The Jefferson County School Board voted to close the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 school during a Board meeting on October 12, 2023.

The Board voted to approve a resolution regarding Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools, which included closing the CCCK-8 school.

The vote follows two public information sessions at the school and a public hearing on October 2. According to a letter from Jefferson County Schools to Coal Creek Canyon K-8 Staff and Families, “Today, the Board of Education voted to close the District’s two smallest K-8 schools, which includes the closure of CCCK8….CCCK8 will remain open for the duration of the 2023-24 school year.”

Principal Kevin Carroll and the staff at CCCK8 will keep the focus on students, their experience and learning throughout this school year.

The District will facilitate an expedited charter authorization process, whereby a school could open to serve students in grades PK-8 in this community as soon as the 2024-25 school year. The letter continues,“When CCCK8 closes, Three Creeks K-8 will be the designated K-8 neighborhood school for students who live in the current CCCK8 boundary area…. Transportation will be provided.”

Jefferson County Schools has a dedicated Enrollment Specialist available to help all CCCK8 families in exploring school options for the 2024-25 school year, including a potential charter school in the current facility. The Enrollment Specialist can be reached at 303-982-6100 or CCCK8Enrollment@jeffco.k12. co.us and can assist local families in understanding their students’ school enrollment options for next year, schedule school tours, and help navigate EnrollJeffco when it opens in December.

If a charter school application is submitted through the expedited process, the District will have more information about selecting the local charter school option in EnrollJeffco.

If a charter school application is not submitted through the expedited process, the District will have more information about programming offered in the final year of operation for students, including the use of the Jeffco Remote Learning Program to support instruction for students in grades 6-8.

“If you have questions about your family’s specific situation, you can reach out to your Enrollment Specialist at the contact information provided above.”

The letter states, “We recognize that Coal Creek Canyon K-8 is a beloved cornerstone of the community….The population of school-age children in Jefferson County has been on a steady decline for more than 20 years….We look forward to working in continued partnership to seek a long-term, sustainable education option for the Coal Creek Canyon community.”

According to the background for the Board, staff requested approving the district’s recommendation to move forward with District staff’s Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools Phase II recommendation, which includes the closure of Coal Creek Canyon K-8 and Arvada K-8 as specified in the resolution.

“Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools (ROFTS) is an initiative that was devised in the Spring of 2022 to respond to the Board’s request for a comprehensive plan to ensure thriving schools with enrollment to support extraordinary student experiences across our district. Phase I of Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools resulted in a unanimous Board decision on November 10, 2022, to close 16 elementary schools.

“The District committed that its next steps following the November 10, 2022, vote of the Board would include property disposition, a study of school boundaries and district articulation areas, and a recommendation to consolidate K-8 and middle schools in Fall 2023. Phase II began with the recommendation and vote to close Moore Middle School at the end of the 2023-24 school year in June 2023.

“On August 24, 2023, Coal Creek Canyon K-8 and Arvada K-8 were recommended for closure as the final part of Phase II and the Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools initiative. The Jeffco Board of Education recognizes the need to continue to monitor enrollment patterns and trends to ensure robustly and equitably resourced school programs and alignment with the organizational values of Focus on Students and Equity.”

According to the resolution, “On November 10, 2022, the Board of Education voted to close 16 elementary schools in 12 articulation areas as part of Phase I of ROFTS. The resolution calls for staff to make recommendations regarding closure and consolidation of K-8 and middle schools that are necessary due to urgently unsustainable enrollment, that are initiated by school communities.

“The Board of Education members and district staff engaged in listening sessions through four school-based community conversations and two hours of public comment before the Board specific to Coal Creek Canyon K-8.

“The Board approves and adopts the district staff recommendations as follows: Effective July 1, 2024, Arvada K-8 will close and combine its boundary with Lawrence Elementary school for grades K-5 and with North Arvada Middle school for grades 6-8,” according to the resolution.

“District staff will initiate an expedited charter application process specific to authorizing a charter school to locate and open in the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 building for the 2024-25 school year. If the Board approves a charter school to locate in the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 building for the 2024-25 school year on January 10, 2024, Coal Creek Canyon K-8 will close on July 1, 2024, and combine its existing attendance area with that of Three Creeks K-8, or in the event that a charter school is not approved on January 10, 2024, Coal Creek Canyon K-8 will close on July 1, 2025, and combine its existing attendance area with that of Three Creeks K-8.

“For the 2024-25 school year, grades 6-8 will operate as part of the Jeffco Remote Learning Program (JRLP) with the option for students to participate in this virtual program in a space located at the school and supervised by a staff member.”

The resolution further states that the Superintendent and her staff have clear direction from the Board to take the steps necessary to ensure that the staff, students, and families in the affected schools are assisted in transitioning to other schools and other positions in accordance with District policy, negotiated agreements and state law.

The District will provide an update to the community on Tuesday, November 28, following the expedited charter authorization deadline for submitting an application to open a school in the Coal Creek Canyon community in the 2024-25 school year.

For more information, go to https:// www.jeffcopublicschools.com.