Summit School District Superintendent Tony Byrd will deliver the district’s final recommendation this week on the future of school facilities after months of public debate over possible building closures, delayed maintenance projects and long-term educational programming changes. 

The Board of Education will hold a special meeting Thursday, April 30, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the district office, to hear the district’s proposal as part of its 10-year facilities master plan. The board is then expected to deliberate and potentially provide direction to the district as soon as Thursday, May 7. 

District leaders have spent months weighing how to address what they describe as unavoidable and growing challenges: aging school buildings in need of significant infrastructural upgrades, countywide declining enrollment and rising operational costs. 

Planning for the next decade of school facilities and educational strategies formally began in September 2025, and by November the district had formed a more than 40-member advisory committee to review consolidation scenarios, building needs and potential expansions to career technical education.

The district launched a public survey, available in both English and Spanish, that asks residents for feedback on consolidation proposals, facility repairs and other educational priorities. Responses are due by noon on Wednesday, April 29. Kerstin Anderson, the district’s director of communication, said she plans to release a summary of the results for the board of education meeting Thursday. 

Anderson underscored that no schools will close during the 2026-2027 school year, regardless of what direction the board chooses.

“Basically, the board has directed that we won’t close anything for the next year,” Anderson said. “So really, I think the financial impacts of any consolidation would be in the following year.”

The survey can be accessed through Summit School District’s website or at either link:

• English: Bit.ly/4cl3WWg 
• Spanish: Bit.ly/3QrtV77 

At a meeting with district administrators, faculty, parents and members of the public on Monday, April 6, Byrd said declining enrollment remains the largest driver behind discussions of school consolidations. Kara Drake, the district’s chief financial officer, told the audience that over the next decade, enrollment is projected to decline at nearly every school in the county. Byrd added that roughly 75% of Colorado school districts are facing similar enrollment trends, compounded by rising maintenance costs and staffing shortages. 

District officials and the master plan advisory committee have floated several consolidation options in recent months, including closing Breckenridge Elementary and shifting most students to Upper Blue Elementary. The district plans to conduct community polling in May to see if there’s support for potential future investment, including the addition of classrooms at Upper Blue to support the consolidation recommendations. 

The advisory committee has most strongly supported closing Breckenridge Elementary, citing the building’s age and repair needs. Constructed in 1965, Breckenridge Elementary is the oldest school facility in the district and received an “F” grade in a facilities assessment. Officials estimate it would cost roughly $24.7 million to renovate. 

Closing at least one school could save the district around $750,000 annually in operational costs, according to Drake’s presentation at the town hall. District leaders have also presented data about how larger schools — ideally with over 300 students — could allow for expanded academic interventions and enrichment programs. The district has discussed adding specialized science labs and further expanding career training programs in trades such as welding, construction and nursing. 

To pay for the addition of seven to eight classrooms at Upper Blue Elementary — the strategy recommended by the advisory committee in tandem with closing Breckenridge Elementary — the district would need Summit County voters to approve a bond. Any additional facility improvements would also likely need to be supported through a bond. 

More information about the 10-year facilities master plan can be found at SummitK12.org/facilities/master-plan. There is an additional box to submit feedback at the bottom of the webpage.