Poudre School District Enrollment Trends

In Poudre School District, we believe our community deserves clear and honest communication about the forces shaping our schools. I want to share information that provides context about current enrollment trends and what they mean for our school district community.

For several years, PSD has experienced a gradual but steady decline in student enrollment. This year’s October Count shows another decrease districtwide. PSD enrolled 25,013 students in 2025-26, compared to 25,526 the year before; this is an enrollment decline of 513 students. The largest enrollment drop is in our elementary schools, which collectively serve 479 fewer students than last year. 

While some individual schools experienced modest growth, the broader picture is clear: this trend is not simply about families choosing one school over another. There are fewer school-aged children living within our district boundaries.

This pattern reflects larger demographic shifts across Northern Colorado, the state, and the nation. Data from the Colorado State Demography Office show that birth rates in Larimer County have declined for more than a decade. While there was a brief, modest uptick in births following the COVID-19 pandemic, overall fertility rates remain well below replacement levels, and current projections do not indicate a sustained rebound in the near term. 

The Common Sense Institute’s recent demographic study of Fort Collins reinforces this. It also indicates that just 23% of households in Fort Collins have school-aged children. Their analysis also finds that net migration into our region — people moving here from elsewhere — is significantly lower than it was before 2020. While a short-term uptick in net migration is projected, long-range forecasts show that migration will decline again and remain lower for decades to come. It is also important to note that even when migration increases, it does not necessarily translate into growth in the school-aged population.

Rising housing costs, fewer young families moving into the region, and long-term demographic shifts are all contributing to this reality. These forces are larger than any one school district, yet they directly affect us. Public schools rely on a stable population of children and families. When birth rates fall and fewer families move into an area, enrollment declines. This happens even when our schools are strong, high-performing, welcoming, and deeply valued by their community.

I want to acknowledge something directly: conversations about enrollment bring understandable anxiety in our community. Two years ago, PSD engaged in discussions about potential school consolidation. Those conversations were postponed, but I know many people still feel the weight of that experience.

Let's be clear: this message is not announcing school closures.

However, it is important that we work together to determine what we want PSD to look like over the next several decades and that we all begin from a shared understanding of the data and the challenges before us. Avoiding these realities now would only make future conversations more difficult and more unsettling. My commitment, as always, is to be transparent, proactive, and student-centered as we navigate this together.

Here is what the data consistently show:

• Enrollment has continued to decline and has not stabilized.
• Current projections do not show a rebound in student enrollment in the foreseeable future.
• Birth rates remain low, and fewer young families are moving into our region. Birth rates are not anticipated to rebound in the near future.
• Rising housing costs and slowing migration are reducing the number of school-aged children in this area.
• This is a regional and statewide demographic trend, not unique to PSD and not solely a matter of school choice.

In Colorado, school district funding is largely based on student enrollment through the state’s School Finance Act. As enrollment declines, the funding districts receive also declines. While state policy has historically allowed districts to use multi-year enrollment averages to soften the impact of year-to-year enrollment losses, that averaging is being phased out in the coming years. This means that enrollment declines will more directly affect district budgets moving forward. 

For PSD, this creates real financial pressure. Fewer students and reduced funding have already led, and will continue to lead, to the loss of many jobs and fewer staff available to support student learning, resulting in larger class sizes and some teachers being shared across multiple schools. It also means fewer program offerings for students, including reduced access to specials like art, music, and physical education. As a result, the district must carefully evaluate how resources are allocated, which will affect our ability to sustain the same level of programming, staffing, and services families have come to expect. This makes long-term planning especially important.

These challenges are significant, but our community has always shown the ability to come together and approach complex issues thoughtfully. We share a common vision: that every student deserves the resources, relationships, and support they need to thrive. Educating every child, every day requires people, time, and the capacity to focus deeply on students. Shaping how we sustain that work is something we must do together. 

In the months ahead, we will continue to share information and engage with our community about what these trends mean for PSD’s long-term planning. Our focus will remain clear and unwavering: providing the highest-quality learning experiences for every student, every day.

Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your continued commitment to our students.

PSD Enrollment Charts

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