Mayor proposes one-year pause, community task force, and town-funded consultant as school board prepares to vote October 27.
By Blaine Howerton | NorthFortyNews.com
With the Poudre School District Board of Education preparing to vote Tuesday, October 27, on a proposal to close nine schools, the Town of Timnath has offered to help fund an effort to find alternatives to closing Timnath Elementary School.
Timnath Elementary parent Kristen Tatti brought the proposal to North Forty News’ attention and shared a letter from Timnath Mayor Robert Axmacher addressed to the Poudre School District Board of Education.
In the letter, Axmacher, writing on behalf of the Timnath Town Council, offers to establish a joint task force and fund an independent consultant if the district agrees to delay the proposed closure for at least one year.
The task force would include representatives from the town, school district, parents, and the community to identify viable alternatives to permanent closure and develop an implementation strategy.
“To stop this school’s heartbeat without first exploring all viable remedies would be a failure of conscience by all involved,” Axmacher wrote.
Town Commits Resources to Finding a Solution
The mayor’s letter follows the Timnath Town Council’s unanimous adoption of Resolution No. 61 on October 13, which expressed support for continuing to operate Timnath Elementary.
Axmacher said the town is prepared to work directly with the district to address enrollment, facility, and long-term planning concerns while preserving the opportunity for Timnath students to attend school in their community.
Under the proposal, the town would fund an independent consultant to manage the task force process and research potential funding mechanisms.
The letter states that Town Council will direct staff to set aside the necessary funds during its October 27 budget work session at 5 p.m.
“Together, there is a path forward,” Axmacher wrote.
Parents Question Closure Recommendation
In information accompanying the mayor’s letter, Tatti raised several concerns about the proposed closure.
According to the information she provided, Timnath Elementary is operating at approximately 95% capacity. She also cited an October 20 district presentation indicating that Timnath is the only area of Poudre School District projected to experience continued enrollment growth.
Tatti questioned the financial estimates associated with the school’s future. She said a $19.7 million repair estimate presented to the school board on October 13 does not appear in the district’s facilities report, while a 2023 district assessment identified approximately $4.46 million in five-year building needs.
Those figures have not been independently reconciled, and the estimates may reflect different scopes or planning periods.
Tatti also noted that the district’s advisory committee supported the Southeast school consolidation recommendation, which includes Timnath Elementary, by 72%, exceeding its 70% approval threshold by one vote.
School Board Vote Set for October 27
The Poudre School District Board of Education will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, at 2407 Laporte Avenue in Fort Collins.
The Timnath Town Council will hold its budget work session at 5 p.m. that evening, followed by its regular meeting at 6 p.m., at 4750 Signal Tree Drive in Timnath.
Timnath families are expected to attend the school board meeting as district leaders consider the proposed closures.
The mayor’s proposal would give the district, town officials, and community representatives an additional year to examine alternatives before making a permanent decision about Timnath Elementary.
Whether the school board will accept or formally consider the town’s offer remains to be determined.
Source attribution: This story is based on information submitted to North Forty News by Timnath Elementary parent Kristen Tatti, including a copy of a letter from Town of Timnath Mayor Robert Axmacher to the Poudre School District Board of Education. The mayor’s letter is an official town communication; Tatti supplied additional enrollment, facilities, and advisory committee claims and attributed them accordingly.