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Poudre School District staff recommend moving Bamford families to Fossil Ridge feeder to ease Timnath overcrowding; board asks for more data
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Julie Chaplin presented enrollment and capacity data and recommended shifting Bamford students into the Fossil Ridge/Preston feeder for grades 6–10 in 2025–26 to relieve Timnath Middle High; directors requested more survey responses, transportation modeling and IEP protections before a planned vote by Sept. 24.
District staff presented data showing Timnath Middle High’s projected enrollment (1,538 for 2025–26) exceeds the district’s preferred building capacity (1,424), while nearby Preston and Fossil Ridge have extra capacity. Dr. Julie Chaplin recommended redirecting families who live in the Bamford attendance area back to the Fossil Ridge feeder for grades 6–10 in 2025–26, with transportation provided by the district for those students once the change takes effect.
Staff proposed an intent‑to‑enroll option for current Timnath students in grades 11–12 and for current fifth‑grade Bamford students with older siblings at Timnath to request one‑time intent to enroll at Timnath; that one‑time option would require families to provide their own transportation for the 2025–26 school year unless space is available on existing routes.
Chaplin said the district collected K–8 survey feedback from about 70 families in the Bamford boundary area and hosted two community sessions with roughly 40 attendees total. Themes included concerns about transportation, multiple school transitions, transparency and supports for students with IEPs. Directors asked staff to expand survey outreach to include grades 9–10 responses that were forthcoming, provide transportation routing options and explain supports for students with IEPs. Staff recommended the board take a vote no later than the Sept. 24 meeting to allow families to plan for school‑of‑choice decisions.
No vote was taken Aug. 13; directors split on whether to guarantee busing for families who choose to remain at Timnath, and several asked that staff model how offering or restricting transportation would affect projected enrollment shifts.
