The first of five public meetings to discuss criteria for closing or changing some Denver schools is scheduled for tonight.
The meetings are hosted by the “A+ Denver” committee, an independent panel that has studied Denver Public Schools finances, school performance, building capacity and other issues.
Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Park Hill United Methodist Church community room, 5209 E. Montview Blvd.
The committee is seeking comments from the public before submitting a final report to the Denver school board. The board is expected to announce closures and provide transition plans as early as August or as late as November.
The committee’s report, which will be discussed at the meetings, is available in draft form at aplusdenver.org.
Additional meetings, all at 6:30 p.m., are scheduled for Tuesday at Brentwood Methodist Church fellowship hall, 1899 S. Irving St.; May 29, Montbello Recreation Center gym, 15555 E. 53rd Ave.; May 30, Temple Sinai social hall, 3509 S. Glencoe St.; and May 31, St. Anthony Central Hospital auditoriums A and B, 4231 W. 16th Ave.
Closing schools is a cost-cutting effort, as DPS struggles with declining revenues and an expensive pension plan. DPS has lost more than 8,000 students in the past six years in its traditional schools, cutting into revenue. Each student is worth about $6,500 in funding.
DPS also struggles with student performance on state tests and graduation rates. Only about half the students at many schools are proficient in math, reading and writing, and only about half of students who start high school end up graduating.
