Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Consolidation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents urge board to preserve Studio School as district adopts consolidation policy
Summary
Multiple Studio School parents told the Adams 12 Board their arts-focused K–? program supports diverse learners and out-of-district students, urging the board to keep and expand the school as the district adopted a new closure/consolidation policy (2.11).
Dozens of parents and community members urged the Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board at its May meeting to preserve the Studio School as the district moves forward with school consolidation planning.
Jonathan Matthews of Northglenn, who said he has a rising first grader at the Studio School, told the board the school “has excelled” and that more than 20% of its students come from outside the district; he warned that closing the school could prompt families to leave Adams 12. Erica Palmer, a Studio School parent, described the school as an inclusive, arts-centered environment that meets the needs of students who “may learn differently,” including neurodiverse learners. Alicia Ortiz Heath said the school’s arts and community focus allow her son with sensory processing and autism to “shine as his perfect little self.”
Board members did not take a vote on any single school tonight. Instead, the board debated and then adopted an updated operating-limitations policy (2.11) governing closure, consolidation and repurposing of schools. The policy adoption was passed by unanimous voice vote.
The board’s policy vote does not itself close any school; it establishes procedures and delegations the district will use when proposing building changes. During discussion trustees emphasized that the decisions will be difficult and emotional and that they intend to rely on staff expertise and formal recommendations when consolidation proposals are developed.
What happens next: the policy provides the framework the district will use in forthcoming consolidation work. Parents at the meeting urged trustees to prioritize preserving specialized programs such as the Studio School or to expand them (for example, to larger grade spans), and several asked the board to weigh out-of-district enrollment and program performance in any right‑sizing decisions.
At this meeting the board also received related public feedback on district priorities and heard that the District Accountability Committee is preparing further input on school-level engagement and program outcomes.
