Students, parents and community members implored Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education on Monday to keep open seven schools that Superintendent Alex Marrero has recommended closing next year in response to years-long declining enrollment.
During an evening board meeting, parents and students expressed concerns about children of color primarily being affected by the proposed closures. They also said they’re concerned that if schools close, it will cause trauma and anxiety among students, leading to higher dropout and chronic absenteeism rates.
“I urge the Denver Public Schools board to prioritize the needs of the most disenfranchised communities,” former school board candidate Rosario CdeBaca said of the impact of the potential closures on Latino students. “Were being hurt by the gentrification and would like the board to be an ally to the hardships our communities are facing.”
The potential closures are part of a larger consolidation plan that would also see three additional Denver schools restructured to serve fewer students.
More than 80 parents, students and community members signed up to speak about the closures and restructuring at the meeting, which was one of the last chances for the public to weigh in before the school board is scheduled to vote on Marrero’s plan Thursday.
“Our school is our students, and, as students, we are not a statistic,” said Kennah Phoenix Davis, 17. a senior at DCIS Baker 6-12, which would be restructured under the proposal. “We shouldn’t have to justify our existence.”
The superintendent recommended the board permanently close five elementary schools — Castro, Columbian, Palmer, Schmitt and the International Academy of Denver at Harrington — and two secondary schools: West Middle and the Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, which is a high school.
Marrero does not need the board’s approval to restructure the three remaining schools, which include Dora Moore ECE-8 School and Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, in addition to DCIS Baker.
But his plans for those three schools hinge on the closure of the other schools. For example, if West Middle School closes, then, under Marrero’s plan, students would have a seat at other schools in the West Middle School Enrollment Zone, which would include DCIS Baker.
Overall, the 10 schools enroll 1,844 students and employ 267 staffers. Marrero’s plan primarily affects schools that enroll a majority of students of color and children who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches, according to the latest enrollment data from the Colorado Department of Education.
Four of the schools — Columbian, Palmer, Schmitt and International Academy — were on the list of schools Marrero proposed closing two years ago. But in 2022, the school board was reluctant to close schools and in the end voted to only shutter three: Denver Discovery, Fairview Elementary and the Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy.
“This breaks up a neighborhood and a community,” Sara Nakon, a Palmer parent, said of her school’s potential closure. “This is a Band-Aid. This doesn’t change the root problem.”
Marrero proposed closing schools again this year because enrollment has fallen since peaking at 92,112 pupils in 2019 as birth rates plummeted and gentrification pushed families from Denver neighborhoods. DPS enrolled 88,235 students during the 2023-24 academic year.
Schools receive less state funding when fewer children enroll, which can affect their ability to provide enough academic services, extracurriculars and other supports to their students.
Overall, DPS has lost at total of $107 million in revenue since 2019 and district leaders have said they are spending between $15 million and $20 million a year in budget assistance to keep schools with low enrollment open.
DPS officials have said that the consolidation plan, if approved, would save nearly $30 million annually.
“There is no evidence that school closures actually save any money in the long run,” said Diana Kessel, who has two children at Palmer. “So are the savings worth the damages you are inflicting?”
Only one person supported Marrero’s plan during the meeting. Rosemary Rodriguez, co-chair of Educate Denver, said that “right-sizing” the district moves DPS toward improving academic quality for students. Educate Denver is a coalition of education and political leaders.
“Make sure that in the end this is a win – not just on the balance sheet but for the students,” Rodriguez said.
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