WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — At a monthly Parent Teacher Association meeting for Kullerstrand Elementary School, the goal for attendees was trying to save their school.
“Even if we can change a few of their minds, that's really what we're trying to do," said the PTA President Kim St. Martin, referring to the Jeffco Board of Education.
Kullerstand is one of 16 schools that could close, after being selected in a proposal from Jeffco Public Schools. The proposal is scheduled to go before the Jeffco Board of Education for a vote on Nov. 10.
The plan would close 16 of the school district's 85 elementary schools. Those with Jeffco Public Schools said they have space for 96,000 students, but only have around 69,000 enrolled. The extra space has spread resources too thin to provide the educational experience desired by school leaders.
Kimberly Eloe, the executive director of communications for Jeffco Public Schools, said the plan was proposed because the number of school age children has been declining for the last 21 years.
“Our elementary schools specifically were set up and built, many in the 1950s and 1960s, to serve the community that existed at that time," Eloe said. “This has been work that's been put off for quite a while to address the fact that we have so many fewer children in Jefferson County.”
The schools that were selected either had less than 220 students enrolled or were using less than 45% of their building's capacity, in addition to having a receiving elementary school within three and a half miles.
“Basically, one school is going to receive the entire student body from the other, obviously acknowledging that we live in a choice state, so parents can always choose to enroll outside of their new assigned boundary school," Eloe said.
If the plan were approved, the schools would remain open for the 2022-2023 school year. They would be closed for the following year.
Meanwhile, at the Kullerstrand PTA meeting, parents and community members are planning to send letters asking board members to rethink the proposal.
“Pretty alarming statistics in terms of the inequity around this decision in terms of the schools are closed," Jessica Tribbett said during the meeting. “There's just a lot of holes, and they didn't take a thoughtful, methodical process coming to this proposal and are trying to shove it through.”
Eloe said Jeffco Public Schools honors and respects the wishes of parents who do not want their schools to close.
“There's not a single community member at any of these 16 schools that are being recommended for closure and consolidation that want their school to close. Nobody wants to close schools," Eloe said. “Unfortunately, we are at a juncture of the fact that our community, our population of school age children has changed. And we are not providing our students with the best educational opportunity they can have.”
There is a second phase of the plan expected that would focus on secondary schools.
“The board has not set forth specific parameters around what that phase two will look like," Eloe said. "But we believe it would be less about school closures and consolidations= and more about how do we reimagine delivering a secondary school experience that helps prepare students for post-secondary life when they leave Jeffco Public Schools.”
Denver7 also heard from parents of Vivian Elementary School, who wanted to provide the following statements for the article:
It is really hard to put Vivian in a nutshell because it is such a special place for us. The student body is so diverse that it feels like an inner-city school tucked away in a quiet suburb. Not only is it racially diverse, but we have a Deaf and Hard of Hearing program that includes children with other factors such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. The Core Virtues of inclusion, integrity, honesty, perseverance, respect and responsibility teach our children that despite their differences, every child is valued and gets a seat at the table and they model this by including D/HH in mainstream classrooms. The Classical Academy curriculum is highly disciplined and emphasizes hard work, perseverance and academic excellence. And in the three years since we’ve switched to the Classical Academy, our students have exceeded growth despite all of those years spent reeling and recovering from the pandemic. Fifty-eight percent of the student body are children of color, and 68% are receiving free and reduced lunch — these are the kids that are always taking the brunt of school closures. And this one hurts so badly because this school is making strides at leveling the playing field for our most at risk children. In the past three years, most every other school backslid, but the kids at Vivian are excelling and working on closing achievement gaps! That alone should keep us from being shuttered. If they close our doors, our D/HH program will go to a different receiving school, further dividing our community.
It is the perfect example of a model school that prioritizes critical thinking skills, reason and troubleshooting skills that are essential in any technical environment, yet, at the same time, instills the core values for effective collaborations in an ever increasingly diverse environment in which soft skills are just as important to succeed. Vivian found the perfect balance in leveraging the talents of diverse groups to learn and apply the knowledge to advance our human collective mission.
Example: Our kids celebrate differences in kids from various socioeconomic, ethnic and physical abilities. At Vivian, we are all the same with different superpowers. We have been closing achievement gaps while fostering a sense of true community.
We are what America has been wishing for all along.
Moreover, closing Vivan means that a disproportionate number of kids and families from low socioeconomic status, racial minorities and disabilities would be suffering a disproportionate effect due to the disruption of this environment.
This effect, coupled with the fact we have been closing achievement gaps equate to a civil rights violation, and our Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Denver and therefore Colorado families will look down at this decision if the board decides to support this injustice.
The effects will be long term, and the real issue is that Vivian is not the only school affected at this moment; other schools and future schools could experience this same fate, thereby exacerbating the disparity in education and wealth distribution in this county. We are not in agreement and we will use every tool at our disposal to raise awareness.
This is not only about Vivian but about the fabric of our society that is supposed to keep our children safe and protected during their development. They are the future. Let’s give them the best environment for a great societal benefit.