DENVER — Denver Public Schools is set to close several elementary and middle schools to make up for a budget shortfall caused by declining enrollment.
The specific schools will be announced in the coming days, a district spokesperson said.
The school board approved criteria to close schools with fewer than 215 students, as well as schools with fewer than 275 students and a projected decline in enrollment.
In the next three years, the district expects to enroll 3,000 fewer elementary and middle school students, it said.
"Three thousand students may not seem like that many students, but to a budget where you’re receiving per-pupil funding, that’s about $36 million," district spokesperson Scott Pribble said.
"We know that there are impacts and it’s heartbreaking and difficult work, but in order for the district to remain solvent, it’s work that needs to happen," he said.
The district said the budget shortfall means it cannot provide the same mental health supports, social and emotional services or specialized programming to schools with lower enrollment.
"We need to make sure that we can provide the same quality services to all our schools," he said.
The district said it will identify schools that are "failing to remain financially solvent" and move to close them.
Pribble said the district did not consider recent upgrades when determining which schools would close -- meaning schools that recently received new air conditioning this summer, for example, could end up on the closure list.
In determining which schools to close, the district will consider equity guidelines, including ensuring appropriate programming for students with unique needs, providing access, and promoting equity.
Charter schools are not exempt.
The announcement of which schools will close is due in the coming days, followed by community input meetings before the school board will vote on the final closures at its November meeting.
The schools will then close ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, Pribble said.
Students from closed schools will be assigned to other nearby campuses, but will have the opportunity to apply to other schools through the district's standard open enrollment process, he said.
"We want everyone to know this is a difficult decision for us as well," Pribble said. "Something that needs to happen in order for us to provide the quality education and wraparound support and also having a staff that is consistent throughout your entire career while you’re at that school, it’s important that we have to do it this way."
While the district has not released any specific schools on the closure list, 9NEWS examined the criteria and school enrollment data to identify seven schools with fewer than 215 students. Those schools are:
- Academy 360*
- Fairview Elementary
- International Academy of Denver
- Math and Science Leadership Academy
- Monarch Montessori*
- Wyatt Academy*
- Denver Discovery School
(Schools with * are charter schools, which are judged for closure based on financial criteria, not size)
9NEWS also identified 15 schools with fewer than 275 students. Those are:
- Valverde Elementary
- Stephen Knight Center for Early Education (SKCEE)
- Schmitt Elementary
- Palmer Elementary
- Oakland Elementary
- McKinley-Thatcher Elementary
- Kaiser Elementary
- Hallett Academy
- Columbine Elementary
- Columbian Elementary
- Colfax Elementary
- Center for Talent Development at Greenlee
- Beach Court Elementary
- Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School
- Summit Academy
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Education stories from 9NEWS