Regional
(2010-01-12)
GREELEY, CO
(KUNC) -
Up to nine schools in the Greeley-Evans School District could be consolidated into three as part of an effort to save money in the face of steep funding cuts to education. The plan would merge two elementary schools with low enrollment into one larger school. It would do the same with two of the Weld County district's middle schools and five alternative schools. District 6 Communications Director Roger Fiedler says combining the schools in itself wouldn't affect class sizes. Those are based on a budget ratio which would remain the same in the merged schools:
"How that could be impacted is through the state's budget cuts, which we'll be facing in a couple of months once the legislature finalizes the school finance act. If they end up reducing education funding to the extent it looks like they're going to have to do, that could impact our budgeted teacher-student ratio."
Fiedler says the consolidation idea began to develop last December when the school district was presented with grim-looking state revenue forecasts. He says the move has the potential to save the district up to two million dollars a year. District 6 officials will gather public input through community meetings at the nine schools over the next few months before making a final decision.
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