Robert Tann/Summit Daily News
Summit School District staff members and officials are in the middle of formulating a master plan for the next decade and are considering the need for maintenance projects, new learning spaces and possible school consolidations.
During a Summit School District Board of Education meeting earlier this month, some members expressed feeling rushed because of the scope and timeline of the plan.
The planning process began in September and is expected to end in April, according to the district’s webpage. It includes a committee formed by over 40 parents, staff members and community members, and the group is set to deliver its recommendations before council approves the master plan in the spring.
The process follows the failure of a proposed $195 million bond that aimed to tackle projects that would have built staff housing, demolished and rebuilt Breckenridge Elementary School, rebuilt and relocated Snowy Peaks Jr./Sr. High School, built a career and technical education hub and completed maintenance projects.
Past presentations to the board detail there could be another bond on the November 2026 ballot, but board members felt that might not be feasible.
Many members agreed with board members Vanessa Agee’s and Julie Shapiro’s sentiments that attempting to garner support for and then tackle projects meant to boost career and technical opportunities while also moving forward with a possible school consolidation plan could be too much at once.
“Not only are some of the options (in the plan) about consolidation and closure, they’re also about having to ask taxpayers for money to accomplish that,” Shapiro said, highlighting the need for strong communication about timeline and costs.
The master plan committee received proposals for consolidations at a Nov. 12 meeting.
One proposal was to close Breckenridge Elementary and consolidate it into Upper Blue Elementary. Another one was to close Breckenridge Elementary and Frisco Elementary and consolidate them into Upper Blue Elementary, or close just Frisco Elementary and consolidate it into Upper Blue Elementary. Additionally, closing Frisco Elementary and consolidating it into Summit Cove Elementary was proposed. Closing Summit Cove Elementary and consolidating it with Frisco Elementary, Silverthorne Elementary and Dillon Valley Elementary was also proposed.
Superintendent Tony Byrd said the district needs around 270 students in a school for it to break even and to not lose money. Breckenridge Elementary, Frisco Elementary, Summit Cove Elementary and Upper Blue Elementary all have fewer students than that in attendance. Byrd said Colorado has a declining birth rate, and it’s unlikely the district can count on increased enrollment for the next couple decades. Additionally, he said aspects like cost of living in Summit County drive more families out of it compared to other school districts in areas with lower cost of living.
Byrd said estimates show that there could be $700,000 in savings to close a building, but the decision to close elementary schools wouldn’t be solely financial. There would also be benefits related to curating curriculum and education programming that would make for a better learning environment, according to Byrd.
Communications director Kerstin Anderson said the master plan committee had some concerns over closing schools, and Byrd also acknowledged worries from teachers about the future of their positions. Agee said Summit could take a few pointers from Douglas County School District, which closed three elementary schools ahead of the 2026-27 year. She said she found the district’s communications efforts around the closure impactful, noting they guaranteed teachers employment for a year after closure and worked to ensure there were no surprises for the community.
Byrd said local leaders showed support for one part of the master plan at a recent meeting with mayors and town managers from across Summit — investments in career and technical education. A presentation from a Thursday, Jan. 8, meeting details dozens of students having to be turned away from career technical educational opportunities in fields like graphic design, business entrepreneurship, outdoor leadership, welding and health science due to demand outpacing capacity and resources.
Executive director of academic and personal success Ellen Clark said districts across the state like Grand Junction, Cherry Creek and Littleton are building “amazing” career and technical education spaces.
“I have anxiety around us being behind, quite honestly, and I feel right now, with our programming and vision, we’re actually ahead and are being extremely innovative, but I worry with lack of that additional space, that we would actually end up being behind a lot of other districts in Colorado,” she said.
Currently, the master plan proposes an industry partnership hub to provide students to learn from professionals. Other existing classrooms are proposed to be converted, repurposed or remodeled to better optimize space and create more learning opportunities for career and technical education.
More information on the masterplan can be found at Summitk12.org/facilities/master-plan, where there is also a feedback box to provide the district with suggestions or input.