DPS Enrollment Down More Than Expected, Need For Funding Is 'So Significantly Higher'
DENVER (CBS4) -- The superintendent of Denver Public Schools said student enrollment is down this academic year, and it is critically important for students to fill out the appropriate documents in order for the district to get funding from the state.
"There hasn't been a time like this ever before, and frankly, the need is so significantly higher than it has been in past years, and it's going to be really important to work with us on how we can maintain steady funding," Superintendent Susana Cordova said Tuesday.
"But overall... in terms of changes in enrollment, lower enrollment than we had anticipated. And I'm hopeful that as a state will continue to be able to invest in education," she stated.
Cordova said it is crucial for students to be enrolled before the state "count day."
"So our state uses the 'count day' to take an official count of all the students so that state funding can follow students based on where they're enrolled," Cordova stated. "Obviously, it has a very large impact on our ability to receive funding from the state."
Cordova said it funding is also based on the number of students who qualify for free lunch, and urged families to make sure those forms are submitted -- even if their children are learning from home.
"Even as students are in virtual learning, it's been critically important to get those forms filled out because it's a very significant source of funding," she said.
Cordova said about 56% of the families selected in-person learning and 39% selected virtual learning.
Kindergarten students returned to school on Tuesday. First grade students will return next week, on Monday, Oct. 5. Students in grades two through five will use the week of Oct. 12 for safety training days to learn the new rituals and routines, and then be back in person on Oct. 21.
Middle school and high school students, in grades six through 12, will be back in person, on Oct. 21 -- frequently in a hybrid setting where they're taking classes in person two days a week, and engaging in virtual learning the remaining time.
"Across all of our schools, we're requiring that students be in cohorts of no more than 35 students," Cordova said. "That means across the school day they can only interact with up to 35 students. Teachers can only interact with two groups of 35 students, total, at any given time."
Cordova said those protocols make it "incredibly challenging" to schedule in-person learning for high school students.
"It's incredibly challenging to come up with schedules, particularly past ninth or 10th grade, where you can keep those small number of students, a small number of teachers, and still teach all the classes that kids take to complete the graduation requirements -- particularly as we think about some of the really robust offerings that many of our schools have for students including career and technical education AP classes concurrent enrollment classes," she said.
Aurora Public Schools Superintendent Rico Munn says COVID-19 could set young school children back three months to two years in their learning. At a regularly scheduled news conference on Tuesday, Munn spoke alongside Gov. Jared Polis and pleaded with parents to enroll their children in school -- in either online learning or in-person.
"What's also incredibly important is the social support that school provides, be it online or in person, kids are social creatures. We need to have them connected with other adults, kids, students for their continued growth and well-being," said Munn. "Public school educators are here with the resources to support you and your family. in order for that to happen we need you to enroll your kids, whether it be online or in person."
APS says they are trying to reach those families -- even knocking on doors to make sure the kids are okay and aren't lost in the process.
Education leaders say the children aren't just missing out on education, but also meals, health services and special needs assistance.
