Poudre School District keeps Blevins Middle School open for five years
Fort Collins voters approved a $4 million levy that now funds $250,000 in marketing support for the school.
By Diego Mendoza ·
The Poudre School District board voted on Thursday night to keep Blevins Middle School in Fort Collins open for at least the next five years.
In a 4-3 decision, board members removed the middle school from their list of planned closures. If the district votes to close the building in the future, that change would not take effect until the 2032-2033 school year at the earliest.
Board member Kevin Havelda proposed a set of conditions for keeping the school open. He called them mandatory requirements. The board approved these conditions by a 5-2 vote. The district will provide up to $250,000 over the next two school years for marketing and staffing. This money comes from the $4 million small school support fund that voters approved in the 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy.
Havelda argued that keeping the school open without resources would be unfair. He described the lack of support as a death sentence. He also noted that the community has felt the impact of the district's delays in making a final decision. The three new requirements are intended to ensure the school receives equitable treatment.
A new advisory committee will be formed after the vote. This group will include community members and staff. It will meet with district staff once every two months during the five-year period. The committee's role is to support the school's goals and maintain shared decision making. Havelda called the committee essential to the vote.
Dr. Ozlem Gurkan, Karla Baise, and Jessica Zamora voted against keeping the school open. Dr. Gurkan said the school has great potential but expressed worry about enrollment. Despite her vote, she said she would do everything in her power to help the school recover. She hopes Blevins can become a model for project-based learning in Colorado.
The board decided to revisit the school's status after an earlier vote in October. Board member Dr. Coronda Ziegler had argued for another look at the closure plan. She cited the school's strategic plan and concerns about long-term effects from other boundary changes. She said responsible governance requires considering the full picture of what decisions set in motion. The district now has a defined path for Blevins Middle School through the next five years.
