Columbian Elementary in Sunnyside closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year after a unanimous Denver Public Schools board vote. Its boundary became part of the Northwest Elementary Enrollment Zone, where students are guaranteed a seat at one of the zone’s schools through SchoolChoice.
If you have looked at an older Sunnyside listing, you may still see Columbian Elementary named as the neighborhood school. The building at 2925 W 40th Ave, just east of Federal Boulevard, is still standing, but it has not held classes since spring 2025, and the address-to-school assignment that many listings show no longer works the way it did.
Denver Public Schools closed Columbian as part of a round of closures and consolidations driven by falling enrollment. Instead of sending its students to one receiving school, DPS folded Columbian’s boundary into a shared enrollment zone with several other northwest Denver elementary schools. That changes how the school question gets answered for the blocks Columbian used to serve.
Jason Sirois, a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass, works from our office at 1900 W 32nd Ave, a short drive from the old Columbian campus. Here is what happened to the school, how the enrollment zone works now, what is happening with the building, and how to confirm the school options for a specific Sunnyside address.
Why did Denver Public Schools close Columbian Elementary?
On November 21, 2024, the DPS Board of Education voted unanimously to close seven schools and partially close three more, effective at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Chalkbeat’s report on the vote lists Columbian among the full closures, along with Castro, Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, International Academy of Denver at Harrington, Palmer, Schmitt and West Middle School.
The district’s case was enrollment. When the closure list was recommended in November 2024, Chalkbeat reported that Columbian had 143 students and was using about 38% of its building, the lowest share among the four elementary schools in its northwest cluster. Its kindergarten class had 20 students, also the smallest in that group.
It was not the first time Columbian appeared on a closure list: the board removed it and four other schools from a 2022 closure proposal before the final vote that November.
Columbian’s own DPS website now says it “closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year.” Its special education program moved to Trevista at Horace Mann, according to Chalkbeat.
Where do students in the old Columbian boundary go now?
There is no single replacement school. Columbian’s attendance area became part of the Northwest Elementary School Enrollment Zone, a shared boundary in which every resident is guaranteed a seat at one of the zone’s schools rather than at one assigned building.
DPS’s 2025-26 guide for the zone listed five elementary schools:
| School | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beach Court Elementary | 4950 Beach Ct | Top SchoolChoice pick among Columbian families for 2025-26 |
| Centennial Elementary | 4665 Raleigh St | Zone school |
| Edison Elementary | 3350 Quitman St | Zone school |
| Rocky Mountain Prep Berkeley | 3752 Tennyson St | Charter school in the zone |
| Trevista at Horace Mann | 4130 Navajo St | Received Columbian’s special education program |
Sources: DPS 2025-26 Northwest Elementary Zone guide; Chalkbeat, November 8 and 22, 2024, and April 21, 2025.
A few details from the district’s zone materials are worth knowing:
- SchoolChoice is how you get a seat. To be placed at a zone school, a student has to take part in SchoolChoice, ranking the zone schools. Families can also apply to any other DPS school.
- Preschool is offered but not guaranteed. Early childhood seats exist at zone schools, but the zone guarantee covers kindergarten and up.
- Transportation follows distance rules. DPS said in March 2025 that zone students can ride a bus to any zone school if they live more than a mile away or would have to cross a hazardous road.
Zone lists can change, and DPS is reviewing boundaries now, so treat the table as the 2025-26 picture and confirm the current list.
What about middle school for Sunnyside addresses?
Middle school in this part of Denver also runs through a zone. DPS’s 2025-26 Northwest Middle School Enrollment Zone guide lists Skinner Middle School, Rocky Mountain Prep Sunnyside (grades 6 to 8), Bryant Webster Dual Language ECE-8, and Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High (grades 6 to 12).
Not every Sunnyside block necessarily sits in the same zones, and high school options depend on the address too, so the district’s own School Finder tool is more reliable than a listing sheet.
What is happening to the Columbian Elementary building?
As of the latest reporting, the building is empty and DPS has not settled on a new use.
- April 2025: Chalkbeat reported DPS had no reuse plan. Some families asked for a standalone preschool; the district said northwest Denver did not need more preschool seats but was open to a child care center for children up to age 3 with an outside partner.
- February 2026: DPS issued a request for proposals for an infant and toddler child care center plus an early childhood workforce training site, according to Chalkbeat.
- Spring 2026: That request was closed without an award after multiple providers withdrew, and DPS said it was working on a new plan.
- July 2026: Chalkbeat reported that no operator had been chosen for Columbian and there was no firm date. DPS was doing a feasibility study with several organizations and hoped to reissue the request.
Separately, in April 2026 two board members revived a proposed policy that would require the district to plan for each empty building and reuse or sell it within two years of vacancy, with educational use first, then other district use, then community partnerships. As of July 2026 it had not been adopted. We did not find any new board action on Columbian between August and early October 2026.
For nearby owners, the site’s future is still open, and any reuse or sale would go through public district decisions worth watching on DPS board agendas.
Could more northwest Denver schools close?
In June 2025, the DPS board voted 4-2 to pause enrollment-based closures for four years, through the 2028-29 school year, with an exception for a substantial shift in enrollment or funding. In May 2026, Superintendent Alex Marrero said more closures were likely before that pause ends.
DPS is also reviewing school boundaries and enrollment zones for the first time since the 1990s. CBS Colorado reported in May 2026 that decisions were planned for fall 2026, with changes taking effect in the 2027-28 school year. No northwest Denver schools had been named for closure in the reporting we reviewed.
We covered a similar situation in Jefferson County, where older listings still name a closed school, in our post on Kullerstrand Elementary and Applewood Knolls. The lesson carries over: school information on a listing is a starting point, not a guarantee.
How to check the schools for a Sunnyside address
- Use DPS School Finder. The district’s zone guides point families to schoolfinder.dpsk12.org to look up the boundary or zone for an exact address.
- Read the current zone guide. DPS publishes a guide for each enrollment zone during the SchoolChoice season, with the participating schools and transportation rules.
- Do not rely on old listing data. Listings and third-party sites can lag behind closures and zone changes by years.
For more on the neighborhood itself, see our Sunnyside community page and our insider’s guide to Denver’s northwest neighborhoods. If you are buying or selling in Sunnyside and want help sorting out what the school changes mean for a specific address, Jason Sirois and the FORM Team at Compass Denver are glad to talk it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Columbian Elementary in Denver still open?
No. Columbian Elementary, at 2925 W 40th Ave in Sunnyside, closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year after the DPS board voted unanimously on November 21, 2024, to close it along with six other schools.
Why did Columbian Elementary close?
Low enrollment. Chalkbeat reported that the school had 143 students in 2024-25 and was using about 38% of its building, the lowest share in its northwest Denver cluster.
Which school replaced Columbian Elementary?
None directly. Columbian’s boundary joined the Northwest Elementary Enrollment Zone. For 2025-26 the zone included Beach Court, Centennial, Edison, Rocky Mountain Prep Berkeley and Trevista at Horace Mann, with a guaranteed seat at one of them through SchoolChoice.
Do I have to do SchoolChoice if I live in the old Columbian boundary?
Yes, according to DPS’s zone guide. Students must participate in SchoolChoice to be assigned to a zone school. They can also apply to schools outside the zone.
What will happen to the Columbian Elementary building?
Nothing has been decided. A 2026 request for a child care operator ended without an award, and as of July 2026 DPS was studying options and hoped to reissue the request.
Does a closed school affect home values nearby?
We have not seen a study that isolates that effect in northwest Denver, so we would not put a number on it. What buyers ask about most is clarity, which is why confirming the current zone for an address matters.
This post is general information based on Denver Public Schools materials and news reports available as of October 8, 2026. School zones, programs and building plans can change. Confirm current school options for any address directly with Denver Public Schools. This is not legal or financial advice.
