In a second-floor classroom of Denver Arts & Technology Academy, teacher Adrienne Nault called her second-grade students around her and fielded their difficult questions.
“Why,” asked student Inea Scott, “do they want to close our school?”
Denver’s school board voted 4-3 Thursday to close the northwest Denver charter after this year, citing chronic academic problems, financial mismanagement and lack of student growth.
“One thing is for sure,” Nault told the class. “It’s not your fault. It’s kind of a grown-up thing right now.”
On Friday, school officials called an assembly to explain to the 400 students what occurred. Administrators promised to appeal the decision to the state board and asked the students to rally Tuesday.
“Tell your parents it’s going to be like the ’60s all over again,” said principal Ray Griffin. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep it open.”
The school was started in 2000 by parents seeking a college-prep education enhanced by arts and technology and primarily for Latino students.
Five years ago, the school moved to an $8 million facility near the old Elitch Gardens amusement park.
But the K-8 school has had difficulties — seven principals in seven years, low scores on state tests and discipline problems.
Last year, the district placed the school on probation, demanding significant improvement in student performance and financial reporting.
Mosiaca Education Inc., which runs the school, hired Griffin this year to turn it around.
Griffin, who started a high-performing charter-type school in Washington state and headed a successful private school in Santa Fe, hired several new teachers and has worked to improve the school culture.
The school received a $380,000 Read to Achieve grant from the state, 50 new computers from the Jared Polis Foundation and a group of new teachers.
Stan Stockdale used to be director of middle years at Graland Country Day School and now teaches middle school at the academy.
“This group of teachers is on par with any faculty I have ever worked with,” Stockdale said.
Griffin said the school has improved and was upset no board member who voted for closure visited him or the school.
“We have a well-designed program with well-behaved kids,” he said, noting that 25 troublemakers have left the school. “There is no reason of any kind that says this school should be closed.”
The district’s analysis of the school found student growth lagged behind expectations, but it has demonstrated some growth this year, particularly at the middle-school level.
Board member Jill Conrad, who became the swing vote, said she was swayed when she learned that no students from nearby schools that were closed chose to attend the arts and technology school.
“That says to me something is wrong,” she said.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
Denver Arts & Technology Academy
Grades: Kindergarten through grade 8
Founded: 2000
Enrollment: 414
Students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch benefits (a measure of poverty): 70.75 percent.
Overall performance on state assessments (2006-07): Low
Overall academic growth, elementary (2006-07): Stable (up from significant decline in 2005-06)
Overall academic growth, middle (2006-07): Stable (up from decline in 2005-06)
