Without mentioning a single school by name, about 120 citizens gathered Monday to talk about what, ultimately, Denver Public Schools officials should look at when closing perhaps dozens of public schools.
And if Monday’s initial gathering of public input was any indicator, the process of mass school closures citywide will not be clear-cut nor will it be easy.
Conversations during the meeting at Park Hill United Methodist Church ranged from the quality of CSAPs, the state tests conducted at various grade levels, as an indicator for school quality to what makes a good school.
“I think closing schools is the easy part,” said Meg Stenson, who has two kids in DPS and one in private school. “But what are we going to use to judge an excellent school? … Is it just on CSAPs?”
Since February, an independent group of parents, lawyers, business owners and community advocates have studied DPS’s financial, student achievement and enrollment problems.
Ultimately this panel, called the “Facilities and Finances Committee” has recommended that, in order to boost the quality of education for all students, the district must close schools.
DPS has about 40 percent excess capacity in its roughly 150 buildings. Schools cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to run, even half empty.
District and committee members haven’t disclosed which schools – and how many schools – could be targeted for the 2008 closures.
But proposed criteria include schools that are continually low performing, have lost students, have low numbers of kids “choicing in” and are underenrolled facilities in neighborhoods with declining school-age enrollment.
Without school names, however, this criteria can be vague, members said.
“Our challenge is every school has a back story,” said John Hereford, a committee member and Denver businessman.
He said the tough decisions will be to take into account the criteria for school closures as well as hear from all sides about what is happening at individual schools.
Using hand-held voting devices on Monday, parents and community members fumbled through wordy questions about priorities on achievement.
Some were clearly frustrated. “We just want good schools!” one person yelled.
Others said the criteria was difficult to understand.
Eventually, officials took a break from the machines in favor of small group discussions.
“I would have preferred a conversation,” said Sarah Parker, whose 4-year-old will attend DPS. “It’s like they just wanted to use these little machines.”
Parker said she is worried that if they close schools, the savings will go into a “black hole.”
School board member Kevin Patterson, who represents northeast Denver, said that the process shows the public how complicated it is to close schools.
“It gives them an opportunity to talk through these issues,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean the decisions are any easier.”
Staff writer Allison Sherry can be reached at 303-954-1377 or asherry@denverpost.com.
What’s next
More meetings, each at 6:30 p.m., are set to discuss school closures.
Today, Brentwood Methodist Church fellowship hall, 1899 S. Irving St.
Tuesday, May 29, Montbello Recreation Center gym, 15555 E. 53rd Ave.
Wednesday, May 30, Temple Sinai social hall, 3509 S. Glencoe St.
Thursday, May 31, St. Anthony Central Hospital auditoriums A and B, 4231 W. 16th Ave.
