A plan to put two or three school programs in existing Denver school buildings is frustrating some parents and on Monday led to an impassioned debate among school board members.
“Any time we have change, we’ll have conflict,” said board president Theresa Peña about the proposal that would put new schools in under-enrolled secondary school buildings.
Two meetings on the co-location plan were held Monday night — one with parents at West High School and another with the school board.
Denver Public Schools officials expect to choose by Nov. 13 which schools will share space. The board will vote on Nov. 20.
The plan addresses several pressing issues for the district, administrators said. Denver’s secondary schools are only 60 percent full, parents are demanding new school programs, and the district is trying to boost student achievement in a fiscally responsible way.
“We’re spending money to keep empty space open,” said Superintendent Michael Bennet.
“Our view is co-location would make sense, give us the opportunity to enrich the academic environment for all kids in Denver,” he said.
The district spends about $600 to $700 per seat whether they are filled or empty, said Tom Boasberg, district operating officer.
Five hundred empty seats costs DPS $300,000, money not going to students, he said.
Boasberg presented the board with guiding principles to create shared campuses — careful analysis of the space, assessment of demographic needs and whether school choice is available.
The school community must also be involved in the decision so the right school goes in the right location, he said.
Board member Arturo Jimenez said he doesn’t think the district has done a good job of communicating or involving the community in the process and asked to delay the vote on shared schools until December.
Board Vice President Michelle Moss said the decision cannot wait. “I cannot ask parents to wait one more year for their schools to improve,” she said. “We have to bring in better things. . . . The community needs to understand that our goal is to improve academic achievement.”
Earlier in the evening about 40 parents, students and supporters of West High School gathered in the school’s library to decry the shared campus plan.
“We don’t need another charter school, we need (the district) to support us so we can grow and be one of the best schools,” said parent Helen Garcia.
“Why is DPS so concerned about how many students are in West when they should be concerned about educating our children and getting them into college?” said Sheryl Espinoza, who has a child at the school.
Bennet said he understands the anxiety.
“Whether you approve charters isn’t going to make any difference (with) what we are trying to do with all of our other schools . . . except, will we have the resources,” he said.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
