By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
It was an emotional night at the Mesa County Valley District 51 school board meeting on Nov. 19, as more than 50 public commenters packed a seven-hour session that stretched past midnight.
Parents, students, teachers and community members voiced their concerns about the proposed closure of Scenic, Nisley and Clifton Elementary Schools.
“No one wants to be in a situation where they are having to close schools,” Superintendent Dr. Brian Hill said. “It will never feel good, but it is the situation we find ourselves in.”
Hill detailed the data-driven approach used to identify schools for closure. He highlighted the Elementary Declining Enrollment Committee’s criteria, which included building adequacy, enrollment and transportation impacts.
“We all love our community dearly, even if it may not seem that way in the midst of hard decisions,” he said.
Hill encouraged the community to “be tough on the problem, but not on the people. Because tomorrow, the next day and the day after that, we will continue to shop in the same grocery stores, let our kids play in the same parks and serve our same community.”
When asked by school board president Andrea Haitz why the board didn’t receive the information until after the election, Hill explained the delay was because of a need for enrollment numbers after the October count.
“This timeline was about ensuring we had the most accurate data,” Hill said, addressing rumors that the delay was tied to the bond issue. “That’s not true, and it wouldn’t even make sense since a bond failure would impact the entire district, not just these schools.”
Hill explained the process behind the committee’s criteria and A&M’s role, a consulting firm specializing in educational data and analysis, in ensuring objectivity: “After the committee finalized its report, A&M collected data, interviewed experts, normalized metrics and presented findings. School names were blinded during the review process to prevent bias, ensuring decisions were based solely on the data.”
Several students gave commentary. Scenic third-grader Marlee Abbott said, “To me, Fox Pride means we are a family as a school, and we care about each other. Please don’t shut down Scenic Elementary.”
Clifton parent Heather Cochran shared, “If it weren’t for the dedicated teachers at Clifton, my son wouldn’t be where he is today. Overcrowding will hurt students like him.”
From Nisley, teacher Jen Binkley reminded the board of their duty to consider the district’s most disadvantaged students: “The voices of the poor and vulnerable have not been adequately considered in these decisions.”
Joseph Harawi, a physician and parent, addressed the community challenge of recruiting professionals. “Closing a high-performance school like Scenic will harm not only education but also our ability to attract healthcare providers and other skilled workers,” he warned.
Ethan Turner, a Colorado State Patrol trooper and father of six shared, “My three children [who attend Scenic] broke down crying when I told them Scenic was set to close.”
Community member Deb Moorland observed the emotional toll, likening it to the stages of grief. “We’re seeing disbelief, denial, anger, bargaining and depression. The last stage is acceptance, and that’s where we have to guide our kids — to resilience,” she said.
Haitz expressed the emotional and logistical weight of the decisions facing the board. “If this were just about the buildings, it would be easier to process. But it’s not just about the buildings. It’s about putting people together in a way that allows us to pay for the resources our students need,” she explained.
She urged the community to consider the enormity of the task before the board. “I want everyone to think about what it would be like sitting in our seats, making decisions for 19,000 kids, all the staff and all the families,” she said.
Reflecting on the difficult choices ahead, she shared, “I lie awake at night thinking about the consequences of these decisions. If we make cuts, will someone lose their job? Could they lose their home? This weighs on me.”
Haitz recalled a pivotal point discussing the data and the task at hand: “When Dr. Hill mentioned that he could have suggested closing five schools, I understood that would be more than bending the system — it would break it,” Haitz said.
Board Member Jose Luis Chavez reflected on his emotional ties to both Scenic and Clifton communities. “I can easily argue for Scenic, but I work with the Clifton community and could argue just as passionately for Clifton and Nisley,” he said. “That’s emotion — that’s where your heart is.”
He served on the committee and shared that members came to the agreement that emotional arguments alone would stall progress.
“If we focused only on emotions, we weren’t going to get anywhere. We decided to focus on building conditions because it’s more straightforward and tied to the budget,” he explained.
Chavez added, “Like many of you, I haven’t slept at night. I’ve weighed every option over and over again,” he said. “Our job is to take care of all students — not just the students at one school, but all students in the district.”
Board member Will Jones addressed the emotional toll of the situation and the criticism board members and Dr. Hill faced. “I’ve received emails accusing me of not caring or saying I should be fired. My own kid goes to school here. If this were my daughter’s school, I’d be right there with you. But attacking people’s character isn’t right.”
Jones emphasized the broader implications in play. “Even if we don’t close schools, people will still lose their jobs. Whether we save a school or lose a teacher, someone is impacted. That favorite teacher who changed a child’s life might not be here next year. These decisions are hard, no matter what.”
Board Member Barbara Evanson emphasized the urgency of acting now to protect staff and students. “If we don’t act, we risk slowly destroying the district. Within a year, we could lose so many positions. We have to save these positions now and place our staff where they can continue to touch lives.”
Board member Angela Lema concluded, “It’s been mentioned a couple of times tonight that this shouldn’t be about the money, and I agree. In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be. But it’s not about money in a way that negates caring about people. At the end of the day, we have to address the financial side — we don’t have a choice. Without managing the money, we won’t have buildings, heat, air conditioning or the people needed to make a positive impact on the students in this district.”
The board voted unanimously to close Nisley Elementary, citing the school’s long-standing underperformance, despite interventions. “If we don’t take action, the state will take over, and we believe the district can provide better programming for those students,” Haitz said.
The board will reconvene on Friday to review the demographic data before making a final decision on the potential closure of Clifton and Scenic elementary schools.