About 200 members of the North High School community packed a meeting late Tuesday and demanded that Denver Public Schools’ superintendent not close the school because of declining enrollment and student performance.
They called on Superintendent Michael Bennet to improve the school to better prepare students for college, to increase the Advanced Placement courses and commit resources to making North High a “premier” school.
A month after the district shut down Manual High School until 2007 over enrollment and performance issues, Bennet faced the group of parents, teachers and alumni and made no promise to keep North High’s doors open.
“I’ve never had a discussion about closing North High School,” Bennet said. “I’m not going to say we’re not going to do it because that wouldn’t be fair to other schools in the district.”
Advocacy group Padres Unidos called the meeting at a northwest Denver church to discuss with Bennet the possibility of closing North High.
Many of those who came to save the school said Bennet’s response wouldn’t shake their resolve, and they were encouraged by the community involvement.
Bennet echoed the sentiment, saying that no other school in the district, including Manual High’s community, had pulled together such support.
“A gathering like this is long overdue,” he said. “It’s something that’s not happening enough in the entire country, much less in Denver.”
Everyone agreed that numbers behind North High’s student body are dismal. Among the Class of 2005, about 32 percent dropped out, only 27 percent graduated and 27 percent transferred to another school.
Shonnetta Henry, 16, left North for East High School for more Advanced Placement opportunities. “Students have the right to a quality education in their own neighborhoods,” she told the gathering.
Julieta Quinonez, a 2004 graduate of North High, said the school ill prepared her for college. She urged improvements to better prepare students.
“We’re losing too many of our students,” Quinonez said. “We are losing our community.”
