With the extraordinary number of young kids in Stapleton, and that number increasing, residents are concerned the current elementary schools will not be able to accommodate all of the incoming children. “People are always talking about the bubble,” says concerned resident J.D. Artz. “But, what concerns me, is not the first bubble, it is all of these bubbles we see coming up after the first bubble. Will five DPS elementary schools be enough?”
Luckily for Artz and the rest of Stapleton a potential solution to this issue was accidentally discovered by a Stapleton runner. “I was out running in Eastbridge and was looking over at the progress of the 26th Ave. Park when I saw what I thought was a mirage,” said runner Mitchell Weber. “It looked like a public building, almost like a school. I didn’t want to interrupt my run to look further into it, nor did I want to be seen across the border, so I came back later at night and confirmed it. Sure enough, it’s a school.” That school is located right across the through-street Iola in Aurora.
Weber compares his find to accidentally discovering plutonium. “This changes everything in regards to the school systems out here,” says Artz. “The school is within a half mile of either Westerly Creek Elementary or Isabella Bird Elementary. All we need to do now is get some information about the school, and get residents over the small stigma that their children may be attending an Aurora Elementary school.”
Weber said that the Fletcher discovery led to other discoveries as well. “Did you know that there is a rec center there as well as a playground and an outdoor pool?,” said Weber. “That area is a gold mine.” DPS officials mention it is too early to say whether they would consider partnering with Aurora Public Schools to handle the influx of Stapleton elementary students. “Right now, we feel we have enough schools for upcoming students,” said DPS official Jen Carman. “However, if that changes, we will certainly look into a potential partnership situation. We certainly can’t afford to keep building schools, and heck, if it’s right there, let’s use it.”
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