Bethke Elementary School

Bethke Elementary School is Poudre School District's newest elementary school built to relieve overcrowding at Timnath Elementary School.  It serves the neighborhoods of River West, Ridge West, Bison Ridge, Highland Hills, Timnath Ranch, and Highland Meadows south of CR 30.  Winner of the LEED GOLD award and the GBI Three Green Globes, Bethke is a community that values close parterships between staff, students, families, and the community.  Parents and families are welcome to be involved at any level of volunteering.  Bethke is named for long time educator Dr. Paul Bethke.

Paul Bethke left his mark on education locally and beyond over a career in public education that spanned 50 years.  During his 23 year career in local schools (1936-1959), Dr. Bethke taught math, coached, and served as an administrator and superintendent in the Oklahoma School (south of Windsor), Harmony School, Johnstown, Timnath, and LaPorte communities.  He served as superintendent for Timnath from 1947-1956, and as superintendent in LaPorte from 1956-1959.

He was deeply concerned that all children in the county have access to modern quality education.  From 1959-1972,  Dr. Bethke served as chief budget officer and a senior consultant for school finance for CDE, during which he was an architect of school finance for individual school districts.  He advocated equalizing state support for school transportation costs and was instrumental in drafting Colorado's first modern public school budget and finance acts.

Dr. Bethke and his wife, Helen Lind Bethke, had five children.  Dr. Bethke passed away in 1993 followed by his wife in 1995.  Two of their five children live in Colorado (Fort Collins and Denver) along with five of their 13 grandchildren and 8 of their 18 great-grandchildren.

Bethke Elementary will live out Dr. Bethke's passion for children and for always finding a better way to do things as he was known for saying, "There has to be a better way!"

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