Denver Public Schools hosts potential school closures, consolidation meetings for parents

On Tuesday night, Sept. 24, the first of several meetings is happening for Denver Public Schools parents to learn more about potential school consolidations and closures. This comes as the district is working on solutions to address declining enrollment. 

DPS is expected to see 6,000 fewer students by 2028, which is a drop of more than 8%.

The district says it's necessary to consolidate and "right size" in order to stay financially viable and to allocate limited resources better.

"I realize how difficult it can be to hear that a school may be closing. During this process, we will be very transparent and provide opportunities for everyone in our community to engage and ask questions," Dr. Alex Marrero said, the DPS Superintendent, in a message to the community.

The district will host a series of six meetings across the city. They'll be held both in person and online through Oct. 22. During the meetings, the district wants to educate families about the potential impacts of consolidations and closures, and also ensure there is support for students, families and staff who are impacted.

The school board is looking at these guidelines:

• Schools of any size are eligible for consolidation or closure
• The superintendent will only consider consolidation or closure if it's a viable option
• Standardized test scores or school ratings won't be the only reason for consolidation, but the superintendent may use other academic assessments
• The superintendent will recommend schools be identified for closure or consolidation by October, and the board will vote on it no later than November
• Students impacted will have priority enrollment at other schools
• In December, families and staff at schools experiencing consolidation or closures would begin to receive support for the transitions ahead

The first in a series of six meetings begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Denver's South High School.

Scott Pribble, the Director of External Communications for DPS said, the district understands this isn't an easy decision, but he added there is a benefit to consolidating schools and putting more students together. It'll put more resources within the same building, expand opportunities, and allow for better support for students.

"This is not an easy decision for anybody, and we understand that the community heart often beats through a school," said Pribble. "But we are not able to support the students effectively and provide the same services for all of our students across the district because of the way the funding is set up, and so this is something that's unfortunate but necessary."

A list of the meetings can be found below:

• Regional Engagement Meeting 1 (Southeast): Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6-7 p.m. at South High School
• Regional Engagement Meeting 2 (Central): Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6-7 p.m. at Manual High School
• Regional Engagement Meeting 3 (Northwest): Monday, Oct. 7, 6-7 p.m. at CEC Early College
• Regional Engagement Meeting 4 (Southwest): Monday, Oct. 14, 6-7 p.m. at Abraham Lincoln High School
• Regional Engagement Meeting 5 (Far Northeast): Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6-7 p.m. at Montbello High School
• Regional Engagement Meeting 6 (Virtual): Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6-7 p.m. virtual via Zoom

On Nov. 7, the Superintendent will present the Board of Education with a list of schools recommended for consolidation. On Nov. 21, the Board will vote on the list. A number of meetings will also be held at each of the impacted schools in November.