Denver Public Schools announced this week that it'll recommend that 10 elementary and middle schools be closed.
But parents, educators and invested community members will still have a chance to voice their concerns to the school board next month before it votes on the final list of schools that will be closed and consolidated with other campuses.
The recommendation will be presented to the district's board of education on Nov. 3.
And a public comment session is scheduled for Nov. 14. The board will vote on the list on Nov. 17. The 2023-24 school year is the earliest any of the campuses would be closed or consolidated.
You can register to speak at a meeting by going to this link.
The district followed a set of criteria laid out by an advisory committee when choosing what schools to recommend for closure.
The district considered campuses with fewer than 215 students, schools expected to see an 8-10% decline in enrollment and financially insolvent charter schools.
The schools on the list are:
- Columbian Elementary will merge with Trevista at Trevista.
- Palmer Elementary will merge with Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment K-5 grades at Montclair ECE at Palmer.
- Math Science Leadership Academy (MSLA) will merge with Valverde Elementary at Valverde.
- Schmitt Elementary will merge with Godsman Elementary at Godsman.
- Eagleton Elementary will merge with Cowell Elementary at Cowell.
- Fairview Elementary and Colfax Elementary will merge with K-5 grades at Cheltenham and ECE at Colfax.
- International Academy of Denver at Harrington will merge with Columbine Elementary and Swansea Elementary in a new enrollment zone with Columbine and Swansea.
- Denver Discovery School will merge with schools in the Greater Park Hill - Central Park Enrollment Zone.
- Whittier K-8 will merge with schools in the Greater Five Points Elementary Enrollment Zone and the Near Northeast Middle School Enrollment Zone.
"We know that these decisions are not easy for our community, but they are necessary for our scholars," Superintendent Alex Marrero said in a statement. "We've applied the recommended criteria. We've learned from past efforts. And, we have learned from neighboring districts. These recommendations will not only help right-size our school district, they will allow our scholars access to more well-rounded educational experiences, and will also put the school district in a position to better address our staffing needs across the district."
CPR Education reporter Jenny Brundin contributed to this article.
