Denver school board votes to close 3 schools amid emotional meeting
The school board for Denver Public Schools decided to close three schools on Thursday afternoon- Denver Discovery School, Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy and Fairview Elementary.
The closing of the schools has a lot to do with low enrollment which impacts funding to the schools and the ability to hire staff. The board believes the children will be more successful at other schools in surrounding areas.
Some board members were in tears as they announced the decision. During the meeting they promised to support families in communities where schools will be closing by providing them with transportation and providing students with more opportunities at bigger schools that have more resources to offer like elective options and after-school programs.
The board mentioned they would help staff find new jobs.
Around Fairview Elementary School, one of the schools that will close, there is a lot of construction. Denver Housing Authority has 264 units that are expected to become available to those elementary families in a few weeks. DHA is projecting 200-400 students will return to that community once construction on those units is complete.
One board member said the district should take a longer-term view for that school.
"Has there been a proposal with all of the potential growth in that neighborhood to scrap the current Fairview building and rebuild the building so that we could have a 21st-century learning space," said DPS board member Auon'tai Anderson.
The board said they are not opposed to reopening Fairview Elementary School in the future should demographics in the area change.
