Information from 2024-25

The following letter was emailed to all DCSD families on March 24, 2025

Dear Douglas County Community,

After nearly two years of careful planning and evaluation, the Douglas County School District will recommend to the DCSD Board of Education that the following schools in Highlands Ranch be consolidated beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. The Board is scheduled to vote on these recommendations at its April 22 meeting.

• Saddle Ranch Elementary will consolidate into Eldorado Elementary
• Heritage Elementary will consolidate into Summit View Elementary
• Acres Green Elementary will consolidate into Fox Creek Elementary

These recommendations are the result of extensive analysis to address declining enrollment in parts of Highlands Ranch and to ensure that all students have access to a comprehensive, well-rounded education with full staffing and resources. 

This decision was made based on the criteria outlined in the DCSD School Closure, Consolidation, and/or Relocation Processes and Procedures policy, with a focus on opportunities for students and long-term financial sustainability. More information can be found on this section of the website. 

Additionally, we will recommend the following changes that will affect schools located in the Highlands Ranch region only:

• 6th-grade moves to middle school beginning in the 2026-2027 school year (for Highlands Ranch elementary schools that feed into Cresthill, Mountain Ridge and Ranch View middle schools).
• Some minor elementary school boundary adjustments will be made beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. 

Again, these two changes are specific to schools in the Highlands Ranch region. All of these adjustments will help us to ensure that the newly consolidated schools remain efficient and sustainable for years to come. 

That said, part of our strategic plan will include a timeline for moving 6th graders to middle school throughout our district - we will keep you informed as that progresses and as we have timelines and plans in place.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for being part of our DCSD community. While change is never easy, our priority remains the same: ensuring that every child has access to an exceptional education and a very bright future.

Sincerely,

Erin Kane
Superintendent
Douglas County School District

Like many school districts across Colorado, the Douglas County School District is facing enrollment challenges.

What makes Douglas County unique, however, is that while we have some areas of declining enrollment, we have other areas experiencing massive growth (for example, Sterling Ranch and RidgeGate). Because our school district is over 850 square miles – we are simultaneously working to address both growth and decline. 

It is a priority of the Douglas County School District to ensure that every student, whether in a growing community or aging community, has access to all of the amazing opportunities that our school district has to offer. 

Growth and decline discussions have been underway in our community for nearly two years and any decisions will continue to be made with transparency and community input.

The school district is currently considering pairing up to six elementary schools (which would result in the closure of up to three total schools) within Highlands Ranch. Decisions regarding which schools would potentially close would take place in April 2025 – with any consolidations becoming effective for the 2026-2027 school year.  More information including a detailed timeline can be found below. 

Douglas County community members were encouraged to attend upcoming meetings to discuss and provide feedback on criteria for potential elementary school consolidations (resulting in the potential closure of up to three elementary schools in the Highlands Ranch area). 

Meeting dates and times, as well as additional information, can be found on this page.

While some of these meetings are taking place at Douglas County middle schools, the school district has no plans to consolidate any middle or high schools in Highlands Ranch at this time.

The Challenge of Enrollment Growth and Decline

• In communities that do not have a neighborhood school close by, DCSD is busing students to elementary schools outside of their neighborhood which is leading to crowding in those overflow schools.
• On the other hand, there are neighborhoods within Highlands Ranch where families moved in and settled 20-plus years ago and no longer have school-aged children. In those areas, some of DCSD’s elementary schools are projected to continue to have fewer and fewer students.
• Overflowing schools and shrinking schools result in limiting opportunities for students.
• DCSD is reaching a point where not only does it need to build elementary schools in fast-growing, new developments, it also needs to “right-size” some existing schools to maximize educational opportunities for our students.

Proposed School Pairing Transition Plan Overview

Overall Goal: To manage the elementary school pairings (Acres Green/Fox Creek, Heritage/Summit View, Saddle Ranch/Eldorado) effectively through community engagement, strong leadership, and intentional planning, ensuring a positive outcome for all involved. 

Overall Timeline: April 2025 – August 2026

• Planning & Leadership (April 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025)
  • Principal Selection & Appointment (April 1 - April 23, 2025)
    • Assess interest of current principals.
    • Formal interview process and recommendation to Superintendent.
    • Community meetings with proposed leaders.
    • Board of Education vote on school pairings (April 22).
    • Principals appointed (April 23).
       
  • Initial Principal Actions (April 23 onwards)
    • Familiarization with both school communities.
    • Begin developing initial transition plans with the district team.
    • Meet with staff from both schools.
       
  • Transition Team Formation (May 1 - Aug 30, 2025)
    • Establish a district-led team (District leaders, Principal, Parent leaders, Community representatives, Student Support Services specialists).
       
  • Data Review & Needs Assessment (September 1 - October 2025)
    • Analyze student data (demographics, academics, climate).
    • Review specialized program data (Special Education, Gifted and Talented, Multi Language Learners).
    • Assess facilities, logistics (transportation, traffic), budget.
    • Identify key considerations for program alignment & support needs.
       
• Community Engagement and Program Alignment (October 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026)
  • Initial Community Engagement (September - October 2025)
    • Joint meetings (Principal and Team) to share information, address concerns, gather input.
    • Foster collaboration between Parent Teacher Organizations.
       
  • Program Alignment & Development (November 2025 – January 2026)
    • Staff collaboration on academic alignment, curriculum audit, and professional development needs.
    • Integrate extracurriculars and school events.
    • Develop strategies for social-emotional support (students and staff).
    • Detailed planning for specialized services integration (Special Education, Gifted and Talented, Multi Language Learners).
    • Address logistics such as: transportation, food service, space, and traffic safety.
    • Proactively communicate with families of students with specialized programming needs.
    • Budget analysis and resource allocation.
       
  • Joint Identity Discussions (January - February 2026)
    • Facilitate community engagement and input on new school name, mascot, colors, vision.
    • Help ensure the new school’s identity derives from a combination of the two buildings, cultures.
       
  • Transition Plan Finalization (March 2026)
    • Finalize student placement, staffing, specialized program support and logistics.
    • Continue to communicate transition plans, including traffic safety measures with families, staff and students.
       
• Implementation & Ongoing Support (April 1, 2026 – August 7, 2026)
  • Transition Preparation (April - May 2026)
    • Joint staff professional development (climate, instruction, supporting diverse learners, specialized training).
    • Student visits and joint activities at receiving school (with accommodations).
       
  • Physical Transition (June - July 2026)
    • Closing school begins transition to housing other district programming; district moves materials/equipment.
    • Secure transfer of all student records (incl. specialized learning plans).
    • Prepare the receiving school building.
       
  • Receiving/Paired School Opening (August 7, 2026)
    • Focus on a welcoming environment, relationships, program implementation.
       
• Ongoing Evaluation & Adjustment (Post-August 2026)
   
  • Continuous Monitoring: Track student progress and school climate.
     
  • Feedback Loop: Gather input from students, staff, families.
     
  • Adaptive Management: Make adjustments as needed.
     
  • Collaborative Improvement: Celebrate successes, address challenges together.