DENVER — Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is expected to unveil a long-awaited list of school closure recommendations during a public meeting Thursday evening.
The decision comes as the district is burdened by a downward trend in enrollment. While enrollment is up 2% within DPS this year due to an increase in immigrant students, as reported by Chalkbeat Colorado, the district has said it expects to lose 6,000 students – around 8% – by 2028.
DPS said it will consider enrollment as well as a host of other criteria in recommending schools for closure, including the number of students who live in each school's area and choose to attend other district schools, the types of available classes and the condition of the building.
The DPS board will hold a final vote on school closures on Nov. 21. Public comment sessions will be held at each school on the list in the two weeks leading up to that vote.
Thursday’s recommendation comes two days after voters backed a $975 million bond measure aimed at renovations, safety improvements and the addition of air conditioning to more than two-dozen schools throughout the district.
Denver7 asked DPS what would happen to any portion of those funds that were allocated for schools that end up on the chopping block. A district spokesperson said improvements to those buildings would still be made since DPS has no plans to sell them.
A civilian oversight committee will look at how the bond money is being used.
Marrero recommended closure or consolidation of 10 schools back in October of 2022. Only three of those schools – Denver Discovery School, Fairview Elementary, and Mathematics, Science and Leadership Academy – ultimately closed at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
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