Shrinking Schools
News about small schools and school closures in Colorado related to declining student enrollment.
The Denver teachers union is asking Denver Public Schools to negotiate a special agreement for the teachers who would lose their jobs if schools close.
Denver Public Schools said any closed schools would be repurposed with input from the community — and not sold.
Estudiantes abandonaron sus clases el viernes y marcharon hacia la oficina central de las Escuelas Públicas de Denver.
They described the proposed closures as “illogical,” “unethical,” “half-baked,” “discriminatory,” and “classist.”
Students walked out of class Friday and marched to Denver Public Schools headquarters, where they chanted, “Keep your hands! Off our school!”
The district hadn’t passed a tax measure since 2006.
Superintendent Alex Marrero has recommended closing 10 schools due to declining enrollment.
The school board is set to vote on the recommendations on Nov. 21.
In the Thompson School District, a former school will become the first shelter for homeless youth in northern Colorado.
Los oficiales van a considerar a las escuelas que tengan más asientos que estudiantes ubicadas en regiones con disminución del numero de inscripciones.
Schools with many more seats than students that are located in regions of the city with declining enrollment will be considered, officials said.
Denver no tiene suficientes estudiantes para llenar sus edificios, dijeron los representantes del distrito escolar.
Some parents questioned the district’s timeline and community engagement efforts.
The superintendent is expected to make school closure recommendations on Nov. 7 and the school board is set to vote on them Nov. 21.
The change likely leaves less time for district officials to meet with students and families at schools recommended for closure.
Los estudiantes que califican para obtener comidas escolares subsidiadas, un indicador de pobreza, también tienen mayor probabilidad de asistir a escuelas con menos estudiantes inscritos.
The policy says the superintendent should recommend schools identified for closure or consolidation by October, and the board should vote “no later than November.”
The board is expected to vote on the policy later this month.
That’s according to a new report released as the Denver school board debates a new school closure policy.
“At some point, all of us as board members are highly conscious of the fact that we’re going to have to close schools, we’re going to have to consolidate schools,” one board member said.