DENVER (KDVR) — Construction on a new Thornton middle school is on track to open in 2026, but the school district said it is still deciding when to open the school due to declining enrollment.
At the intersection of East 152nd Avenue and Holly Street in Thornton, construction is underway for the new Talon Ridge Middle School. The school district, Colorado’s 27J Schools, said it should be completed in spring 2026.
However, a spokesperson for the district told FOX31 that the opening date for the middle school, once projected for fall of 2026, will be reassessed and determined by the end of this year. The school district said the possible change is from declining school enrollment and a lower population of school-aged residents in the city.
“In general, school district planners have traditionally estimated the number of children generated by new home developments at a rate of about one school-age child per home. Today, that average has declined to about .34 school-aged children per home. So, now we anticipate that one school-age child will result from every three homes in new developments,” said the spokesperson.
According to The Hill, nationwide, the main contributors to the decline of enrollment in K-12 are due to a combination of dropping birth rates, more school choice options and migrations out of certain states. The school district also cited the dropping birth rates as one of the reasons for lower enrollment.
Colorado school closures
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the statistic that the total fertility rate in 2024 across the nation had dropped to an all-time low. In 2022 alone, Colorado had one of the nation’s lowest fertility rates, along with one of the sharpest declines in birth rates in over 15 years.
The Reason Foundation compiled data from public sources and the National Center for Education Statistics on enrollment and school closures in Colorado. The organization is a think tank that describes itself as promoting libertarian principles and producing nonpartisan public policy research.
The organization said during the 2023-2024 school year, there were 26 school closures in the state. In 2024, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to close or restructure 10 schools, citing low enrollment, declining birth rates and high costs for the closures.
According to the Reason Foundation, between 2019-2020 and 2022-2023, public schools in the state lost over 42,000 students, which was about 4.6% of total enrollment.
It is unclear what the exact data on low enrollment in Thornton is; however, the school district said it has been consulting with a demographer, city professionals and development officials to determine the rate of growth in various parts of the city.
“As the district has said, it will consider the latest data and estimations for the areas surrounding Talon Ridge and decide when it will open,” said the spokesperson.
The school district said the decision will be made by the end of the year and will be announced to the community and other schools in the area.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
