When Ghita Carroll arrived in Boulder Valley School District in 2008, sustainability work was already happening in pockets across the system. What didn’t exist yet was a shared vision to bring it all together. Eighteen years later, Carroll is reflecting on all that has been accomplished, as she prepares to retire this spring.

When the doors open each morning at Fireside Elementary, there’s a familiar face that has quietly shaped the school’s culture for more than three decades. For 32 years, office manager Michele Giggey has been far more than the person behind the front desk—serving in multiple roles in the school, she has been a touchpoint for families and staff through hard times and to many, the heart of the Fireside school community.

Community engagement sessions start next week and BVSD elementary and PK-8 families are encouraged to attend. This is your opportunity to learn more about the complexities of how declining enrollment—and the associated reduction in funding—is showing up in our schools,  help us understand your values and priorities and provide your thoughts about the options BVSD is considering. 

Beginning next week we will welcome students, parents, employees and community members to engagement sessions as we look to make our schools resilient in a time of declining enrollment. 

It is crucially important that we hear from our community regarding their values and priorities before we make decisions regarding the future of our schools.

This month, we have the opportunity to attend a series of meetings to discuss declining enrollment and the financial pressures facing our schools. Most importantly, we’ll get to share our ideas for what we can do about it.

In March, the Boulder Valley School District provided an update to the Town of Erie regarding the potential construction of a new BVSD school in the Parkdale development, indicating that there are several important procedural and site readiness factors that must be resolved before the district could move forward with construction.

Join us for one of six upcoming Community Engagement Sessions focused on the challenges of declining enrollment in BVSD. Learn how these changes are beginning to impact our classrooms, ask questions, and share your priorities and values. Your input will help inform the decisions the Board of Education will make this fall.

Over the past month, BVSD has been having conversations with our educators, city councils and advisory groups. Visit our webpage to learn about how the district is responding and ways to be informed and share your input.

Knowing that our educators are central to the student experience, we have been working to connect with the staff at every elementary school. Not surprisingly, what we know to be true has been confirmed—our people are our strength. It is our wonderful staff that make our schools the incredible places they are and create amazing learning experiences for students.

Read on to see what our educators are telling us.

As a teacher in BVSD, I understand why smaller school sizes can sound appealing. Individual attention, close-knit communities, and familiarity are all positives. However, what often gets lost in the conversation is that very small schools come with significant challenges that directly affect the quality and consistency of education students receive. 

As you know, we are currently engaged in important planning for the future of Boulder Valley School District to respond to the pressures of declining enrollment. 

Before developing formal proposals for our schools, we are engaging our community.

Naturally, these conversations are sparking concerns for the future of individual schools. That reaction is understandable. 

But if we focus only on preserving what exists today, we risk missing the opportunity to design something even stronger for tomorrow. 

Let us approach this moment thoughtfully, honestly, and courageously . . .

BVSD has experienced a district-wide increase in phishing attempts targeting students. “Phishing” is the practice of sending fraudulent emails with the aim of getting individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. Review tips from our IT team on how to best prepare your student to avoid these scams and learn about the new district process to prevent these attacks.