Gateway parents tell D51 board closure left families scrambling and ask for graduation accommodation

Several members of the Gateway and rural D‑51 community used public comment time at the Jan. 20 board meeting to voice frustration about communication and decisions tied to school closures and assignments.

"The complete lack of communication from board members and administration to Gateway residents throughout the process left us feeling completely ignored," said parent Meg Moors, who said her children were affected by the closure and by subsequent school‑assignment changes. Moors described difficulties enrolling concurrent students at Colorado Mesa University after the district’s reassignment and asked that her two seniors be allowed to remain listed as Gateway students so they could graduate from Gateway rather than a campus they never attended.

Another Gateway resident, Lisa Castow, challenged district cost estimates presented for repairs and asked what plans exist for rural students who face long bus commutes. Castow said community members believe the building repair estimates were overstated and asked whether the district would return a school building to the community or sell it.

District leaders did not announce any new decision on Gateway property or on reversing assignments during the meeting. Board members acknowledged the speakers and the difficulty of the closures but did not commit to specific remedies on public record at that session.

Ending: Speakers urged clearer communication and asked the board to consider student‑level accommodations; district staff had said earlier in the meeting they would continue to refine staffing and post vacancies internally.