Acres Green Elementary to Fox Creek Elementary Pairing

School logos for Acres Green Elementary and Fox Creek Elementary with a plus sign in between them.

Meetings about the Use of Closing Schools

The Douglas County School District values its partnership with our neighbors. Our students benefit when we maintain a strong relationship with those who live nearby. We also know how much property values and the overall health of the neighborhood matter.

As you likely know, DCSD recently made the decision to consolidate some of our elementary schools in Highlands Ranch effective at the end of the current school year. This means three of our current elementary buildings (Acres Green Elementary, Heritage Elementary, and Saddle Ranch Elementary) will be repurposed. We want to hear from neighbors about their hopes and dreams for the future use of these school buildings.

We will also be hosting community meetings where you can participate in discussions and provide feedback about the future use of these buildings.

Ahead of these meetings, please take a few minutes to complete the short survey below.

Future Use of the Acres Green Building

Take the Community Survey

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

A Community Meeting for the Acres Green Community will be scheduled in the near future.

September 23, 2025, Community Meeting

Additional resources from the meeting include:

The slideshow presentation
Renderings of the building upgrades
The school name, colors, and mascot survey.

October 21, 2025, Community Meeting

Additional resources from the meeting include:

The slideshow presentation
Renderings of the building upgrades
The school name, colors, and mascot survey.

Timeline

August-September 2025

Building leaders will choose members for family and staff transition teams for each of their buildings.
- Building leaders and members of these teams will work on “connect” events and other special events (e.g., anniversaries) throughout the school year.
- These transition groups will work closely with our School Accountability Committees (SACs), Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), and families throughout this school year.
After working with building leaders, school district staff will finalize the receiving school building’s physical changes and timelines. These will be communicated to families and staff through September.
- Please note: Any physical changes made to each receiving school building are designed to be flexible so they can accommodate any programming decided upon by the new schools.

September-October 2025

Family survey regarding transportation and other school pairing needs.
Updates to the Board of Education and Superintendent Committees (October BoE meeting).
Engagement with neighbors and program families regarding DCSD’s use of the closing buildings during and after the 2026-2027 school year. This will take place through November 2025.
DCSD begins the process of collaborating with staff, families and community members regarding paired school names, mascots, colors, and programming. This will continue through November 2025.
Any new center based locations for SY 26-27 and beyond will be communicated to families

November 2025

Staff recommendation to the Board of Education regarding DCSD use of closing school facilities.
Ahead of priority hiring beginning February 16, 2026, communication to staff regarding priority hiring processes, along with FAQs and opportunities for school visits and virtual meetings to address staff questions.
Any new pre-school locations for SY 26-27 and beyond will be communicated to families.
Communication to 5th and 6th grade families regarding middle school for SY 26-27.
Communication to families regarding programs that will be offered at each of the paired schools.

District continues work with staff on new positions (if needed), to include Q&A sessions.
Hold various staff, family, and student get-togethers to build connections.
Closing and receiving school events will be planned for May, leading into the critical summer months of June and July for moving staff belongings and finalizing preparations for successful school openings in August 2026.

Other Pertinent Information for This Pairing

Traffic and Transportation:

Schools and communities are in reasonably close proximity – 2.4 miles by car. Either Quebec or Yosemite would have to be used for driving.
Three additional bus routes will be needed for Acres Green Elementary students to go to Fox Creek Elementary, for those students (120) currently living within the one-mile walk zone for Acres Green.

Acres Green Building Use:

The Acres Green Elementary building will be maintained and available for community use (playground, fields, etc.) in addition to housing school district programming, to be determined during school year 2025-2026.

Student Programming:

Ensure the sustainability of full-time Specials teachers to support a well-rounded curriculum and expand Specials programming (e.g., STEM, instrumental music) based on community input and student needs.
Maintain consistent student support services, including academic intervention and mental health resources.
Integrate Significant Support Needs (SSN) programming to support students from both schools (FCE is an award-winning Significant Support Needs model program site).
Increase Special Education, English Language Development (ELD), and Gifted and Talented (GT) programming to better serve all students.
Expand preschool programming from one to two classrooms to meet early childhood education demands.
Before and After School Programming (BASE) will continue to be available.
Fox Creek Elementary is currently an Expeditionary Learning (EL®) school; the newly paired community can evaluate specialized programming moving forward.

Leadership:

Fox Creek Elementary Principal Cheryl Fullmer and Acres Green Elementary Principal Kirsten Sola will serve as co-principals for the newly consolidated school beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Both principals are remaining at their current schools for the 2025-2026 school year.

Boundary Adjustment:

Millstone community (currently 14 students) will be reassigned from Fox Creek Elementary to Wildcat Mountain Elementary. Current Fox Creek families have the option to stay at Fox Creek or move to Wildcat Mountain.
Carriage Club community (currently 9 students) will be reassigned from Acres Green Elementary to Eagle Ridge Elementary. Current Acres Green Elementary families in these areas will have the option to move to Fox Creek or enroll in Eagle Ridge.
When Elementary 50 (RidgeGate) opens, more significant boundary adjustments will be made.

2024-25 Acres Green - Fox Creek Consolidation information

Acres Green Elementary to Fox Creek Elementary Pairing

Meetings about the Use of Closing Schools

Future Use of the Acres Green Building

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Additional resources from the meeting include:

The slideshow presentation

Renderings of the building upgrades

The school name, colors, and mascot survey.

Additional resources from the meeting include:

The slideshow presentation

Renderings of the building upgrades

The school name, colors, and mascot survey.