Dear Crest View Families:

Two thousand six hundred and seventy three new residents are what the City of Boulder Planning Department has projected for North Boulder.

The original North Boulder Sub Community included 1,200 units. According to the City of Boulder Planning Department approximately 300 of these units were within Foothills school boundaries and the majority of these 300 units have been built out. The remaining 900 units are within Crest View’s school boundaries. Approximately 300 building permits have already been issued for these 900 units. More building permits will be issued before the end of 2005. Hundreds of building permits are anticipated in 2006. These 900 units do not include the 300 units which have been approved at 47th and Jay Road. These units are also within Crest View’s boundaries.

During the one and only meeting of the “Task Force” that was supposed to look at the long term issues facing Crest View, Don Orr stated BVSD does not expect to get hundreds of students at Crest View from these 1,200 new units. Does BVSD see the possibility of Crest View increasing by 50 students?

Eight additional students entering Kindergarten next fall would bring Kindergarten up to 5 rounds.

Eight additional students entering First Grade next fall would bring First Grade up to 5 rounds.

Eleven additional students entering Fourth Grade next fall would bring an additional round to Crest View.

Ten additional students entering 3rd and 5th grades next fall would result in these classes being more crowded – AGAIN.

The addition of fifty students could have a significant impact on Crest View. A few more students indicate a need for three to five additional classrooms at Crest View. These are classrooms that administrators say do not exist. One administrator stated that Eldorado K-8 had to “suck-up” for a year before getting a portable to ease over crowding. Well, Crest View has been “sucking up” for years now.

Contingency plans that can quickly and effectively be put into place need to be developed by BVSD and put into the 2006-2007 budget. If Crest View parents do not speak up now there may be no money in the budget to deal with the very realistic increase in students Crest View could see next fall.

The City of Boulder Planning Department stated BVSD said they could manage the expected increased enrollment in North Boulder schools through existing schools, redistricting and open enrollment. The city was told BVSD had enough space at current schools and there was no need to build an additional school. BVSD relinquished the property at 47th and Jay that had once been available for a new school site.

Since this time BVSD closed Washington Bilingual which had been a viable option for North Boulder students.

BVSD states it has plans to redistrict school boundaries in a few more years. BVSD has stated that historically it takes 6 years after redistricting to see these changes. This is due to grandfathering in the new boundaries.

Today Crest View’s enrollment is 501 students. Crest View is currently 16 students over what BVSD has listed as Crest View’s maximum capacity of 485 students. No caps have been put on Crest View’s open enrollment in past years to allow for the increase in students that are anticipated at Crest View in the near future.

To sum this up BVSD closed a North Boulder elementary school. Redistricting could have been done 10 years ago in anticipation of these new housing developments. Caps could have been placed on Crest View’s open enrollment to create space for these new students. BVSD has chosen not to do any preparation. If our community does not speak up there may be no money in the budget to solve Crest View’s possible overcrowding in the fall.

What can you do? Call or send an email to BVSD Administrators and School Board members and voice your concern or go to the School Board meeting on Tuesday, October 11th at 6:30 PM at the Education Center and tell these people directly.

George Garcia – Superintendent of Schools

Chris King – Deputy Superintendent

Robert Hammond – BVSD COO

Joe Sleeper – BVSD Operational Services

Bill Sutter – BVSD Budget Services

Sharon Meyer – BVSD Procurement and Materials

Leslie Stafford – BVSD Finance and Accounting

Don Orr – BVSD Director of Planning & Construction

Sheri Williams – BVSD Director of School Leadership

Julie Phillips – School Board President

Teresa Steele – School Board V.P.

Angelika Schroeder – School Board Member

Helayne Jones – School Board Member helayne.jones@bvsd.org

Jean Paxton – School Board Member ,

Ken Roberge – School Board Member

Stan Garnett – School Board Member

BVSD Administrators can be reached at the Education Center 303 447 1010.

Education Center — 6500 Arapahoe, Boulder, CO 80303

Regards,
Kristi Anderson
Crest View Parent
303 245 8008