Town Board and Estes Park Planning Commission to hold joint study session Sept. 30

The Estes Park Town Board and the Estes Park Planning Commission will hold a joint study session on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Boardroom, 170 MacGregor Ave, Estes Park, to discuss proposals to the Town’s annexation policy and have a presentation on the community’s development code process by Eric Krohngold, a consultant with the Design Workshop.

The Peak, Estes Park’s free transit service, shifts to fall hours Oct. 1

  • Red Route (downtown/Elkhorn): Daily, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. through Oct. 19.
  • Brown, Blue, Silver, Gold Routes: Weekends only, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. through Oct. 19.
  • All service ends Oct. 19.

What’s new: In 2025, The Peak tested weekday service in September, funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant and guided by the Town’s Multimodal and Transit Development plans.

What’s next: Ridership data from this season will inform 2026 service planning.

Funding: The Peak is funded by the Town of Estes Park’s general fund, parking services fund (via paid parking revenues), Federal Transit Administration grants, and local sponsors.

Funding: The Peak is funded by the Town of Estes Park’s general fund, parking services fund (via paid parking revenues), Federal Transit Administration grants, and local sponsors. 

Estes Park schools mark improvement

Big picture: The Estes Park League of Women Voters hosted “Learn with the League” on Wednesday, Sept. 17, a roundtable discussion that showcased the Estes Park School District R-3’s progress over the past year and particularly over the past five years due to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic that set many students and schools back in academic progress.

In a nutshell: The District attributes its progress on academic benchmarks in student performance and attendance to its strategic planning and its “Parent Partnership” plan.

The achievements include a rise in state assessment scores, moving from an “Improvement District” status to near “Distinguished District” status. Three years ago, Estes Park Schools ranked in the bottom third for test scores. The District is now in the top half.

The schools have seen an increase in student attendance to 91.7%.

By the numbers: There are 917 students enrolled for the 2025-2026 year, a decline from 1,151 students in the 2019-2020 school year. (The official census will be released in January.)

  •  105 students with Individual Education Plans who receive special education services, which is 11% of the school population. The state average is 13%, and the national average is 15%
  • 56 students are not eligible for special education but have needs that make them eligible for individual 504 plans
  •  65 students are eligible for and receive gifted and talented services
  • 40 students with Speech and Hearing needs receive services
  • 166 multilingual English language learners participate in English language classes

Finances: The school receives a per-pupil funding of $13,395.96, primarily from local property taxes in addition to grants.

  • The preliminary budget for the 2025-2026 school year for the Estes Park School District is approximately $25.8 million. 
  • This is roughly a $700K increase from the 2024-2025 budget.

Facilities: The school’s buildings are aging and require maintenance. 

  • The middle school is 63 years old
  • The high school is 51 years old
  • The elementary school is 28 years old. 

This past year, a Long-Term Planning Committee developed a facilities plan that emphasizes preventative maintenance to minimize excessive repairs.

Holistic education: In addition to its focus on academics, the District also emphasizes the development of social skills and community service. High School students are required to participate in at least 40 hours of community service as a graduation requirement.