Welcome to Elementary School 51 in Sterling Ranch (Opening Fall 2027)

A new neighborhood elementary school is coming to the Sterling Ranch community—designed to support a growing area and create a strong foundation for student success. Funded by the 2024 Bond, this school will serve families in Sterling Ranch and surrounding areas, helping to reduce overcrowding and provide a high-quality, local learning option. The school is currently under construction following a groundbreaking in January 2025, and we look forward to welcoming students in Fall 2027.

This school will be built to support up to 750 students in a modern, thoughtfully designed environment that encourages collaboration, connection, and a sense of belonging.

Enrollment is anticipated to open in November 2026. Additional details will be shared as we get closer.

Meet the Principal

Julie Crawford

Julie Crawford

jccrawford@dcsdk12.org
(Please note: a direct school phone line is not available at this time.)

Julie Crawford brings over 20 years of experience in education and a deep belief in supporting the whole child. She began her career as a Special Needs Teacher, working with students with Affective Needs—an experience that continues to shape her commitment to meeting each student where they are.

She later served as Assistant Principal at Trailblazer Elementary before becoming Principal at Eldorado Elementary, where she has led for the past seven years. Throughout her career, Julie has focused on creating school environments where students feel safe, valued, and capable.

Her guiding belief—“Students do well if they can”—drives her work to ensure every child is supported academically, socially, and emotionally. She is passionate about building a school culture rooted in care, connection, and high expectations.

Outside of school, Julie enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband have two children in high school who keep them busy and grounded in the everyday joys of family life.

Julie is excited to help bring this new school to life and looks forward to building a welcoming, inclusive community from the ground up.

Groundbreaking

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School Updates

Groundbreaking Event

Permitting Update

Time Capsule Event

Principal Announcement

Coffee & Conversations

Coffee & Conversations Follow Up

Attendance Boundaries

Boundary Survey

What to Expect

A new neighborhood school designed for a rapidly growing community
Modern learning spaces that support collaboration and flexibility
Strong academic programming aligned with DCSD priorities
A focus on belonging, well-being, and student success
Opportunities for families to engage as the school develops

More updates—including the official school name, final attendance boundaries, and ways to get involved—will be shared here as they become available. Final boundary decisions are expected in 2026.

FAQs

Who will be able to attend this school?

Students who live within the boundaries of the new DCSD neighborhood school, and are in the grades served by the school will be eligible to attend the new elementary school in the Sterling Ranch neighborhood. Final boundary determinations will be established in 2026 by the Board of Education. Both Sterling Ranch and the Solstice neighborhoods will be part of this discussion.

When will the school open? How big will the school be?

What is the new school's street address?

What if our students want to go to this school, but students from other areas have filled it up already?

While Colorado is a choice enrollment state (meaning families can enroll in a school other than their “assigned” neighborhood school), the Douglas County School District has policies in place to ensure that enrollment priority is given to families who live within a school’s boundaries. Families who reside in Sterling Ranch are guaranteed enrollment in the new elementary schools. Families outside of the school’s boundaries who wish to enroll may express their desire to do so via Douglas County School District’s Choice Enrollment process. However, students outside of the school’s boundary will only be accommodated per the DCSD Choice Enrollment Procedures (as space and programming permit).

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