English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Highlands Ranch, CO

Douglas County School District will be consolidating schools in one community using funds from a bond passed by voters earlier this month.

Any of Highlands Ranch's 18 elementary schools could be impacted. The district is currently in the process of deciding which three schools will be closed and which other three schools will absorb their students.

"There's a lot of uncertainty for the parents in my community," said Highlands Ranch mom of two, Emily Drost.

Highlands Ranch parents are worried about their children's future education.

"We specifically sought out Sand Creek Elementary School because they have such a small class size already, but now that classes are getting smaller and smaller ... My first grader, for example, she's in just one class of first graders, and there's 26 kids in her class," Drost said.

It's a story of demographics: new schools are needed in growing communities like Sterling Ranch, while families who bought homes in Highlands Ranch in the 1990s no longer have young children, leading to declining enrollment at those schools.

"Students are missing out on opportunities because buildings that used to have 500, 600 kids now have 300 kids, sometimes less," said DCSD Superintendent Erin Kane.

DCSD will close three Highlands Ranch elementary schools in 2026 and combine the students with three others.

"So we'll be bringing two school communities together into one for the school communities, and that's the one we will invest in through the bond," Kane said.

But it's not clear which of Highlands Ranch's 18 elementary schools will be impacted.

"We've really struggled as a smaller school with the fact it could be closed," Drost said of her children's school, Sand Creek Elementary.

"There have been a lot of rumors circulating. We don't really know what the criteria is," said Highlands Ranch mom Nicole Mann. She lives walking distance from her children's school, and worries about the impact of its possible closure.

The Board of Education is expected to unveil the criteria in January that will be used to make decisions about which schools will close.

"We know what the criteria won't be. This is not a worthiness discussion. It's much more of a practical discussion, considering things like traffic and safety," Kane said.

The district would prefer to keep kids together with their classmates and to keep them with the same feeder high school.

"My hope is that the school district won't be breaking up the individual schools themselves, so my kids will stay with their friends," Drost said.

Closed school buildings will be kept by the district for school programming, Kane said. When demographics shift down the line, they could be reopened as schools. Kane added that staff will not lose their jobs with the district.

"I would just like to know as soon as possible what schools are going to be consolidated so that parents can make plans," Mann said.

The district expects to announce which schools will be closed in April 2025, but there will be another school year before consolidation happens in the fall of 2026.

Right now, the district is holding community engagement meetings for parents. The next one will be Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Mountain Ridge Middle School.

Olivia Young

Olivia Young is a reporter at CBS News Colorado. Read her latest reports or check out her bio and send her an email.

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Even in death, 14-year-old Ashley Scott is throwing a lifeline.

The Douglas County teenager who inspired thousands of Coloradans during the holidays with her selfless work for the homeless took her life on Oct. 23.

Scott was 6, a Colorado Springs Rockrimmon Elementary School first grader, when she started KidsCareToo. The effort, which was already big along the Front Range, has spread to Pueblo where relatives are taking it on and to Birmingham, Alabama, spearheaded by her Godmother.

Ashley and her mom, Annette Turnpaugh Henington, ran the entire production that first year. The pair baked cookies and used some of their holiday spending money to buy blankets, socks and gloves.

On Christmas Eve, they walked up and down Tejon Street and Nevada Avenue in downtown Colorado Springs and handed out bags of presents to people who looked like they could use them.

Two people gave Ashley stuffed animals in return. One did a magic trick for her.

"Some people gave me hugs," Ashley said.

In just a year, it grew into a community-wide project.

She made such an impact that then-Governor John Hickenlooper recognized the tiny blonde's big heart for his final State of the State address in 2018.

“We’re putting our faith in people like 7-year-old Ashley Scott from Colorado Springs,” Hickenlooper said. “Two years ago, she started a holiday benefit and purchased blankets, socks and gloves for the homeless. This past year, she partnered with 20 businesses, her school, and the community to do even more.”

As he wound up his tribute, Hickenlooper asked Ashley to stand for a round of applause and remarked that it was a shame that she couldn’t run for governor.

The family eventually moved to Douglas County where Ashley was a freshman at Rock Canyon High School.

Her parents said Ashley’s unexpected death took them by surprise — she seemed to be doing well in school and her work with KidsCareToo was ongoing.

However, Annette Turnpaugh Henington suspects that Ashley was bullied.

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“We believe Ashley struggled with bullying, as well as other everyday teenage pressures in her life,” Henington said, adding that families try to be too perfect and don't talk about what it means when life isn't OK.

There were few signs that the outgoing teenager was having a hard time, except once she told her mom that someone wasn't being very nice. The Douglas County Sheriff has Ashley's cellphone to investigate any bullying which may have been happening by text or through social media.

Henington is remembering her beautiful and fearless girl who had arranged for prisoners to knit hats and gloves for the homeless, or who would hug a person on the street if they asked her.

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"She had so much energy. She would get up in the morning and do her hair and makeup. We had started calling her ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”

In death, Scott has inspired a new cause. The Ashley Isabella Scott Foundation Inc, a Colorado non-profit, has been created to continue Ashley’s life mission to “inspire others, choose kindness, stop bullying.” Henington hopes the acronym "DSIS" -- Don't Suffer in Silence -- will catch on in Ashley's honor. And #DoItForAshley is catching on among the teen's friends.

A celebration of Ashley's Life will be held at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch on Nov. 23.

"Ashley wouldn't want anybody to be sad. She was always dancing around. She would say 'If you get a chance in life to either sit it out or dance, just dance.'" said Henington. "If you do something for yourself, dance…Do it for Ashley."

Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Written with the help of Colorado Springs Gazette reporter Debbie Kelley.

The snow that began Tuesday won't stop until Saturday. Winter storm watches and warnings have been issued in Colorado's mountains and Denver area.

DENVER — The snow that arrived late Tuesday has continued to fall across Colorado.

The 9NEWS Weather Impact Team issued a Weather Impact Day through Saturday morning for the significant snowstorm. The snow is forecast to continue until Saturday along Colorado's Front Range, foothills and the Denver metro area.

Several areas of Colorado have received more than 30 inches of snow, including La Veta Pass, San Isabel and Cuchara.

Genoa, Beulah, La Veta Pass, Elbert, Pinecliffe, Peyton, Simla, Flagler, Westcliffe, Conifer, Monarch Pass, and Rye are among the areas of Colorado that have reported more than 20 inches of new snow.

The official snow total for Denver is 9 inches, recorded at Denver International Airport. The airport saw hundreds of delays on Friday due to the storm. Nearby Aurora has received 13 inches of snow.

The National Weather Service posted Winter Storm Warnings across Colorado's central and eastern plains and Winter Weather Advisories for areas west and south of Denver.

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Colorado Snow Totals

Here are some snow reports from around Colorado as of 12:30 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service:

The next storm system headed to Colorado will likely bring 6 to 14 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday.

The steadier snow moves into the Denver area late Friday morning, with moderate-to-heavy snow likely Friday afternoon and on Friday night and into Saturday morning.

Look for a widespread 4 to 8 inches of accumulation, with 10 inches or more possible in spots as well. This looks like a significant winter storm, and likely to be one of our biggest November snowstorms in recent memory.

Colorado will finally get rid of the snow on Saturday morning and dry out and melt out starting on Saturday afternoon, with quieter weather Sunday through Tuesday of next week.

Credit: Michael Ryno

Denver forecast

Tips for removing snow from trees:

If it appears the tree has fallen on powerlines, it's best to leave it alone and wait for the utility to come and clear it.

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