Week of February 2, 2023
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
CastlePinesNewsPress.net
VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 24
Douglas County School District preps for school closures
Our in-depth look at the housing crisis
Highlands Ranch has biggest drop BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
High home prices, lack of supply sever metro residents from communities Low- and middle-income people struggle to live where they work BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
When Chris Laney moved into his new three-bedroom home last
summer, he felt like he’d won the lottery. After more than a decade of chasing the cheapest rent across the metro area, the Littleton bartender finally has a house to call his own. “I almost feel guilty that I have it,” said Laney, 49. Laney is one of a handful of residents who have secured housing through a subsidized program aimed at helping lower- and
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 9 | SPORTS: PAGE 17
middle-income people live where they work. But as cities and towns contend with historically high home costs and a lack of supply, residents like Laney have struggled to live in their communities. “I’ve always felt like I was just passing through instead of living somewhere, putting down roots,” said Laney. He has worked SEE PRICES, P12
Douglas County School District is preparing to consolidate elementary schools in the Highlands Ranch area in 2026 due to declining enrollment, while looking to build new schools in surrounding neighborhoods. Superintendent Erin Kane and district staff presented plans to the school board on Jan. 24 addressing the drop in elementary school students in Highlands Ranch, an area of the district that is aging and seeing declining birth rates. The plan also elaborates on the need for new schools in developing parts of the district. Kane said the district is in the unique position of having an area experiencing a drop in enrollment surrounded by developing neighborhoods that require new schools, which will likely result in consolidation and construction at the same time. “Our hope is to begin to communicate to our community the challenge we’re facing with growth and decline,” Kane said. At this point in time, no specific schools have been identified for consolidation and the district is promising there will be no job loss. Dealing with decline
Across the district, enrollment is SEE CLOSURES, P5
Special CD Rate
4.62% APY* 10 Month Term
120 S Wilcox St. Castle Rock, CO 80104 | 303-660-4001 *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) and interest rate of Certificate of Deposit (CD) may change after account opening. Fees could reduce earnings on the CD. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. *The CD is automatically renewed into a Standard 9 month CD with current rate at renewal. *The Annual Percentage Yield is current as of December 19, 2022.