveiled a blueprint to close or consolidate 16 schools in a cost-saving measure. The district’s enrollment has stayed about the same for nearly 10 years.
The district cut $12 million from this year’s budget and, faced with further cuts in state funding, the school board told Superintendent Jerry Wilson in June to develop a strategy for schools with low or declining enrollment.
Beattie, Irish and Lopez elementary schools as well as Putnam Elementary School of Science and Lincoln Middle IB World School were asked by the district to come up with a closure or consolidation plan.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
