Registration is now open for new students and students who left PSD and are returning in 2024-25! Online registration is not needed for students who will continue in their current school next year or for fifth- or eighth-graders who will attend a neighborhood middle or high school in their attendance area.

Your Poudre School District newsletter

Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023

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Three middle school girls sit on a carpeted floor wrapping a present and smiling.

Lesher Middle School students wrap gifts for families in need this December. Students created thoughtful cards and puzzles to include with the gifts.

PSD students, staff celebrate season of giving

Whether it's collecting warm coats and comfy apparel for a clothing drive, buying and wrapping presents for an Adopt-A-Family program, or lugging turkeys and canned food to school for donation, Poudre School District students find plenty of ways to show they care for their neighbors in need this time of year. Check out this article on the PSD website to learn more about students across the district giving back.>>

A Timnath Middle-High School student wheels a bike toward the school while two more students behind him push a cart filled with gift items.

Timnath Middle-High School students wheel in items for the school's Adopt-A-Family program.

Gray over a photo collage with the words, "Understanding PSD Episode 1: Enrollment Trends." Video shows superintendent talking in front of plain background with words on screen. Words on screen: Understanding PSD, enrollment trends, Brian Kingsley superintendent. What do the enrollment numbers say? In the 2022-23 school year there are thousands of empty seats in our elementary and middle schools. That translates to roughly 6 elementary schools 2 middle schools. Fertility and birth rates are declining across the United States – including northern Colorado. There are not enough children being born at a rate that can even replace our community’s current population let along grow it and increase our student enrollment. What about PSD-authorized charter schools? Enrollment at our PSD-authorized charter schools has increased by 293 students over the past three years. However, not all of those students came from PSD neighborhood schools. The number of transfers from PSD-authorized charters back to non-charter schools has also increased. Bottom line: Our enrollment decline is not due to students choicing into PSD-authorized charters from PSD neighborhood schools. What about future enrollment projections? Current projections: PSD will lose 10% of current student enrollment in the next 5 years. Fewer students means fewer dollars. 10% fewer students means a budget decrease of about $40 million annually. A decrease in funding means less vibrant programs and resources for students at all levels and schools. Collectively, school districts in Colorado are being funded at the same level as in 2009. Poudre School District gets one of the lowest amounts of funding per student in the state. We cannot continue to do more with less. There will be cuts to services our students and families receive if we continue with the status quo. So what are we going to do about this problem? Changing boundaries alone will not solve this problem. The district will need to take a decisive set of actions including: changing program placement, changing boundaries, consolidating schools. Steering Committee recommendation (with arrows to) Brian Kingsley, District Leadership Team, Board of Education. Topics: educational programs, consolidations, boundary modifications. The Steering Committee will work with an outside facilitator and consider feedback from our community. Understanding PSD www.psdschools.org/long-range-planning

Introducing a new video series to help explain school district finance, planning, operations, and more.

Want to better understand PSD? Check out this series

There is growing public interest in school district funding, enrollment trends, and long-range planning for schools. Not everyone has time to attend meetings or take a deep dive into research on these topics. Poudre School District recognizes that, and we hope you'll enjoy our new video series, "Understanding PSD." The videos are quick but chock full of important information explained in a straight-forward format. Check out the first "Understanding PSD" video on YouTube.>>

Apply for an opportunity to serve on the Facilities Planning Steering Committee

As part of the school district's Long-Range Planning efforts, PSD is forming a 31-member Facilities Planning Steering Committee. The committee will develop

recommendations regarding potential modifications to program placement and school attendance areas to address declining enrollment, with changes to go into effect no sooner than the 2025-26 school year. Committee members will meet from Feb. 2 until May 28, 2024, when they will present a recommendation to the PSD Board of Education.

Applications are available now and must be submitted no later than Jan. 3, 2024. Applicants will be notified of selection around mid-January. Apply through the Google form at this link. You can also attend a listening session this spring to share feedback and ideas. Find a schedule and learn more on the Long-Range Planning web page.>>

An adult woman and a girl in a winter coat exit a PFA fire truck outside a school. A firefighter in uniform smiles beside them.

A sixth-grade girl holding up a poster she made for a PFA fire safety poster contest stands next to a smiling teacher, both in front of the front of a fire truck.

A Linton Elementary School student holding a colorful poster she designed poses with an adult woman in front of a fire engine.

From left to right, poster contest winners from Werner, Blevins, and Linton enjoyed rides from PFA.

Contest winners catch ride to school in fire truck

The winners of a Poudre Fire Authority poster contest earned the hottest ticket in town: a ride to school on a PFA fire truck. The winners by grade are: Madelyn Kure from Werner (kindergarten), Paul Mulder from Werner (first grade), Kaitlyn Huang from Zach (second grade), Hallie Haldeman from Timnath (third grade), Jing Han from Werner (fourth grade), Brooke Veltre from Linton (fifth grade), and Katerina Rockwood from Blevins (sixth grade).

Healthy Kids Colorado survey starts Jan. 9

Every other year, middle and high school students across the state take the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. The survey is anonymous, and aggregate results help districts make important decisions about student services. For example, results from the 2021-22 school year survey drove PSD’s decision to hire more mental health professionals and staff supporting students with disabilities. Parents and guardians have the option to opt their children out of taking the survey. Check your email for details, and visit the survey information website.>>

18 people, including PSD leaders and Fossil Ridge High marching band students, pose with a CBA marching band champion banner at a recent Board of Education meeting.

FRHS band members celebrate their win with PSD Board of Education members on Dec. 12.

Fossil Ridge marching band wins sixth Colorado state championship in 12 years

Congratulations to the Fossil Ridge High School marching band! The decorated group earned its sixth Class 5A state championship title in a dozen years at the Air Force Academy in late October. The band was honored for their accomplishment at last Tuesday's PSD Board of Education meeting. Follow this link to see video of board members recognizing the marching band at their Dec. 12 meeting.>>

A horizontal image with the text: Jan. 15, 2024, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, march with us at 11 a.m. from The Oval. Join our other events and a QR code on the left side. On the right side are the words It Starts With Us. above a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Jan. 15 activities for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day include a march from the Oval beginning at 11 a.m.

Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Community members are invited to take part in a march and celebration event to mark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15. The march will begin at 11 a.m. at The Oval on the Colorado State University campus and end at 12:45 p.m. at the Lincoln Center, where a celebration event with performances and speeches will take place. Learn more about events happening on Jan. 15 by following this link.>>

No school for winter break Dec. 25-Jan. 8

As a reminder, Friday, Dec. 22, will be the last day of second quarter. Teachers will return to sites on Monday, Jan. 8, for a work day, and third quarter will begin for students on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Enjoy your time with family and friends! Visit psdschools.org to see the full 2023-24 calendar.>>

Children play outside on an elementary school playground and basketball court on a snowy day.

Students play outside on a snowy school day.

The side of a vehicle marked "The Lunch Lab" with an image of a rocket is shown next to bubble from a bubble machine on a sunny day. A green tree is shown in the background.

An image of a Lunch Lab vehicle in summertime.

Free meals during Winter Break

Food Bank for Larimer County generously provides free meals for kids 18 and younger on days that students do not have school, including several days during Winter Break. Lunch will be served from 12:15 to 1 p.m. Dec. 27-29, 2023, and Jan. 2-5, 2024, at Iglesia Vida Abundante, 1201 N. College Ave. in Fort Collins. Visit thelunchlab.org/ for more information.>>