In rural La Plata County, schools have long been more than classrooms. Today’s schools trace their roots to one-room schoolhouses – small, close-knit places where community life and learning were intertwined, a tradition still visible at Sunnyside and Florida Mesa.
There, a school feels less like an institution than an extension of the community. Each houses a public library run by the Southwest La Plata Library District.
The Durango School District is considering consolidating Sunnyside Elementary with Florida Mesa, a move that would close and repurpose Sunnyside (Herald, April 13). Some parents and teachers have opposed the move, raising concerns about stability, school culture and job security (Herald, April 17).
Consolidation means longer bus rides, disrupted routines and the loss of a neighborhood school – something that hasn’t happened in more than three decades. Students will move twice before the new Three Springs elementary opens (Herald, Nov. 14, 2025).
Those realities don’t change the underlying challenge. Enrollment has fallen by more than 40% since 2019, with some grades projected to drop below 10 students. At that size, students miss essential interaction with a broader mix of peers and perspectives.
The district has tried to reverse that trend without success.
Durango is not alone: neighboring Bayfield School District is also cutting staff members and programs amid declining enrollment and rising costs (Herald, April 10; April 24).
The plan brings students together at Florida Mesa, then transitions them to a new elementary school in Three Springs in 2028. The new school is designed for multiple classrooms per grade and more collaborative learning. A shared year ahead of that move gives students time to build relationships and a sense of belonging.
If the board of education approves the plan April 28, the real work begins: transportation, staff transitions and preserving what these schools provide beyond academics – including the Southwest La Plata libraries.
This is not an easy call, especially in a rural community. But with enrollment shifting and a new school on the horizon, it is a necessary one – and the right one for students.
