Forty-two people spoke in opposition of a proposed Sunnyside and Florida Mesa elementary school consolidation during a Durango School District Board of Education forum Monday.
The forum took place in the Sunnyside Elementary gym and drew a crowd of over 160 attendees, including Sunnyside parents, students, alumni and staff, and some invested community members.
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.
Speakers expressed concerns about the potential emotional and academic impact on students, the potential for staff job loss and the possibility of losing the small, cherished school community. Many speakers said they are upset at district administration and the board for considering the consolidation in response to budget struggles.
The district is facing a nearly $2 million deficit, according to district spokeswoman Karla Sluis.
The district anticipates $740,000 in savings if Sunnyside consolidates – roughly 1% of the district’s overall budget.
“No amount of money you save from this closure and consolidation will justify what we will lose, and more importantly, what you will lose,” one Sunnyside parent said. “You will lose all of these families’ trust.”
Some Sunnyside families said they moved from out of state to take advantage of the Colorado education system and enroll their children in the small, 100-student school, and they will likely leave the district altogether if Sunnyside closes.
Others said students will be impacted detrimentally by the string of transitions associated with a possible consolidation – especially students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, students with disabilities and those who are especially sensitive to change.
Second graders would be hit especially hard, several speakers argued, as they would be subjected to three transitions: one from Sunnyside to Florida Mesa, another from Florida Mesa to Three Springs, and another to a district middle school for their sixth grade year.
“From a developmental standpoint, asking children to live in a state of transition for two to three years is a significant burden,” said Melia Chavez, a health service provider at Sunnyside.
Autumn Frickel, a counselor at Sunnyside and a former staff member at Florida Mesa Elementary School, called Sunnyside’s small school model a “protective ecosystem” for students.
“Having stood in both worlds, I can tell you the difference is drastic,” she said of the two schools.
Some speakers noted that Florida Mesa is placed on priority status by the Colorado Department of Education, meaning academic student performance has consistently fallen below state expectations. After several years of hard work, Sunnyside Elementary’s academic rankings have improved enough to move the school out of priority status, teachers told the The Durango Herald.
“Why would we want to move our children to a school that’s in a priority improvement rating?” said Lacy Craig, a Sunnyside parent and member of the Parent Teacher Association. “It seems that these students would just be throwing away all the hard work and improvement that they worked so hard for. It would be revoked.”
Some tense moments arose during the three-hour forum, which was monitored by at least one law deputy from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
One attendee abruptly stood up and interrupted Superintendent Karen Cheser while she was addressing the crowd, saying, “I don’t care – I’m leaving. This is ridiculous,” before temporarily exiting the room. Those sitting near her attempted, unsuccessfully, to pull her back into her chair and shush her.
Cheser was speaking about possible uses for the Sunnyside building should the consolidation be approved.
The audience met most speeches with cheers and applause, despite being asked to refrain from clapping, snapping or hollering.
Several speakers became emotional while discussing the school’s long history and impact on students.
The pool of speakers included at least 22 Sunnyside parents and grandparents, about nine alumni, a handful of families with generational ties to the school going back as far as its inception in 1962, and about a dozen teachers and staff members, including Sunnyside Interim Principal Victor Figueroa.
“I ask you to pause for just a second, look around this room, look at the faces of the students who are here tonight,” he said. “Look at the families who have built their lives around this school. Look at the teachers and staff who have poured everything they have into these kids every day. … The decisions you make don’t just affect budgets and buildings: (they) affect people.”
Sunnyside fourth grader Everly Hanscom said she hopes Sunnyside does not consolidate “so all my younger friends can have the same great experience I’ve had.”
Fifth grader Ariu Morales said she’s worried about younger students not fitting in at Florida Mesa or feeling uncomfortable in the new environment, and isn’t sure if teachers will have enough bandwidth to take on 90 to 100 new students from Sunnyside.
“The Florida Mesa kids don’t know what’s going on – neither do the Sunnyside kids. … They’re in a state of confusion,” she said. “… (Sunnyside students) should be able to at least stay in this school for around a couple more years before going to the new (Three Springs) school.”
By the conclusion of the forum, several questions remained unanswered, including the fates of Sunnyside staff and the school building if the board approves the consolidation.
Staff were instructed to apply for roles at Florida Mesa and other district schools, several teachers told the Herald, but at least three had applied and were rejected as of mid-April.
“(Staff) are being left with an uncertain future and no guarantee of future employment,” said Tina Henderson, a longtime Sunnyside kindergarten teacher. “If these individuals have already proven themselves to be a valuable member of this district, they should be placed in a position without having to reapply or interview. … This isn’t about policy – it’s about doing the right thing and taking care of employees.”
Several options for repurposing the Sunnyside building were shared, including an agricultural center, a community hub, a “multi use center” or a workforce development center.
Cheser said the board has not yet come to a decision on the proposed consolidation.
“No decisions have been made on our end,” she said. “… This is part of our process, to hear from you as we are discerning those recommendations.”
Another public forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 5 at Florida Mesa Elementary School, 216 Colorado Highway 172.
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