Douglas County Schools Consider Closing Three Highlands Ranch Campuses

Douglas County School District Superintendent Erin Kane announced the district's recommendation to close Saddle Ranch, Heritage and Acres Green elementary schools, consolidating them into nearby campuses beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The decision caps a process that began with Superintendent Kane presenting the district's consolidation framework to the school board on February 11, 2025, at the district's offices in Castle Rock.

Student counts across the 16 schools under consideration have plunged to about 6,000 students this school year from about 10,500 students in 2012, according to figures provided by the district. "We have more buildings than we need," Kane said. "It's really important to preserve opportunities for students and for us to make some consolidations."

The school board approved the three closures and recommendations: Saddle Ranch Elementary to consolidate into Eldorado Elementary, Heritage Elementary to consolidate into Summit View Elementary, and Acres Green Elementary to consolidate into Fox Creek Elementary. The school closures go into effect on July 1, 2026. More than 900 K-12 students attend the three schools, which also employ 217 educators, according to the district.

While Highlands Ranch schools have seen dips in student numbers due to declining birth rates and an aging population of homeowners staying put in their homes, new housing developments in Sterling Ranch and Solstice, about 10 miles from Highlands Ranch, are fueling a pressing need for new schools. Local voters approved a $490 million bond in November, which will go toward building two elementary schools in Sterling Ranch and RidgeGate, communities Kane has described as "school deserts" that lack a neighborhood school within reasonable proximity.

The school district established its recommendations following "extensive analysis to address declining enrollment in parts of Highlands Ranch and to ensure that all students have access to a comprehensive, well-rounded education with full staffing and resources," officials said. As district leaders and board members weighed which schools to close, they prioritized keeping together groups of students and staff from individual schools, ensuring student safety in traffic zones and analyzing current and future enrollment projections.

In addition to the closures, officials proposed moving Highlands Ranch sixth graders into Cresthill, Mountain Ridge and Ranch View middle schools. "The opportunities with 6th grades in middle school is tremendous," Kane said. "They're able to have access to things like culinary, speech, orchestra, performing arts ... all the kinds of things that are really hard to offer in a smaller elementary school."

The community reaction has been sharp. "It's home base. It's been the heart and the home of this community, and it's now dead," said Saddle Ranch parent Jordan Hayes. "The legacy of this school in this community is now dead. I'm pretty disgruntled." Other parents blamed the district for a lack of transparency throughout the consolidation process. "The trust is very, very low with the board and with Erin Kane and her cabinet," Heritage Elementary parent Katie Bibler said. "I do understand the financial reasons for consolidations, but the transparency that we're being told is happening is not happening."

The district has guaranteed that staff members affected by the closures will be able to get another position within the district. Silver Spruce Elementary, Golden Ridge Elementary and Mountain Peak Elementary will begin operating in the 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Kane said that through the recent bond, the district set aside about $20 million to invest in the new schools, with the three receiving buildings getting upgrades such as new playgrounds or new rooms for programming.

Kane said district officials will release information on school closures as soon as they can as families, racked by anxiety, brace for the potential closure of their school. The district will devote much of the 2025-26 school year supporting families and staff through the consolidation of schools. "Ideally when two communities come together, you get the best of both communities," Kane said. "We are going to be there to support everyone through the process.