DPS Superintendent explains plan to close 7 schools, restructure 3 others

DENVER — Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero announced plans for Colorado’s largest school district to close seven schools and restructure three others Thursday night. 

Now, he is sharing more details about his plan. 

“I want to acknowledge that this is impactful and incredibly hurtful,” Marrero said

Marrero’s plan calls on the board to close five elementary schools – Columbian, Castro, Schmitt, International Academy of Denver at Harrington and Palmer. It would close two secondary schools – West Middle and Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design. Three schools would be restructured under the plan – Kunsmiller, Dora Moore and DCIS Baker. 

Marrero said he knows closing schools is tough. He said he felt it was necessary to keep communities in the dark about which schools would get the axe until Thursday.

“In this case, I knew there was absolute certainty that up until the last moment, the only person who knew was me because I was really considering how to make this puzzle piece of a recommendation work,” Marrero said. 

Marrero’s plan breaks schools into clusters, analyzing enrollment and building utilization of schools in different parts of the district. 

Some schools on the chopping block had low enrollment with only 30% of the building in use. The Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design reported just 60 students were enrolled and were using just 16% of the building. 

Under Marrero’s plan, DPS would establish enrollment zones in different chunks of the district. By closing schools in those zones with low enrollment and use, DPS can more easily move students into nearby schools experiencing the same issues, combatting low enrollment in neighboring buildings. 

“That potentially removes 4,000 unoccupied seats from our system, so that is substantial,” Marrero said.  “We’re not in crisis per say now, we are anticipating it. This will avoid that crisis for the near future.” 

Students in the 10 schools slated for closure or restructuring will have choice priority. Marrero said that will allow those students to select any school within DPS to attend, provided the school has space for new students. 

This round of closures addresses declining enrollment in the district for the next three to five years, Marrero said, but enrollment curveballs could change that. 

“Just like we welcomed 4,000 new to-country students and not knowing the approach of the new federal administration, we may be down thousands of students next year as well,” Marrero said. “So I have to put that disclaimer that we can be right at it immediately depending on unforeseen shifts happen to our enrollment.”

Carrie Olson, DPS school board president, said that now the plan is out, the board and the superintendent will be listening to those at the impacted schools.

She said she knows this will be a tough two weeks for DPS families. 

“It’s scary and it’s stressful, but I really believe that together we can all support our community to make sure that DPS gives all students what they need to grow and thrive,” Olson said. 

DPS’s school board has scheduled a meeting for the community to speak out about the closure plan on Nov. 18. Just three days later on Nov. 21, the board will vote on whether to approve the superintendent’s plan to shutter schools.