Durango School District is recommending Sunnyside Elementary be consolidated with Florida Mesa Elementary School beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
No official decision had been made as of Friday, according to a district news release sent Friday.
“This recommendation is grounded in one guiding question: Where will students have the strongest long-term experience?” Superintendent Karen Cheser said in the release. “As we look at enrollment, programming, and the future of our schools, we have to ask where students will thrive most – not just next year, but for the long term.”
The proposal will be discussed at a Board of Education work session from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction St., and at a Board of Education regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. April 28 at the Impact Career Innovation Center, 2410 Main Ave. in Durango.
If the consolidation is approved by the board, Sunnyside students and staff members would move to Florida Mesa Elementary School for the 2027-28 school year, then both school populations would transition to the new Three Springs Elementary School in the 2028-29 school year.
The district anticipates $740,000 in savings if Sunnyside consolidates, but the change “is not about assigning dollar values to children or programs. It is about ensuring students have access to a vibrant, well-supported learning environment,” according to the release.
“The recommendation focuses on strengthening the student experience while responsibly addressing financial realities,” the release said.
The district cited Sunnyside’s relatively small student-body count, shifting enrollment patterns and statewide demographic changes as reasons for the proposal.
Sunnyside serves a just over 100 students in preschool through fifth grade, while Florida Mesa serves about 280, according to the district’s website.
“Sunnyside currently serves one of the district’s smallest student populations, which can limit access to programming and peer collaboration across grade levels,” the release said. “When we look at enrollment trends, staffing, programming, and the future opening of Three Springs Elementary School, we have to ask: Where will students thrive most? Bringing students together strengthens peer connections, expands programming, and creates a larger, collaborative teaching community.”
The district called the potential consolidation an “emotional conversation.”
“We know schools are woven into a community’s identity,” the release said. “Sunnyside Elementary holds decades of stories, traditions, and pride. For many families, it is part of their family history. That is why this conversation is emotional and why we approach it with care.”
Sunnyside Elementary, located at 75 County Road 218, is about 10 miles from Florida Mesa Elementary at 216 Colorado 172 ‒ or a 15-minute drive.
If approved, the district would “review and adjust transportation routes to ensure safe and reasonable travel times for students,” the release said.
“Some students may experience longer bus rides, and that is an important consideration,” the release said. “Detailed route information and estimated travel times would be shared well before the transition year.”
For more information
For more information about the proposed consolidation, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit: www.sunnyside.durangoschools.org/apps/news/article/2186275?categoryId=6634.
The possibility of a consolidation will be discussed at a Board of Education work session from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction St., and at a Board of Education regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. April 28 at the Impact Career Innovation Center, 2410 Main Ave.
Both meetings will be open to the public, and the regular session on April 28 will be livestreamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/live/CEQGxs4iL1I.
Public participation, in person and via Zoom, will be allowed at the April 28 meeting. To sign up for public comment, visit www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=458611&type=d&pREC_ID=1657894.
The sign-up link will open at 5 p.m. April 27.
Tuesday’s work session will not be livestreamed, and public participation will not be allowed.
The district has not determined what would happen to the Sunnyside building, built in 1962, if the consolidation is approved. Potential options include “adaptive reuse,” a housing development or relocation of district facilities operations.
Details about class sizes and staff impacts remain unclear.
“If approved, the district would support Sunnyside Elementary staff through a thoughtful transition process,” the release said. “The district values its educators and would work to place staff members in roles that continue supporting students across the district. More detailed staffing information would be shared following Board action.”
This would be the first consolidation of a Durango School District neighborhood elementary school in more than three decades, the release said.
“Enrollment patterns and demographic shifts are changing the landscape of public education statewide, and we must respond thoughtfully,” the release said. “Our goal is to move forward in a way that honors the legacy of Sunnyside while building the strongest future possible for students.”
epond@durangoherald.com
