Moffat County Schools Recommend Keeping All K-12 Buildings Open

Steamboat Springs —Moffat County School District officials recommend keeping every elementary and secondary school open next year. The district will likely shutter its Early Childhood Center and administration building instead.

Superintendent Dr. Mathew Neal made the preliminary recommendation in a letter to staff, students, and families on Tuesday. The move follows months of uncertainty regarding potential closures.

“Based on the findings of our expert consultants to my office, I am passing along the recommendation to the Board of Education that we DO NOT close or consolidate any of our elementary or secondary schools this summer,” Neal wrote.

The district is facing a sharp drop in numbers. Enrollment has fallen by more than 700 students over the last eight years. Building expenses remain high while student counts drop. That gap creates financial pressure.

To address the issue, the district hired three outside consulting entities. Two independent consultants reviewed academic programming and staffing at elementary and secondary levels. An architectural and engineering firm assessed physical space to see if students could fit into fewer buildings.

Director of Communications Cuyler Meade told the Craig Daily Press that these reviews examined scheduling, staffing levels, and specialized programs like art, music, and physical education. The facilities review included physical inspections of buildings and classroom configurations.

Meade said the core question was whether it is “possible to fit students in fewer buildings, and what could that look like?”

One scenario considered was closing Sunset Elementary School. The plan would relocate its students to Saugus Elementary School. That specific proposal is part of the broader review, but Neal’s letter prioritizes keeping current K-12 facilities intact.

The recommendation to close the preschool program and the administration building — formerly East Elementary School — involves relocating classrooms and offices into other district facilities. This consolidation effort aims to streamline operations without cutting K-12 access.

No final decisions have been made. The Board of Education holds the authority to approve or reject these changes.

“The final decisions haven’t been made,” Meade said. “The board is in charge of those decisions.”

The district began formally discussing possible consolidation with employees on Sept. 11 during a professional development day. A public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20. Residents will get a chance to weigh in before the board votes.

The short version: The district wants to save money by closing non-instructional buildings, not classrooms. They are betting that keeping schools open is cheaper than the disruption of consolidation.

Make no mistake, this is a financial decision dressed in educational language. The district cites declining enrollment as the driver. They are not saying they want to close schools because of academic performance. They are closing them because the math doesn’t work with current enrollment levels.

The administration building closure is significant. It centralizes operations but removes a physical presence from that specific location. The preschool center closure affects families with pre-K children directly. Those services will move, but the building itself goes dark.

The board meets on Oct. 20. Watch that room. The consultants did the heavy lifting, but the board holds the pen. If they vote to keep all schools open, the district still has to find a way to balance its budget with 700 fewer students. That is the real challenge ahead.

The district says it will continue to involve community members in the process. For now, the recommendation stands: keep the schools, close the back office and the preschool center. The board decides next week.