County considers consolidation of Moore Middle School and Pomona High School

BY JANE REUTER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Westminster’s Moore Middle School and Arvada’s Pomona High School could be consolidated into a 6-12th-grade facility under a plan proposed by both schools’ principals.

e Je erson County School Board heard a presentation on the idea during its June 7 study session. e board will vote on the recommendation June 22 during its regular meeting.

If it’s approved, Moore Middle School would close at the end of this school year, and its students would attend Pomona High School starting with the 2024-2025 school year. e two schools are about a 5-minute drive apart.

e proposal is among several school closures and consolidations planned districtwide due to declining enrollment. Je co Public Schools voted to close 16 elementary schools in November 2022.

But the Pomona/Moore consolidation is unique; the idea came from the Pomona/Moore school communities and was not initiated by the district. District leaders have made no recommendations about the consolidation or closing of any middle or high schools at this point.

Pomona Principal Pat Rock and Moore Principal Brenda Fletcher rst approached district leadership with the consolidation proposal in

January, describing it as a vision for “a thriving 6-12 secondary experience.”

Both institutions have seen enrollment steadily decline. Pomona’s enrollment has decreased by about 15% over ve school years, and about 50% at Moore.

“Enrollment declines have been particularly acute at Moore Middle School,” said Claire Takhar, the district’s director of strategic initiatives. “Its capacity is 797, and enrollment next year is estimated at 300 students.

“Pomona has capacity of 1,979,” Takhar continued. “If every student in the Pomona and Moore boundary chooses to attend school there, we’d have more than enough space.” e drop in enrollment is in part because fewer students live in the area today.

“As enrollment declines, schools have fewer resources to provide robust experiences and programs for students,” Takhar said. “ is can lead more parents to choice out to more well-sourced schools, and exacerbate enrolment declines.”

Combining the two allows the school to maximize resources, school o cials said, and enhance opportunities for all students. It will also save money. e conversion will also require some upgrades and one-time expenses. ose estimates will be shared with the district soon.

“We anticipate ongoing annual savings up to $1.1 million,” Takhar said.

Pomona High School was built in 1975 and Moore in 1978.

More school studies coming

While the district wasn’t involved in the Pomona/Moore consolidation proposal, it is taking a close look at all its facilities through a two-phase program called Regional Opportunities for riving Schools. e initiative aims to create a plan that ensures “thriving schools with enrollment to support extraordinary student experiences across our district.”

Phase I of ROFTS, which focused on under enrollment in Je co elementary schools, resulted in the school board’s decision to close 16 elementary schools.

In Phase II, the district will consider consolidation recommendations for K-8 and middle schools with declining enrollment, conduct a study of school boundaries to get a better understanding of where students live, analyze its alternative education campuses to ensure they’re meeting students’ needs, and coordinate its plans with impacted municipalities.

“A lot of it has to do with the changing demographics of Je erson County,” said Kimberly Eloe, Je co Public Schools executive director of communications. “ e school-aged population of Je erson County has been steadily declining for 20 years, and is expected to continue.”

Public school enrollment has dropped nationwide since the pandemic. An Urban Institute report says increases in homeschooling and private schools accounted for some of that loss, while more than a third of the decline is unexplained.

For more information on the proposed Pomona/Moore consolidation, visit the Sustaining the Pomona Pipeline page on the school’s website.

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