Denver families will know on Nov. 7 which DPS schools are recommended for closure or consolidation due to declining enrollment.
Then, they'll have just two weeks to provide feedback.
The Denver Board of Education will vote on Superintendent Alex Marrero’s recommendations on Nov. 21, according to an updated timeline presented to board members Thursday night.
Why so short a timeline?
Originally, the district’s closure policy would have meant an October recommendation followed by a month to gather input from the community.
But Denver Public Schools officials argued that accurate enrollment numbers wouldn’t be ready until after the state-required official October count of students.
There will be some changes to weigh in before that late-November deadline. Ahead of Nov. 21, the district will host a series of meetings to provide information about declining enrollment and gather feedback before a final decision is made.
Why does DPS need to close schools?
Since 2014, Denver Public Schools has seen sharply declining enrollment, especially at the elementary level, according to a district strategic analysis.
Low birth rates and rapidly increasing housing prices are fueling the declines, with the district expecting to lose another 6,000 students by 2028.
Enrollment is declining the most in Denver’s central, southwest and northwest neighborhoods.
Some parts of the city however, such as the far northeast and northern Central Park neighborhoods, have had increases in students.
Marrero told board members there is a financial burden and inability to serve students equitably because of declining enrollment that is “untenable.” DPS officials say students in small schools don’t have access to the same academic and social support that is available at larger schools.
“I am confident that if we had more scholars with more adult support, more resources, we would have seen even larger gains,” Marrero said, referring to recently released test scores.
School closures are painful and emotional events that often generate strong pushback because many families view their schools as community centers.
Last year, the school board voted to close two elementary schools — Fairview Elementary and Math and Science Leadership Academy — and a middle school, Denver Discovery School.
How will the district decide which schools to close?
Marrero must follow the criteria for closure laid out by the board.
For example, the financial viability of the school and when possible, ensuring school consolidations “prevent further segregation” based on language, race or economic status.
The superintendent can’t use standardized test scores as the “sole” condition for consolidation, and he should avoid consolidating one school with another that is more than two miles away.
How can I weigh in on school closures?
Beginning the week of Sept. 23 through Oct. 18, the district will host six regional meetings (in-person and virtual) at several DPS high schools to discuss enrollment trends and implications of school closures.
The public can also provide input at those meetings, although they won’t know if their particular school will be on the list.
There will also be surveys and feedback forms available online.
Marrero said he’ll incorporate community feedback and data analysis into his decision. But once his recommendations are made publicly on Nov. 7, the decisions appear to be final.
“Our team is being incredibly diligent on our methodology when we produce a list … we're not going to be convinced otherwise. We've made the decision based on data and what's best for the district,” he said.
After the board vote on Nov. 21, the district will work with students, families and staff over the rest of the school year to plan for school consolidation and student transitions.
“Nobody wants their school closed,” board member Scott Esserman said. “It's going to be hard, it's going to be painful and it's necessary.”
