Denver Public Schools changed next month’s timeline for announcing turnaround plans for three of its lowest performing schools.
The district now will make its recommendations for turnaround strategies and possible shared campuses on Nov. 9 — a week later than originally scheduled. The board will vote on the decisions at a special meeting scheduled for Nov. 30.
“It was in response to a view of frustration from folks who said they wanted more time,” said Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “We respected that.”
The district is focusing on Philips and Greenlee elementaries and Lake Middle School — chronically low-performing schools.
Strategies include restarting the schools with new staffs and leadership or phasing out the school programs while another school program is added to the building.
Also on Nov. 9, the district will announce recommendations for where it would like to locate two new West Denver Preparatory Charter Schools — which have already been approved for northwest Denver.
There are four options for co-locating the schools within existing school buildings: Lake and Skinner middle schools or North and West high schools — buildings with excess space.
The district on Nov. 2 will make recommendations on whether to accept five new charter schools — including a school for girls only and a high school focused on medical science.
On Nov. 9, the district also will recommend whether to renew charter contracts for several other schools, including three low-performing charter schools: Northeast Academy, P.S. 1 Charter and Skyland Community High School.
Public comment sessions on the district’s recommendations will occur at board meetings on Nov. 16 and Nov. 19. The final decisions will be Nov. 30.
The district also is setting up public meetings beginning Monday through Nov. 4 in northwest Denver to talk with the community about how to improve the middle school offerings in the region.
In other Denver Public Schools news, the district is considering raising tuition for preschool and full-day kindergarten programs.
In response to expected funding cuts from the Denver Preschool Program and possibly the state, the district said it must raise rates for the 2010-11 school year. The board would have to approve the changes.
Under the recommendations, the poorest families would not see any rate changes. However, a family of four with a total monthly income of $3,269 would see the monthly rate for full-day preschool increase to $70 from $60.
Families earning more than $6,007a month would see rates increase to $620a month from the current $450.
For full-day kindergarten, only families earning $4,241 a month would see an increase of 17 percent — raising the fee to $200 a month from $180.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
