Denver school board member Arturo Jimenez wants the district to rethink plans to transform struggling Lake Middle School into a shared campus.
Lake is the district’s lowest-performing middle school, but it is in an area that is rapidly gentrifying, and parents are hoping the district continues the school’s International Baccalaureate program.
On Nov. 30, the board will vote on a host of reforms for turning around some of the worst schools in the district, including a plan to restart Lake’s IB program and place West Denver Preparatory charter middle school in the same building.
The district also is recommending locating another West Denver Prep middle school about 3 miles away in a building that now houses Emerson Street alternative school.
Jimenez, who represents northwest Denver, said the moves would saturate the area with middle school programs and possibly damage existing programs.
In a special board meeting Tuesday, Jimenez asked Superintendent Tom Boasberg to drop plans for West Denver Prep in Lake and instead place the high-performing charter school in the building that formerly housed Del Pueblo Elementary School.
Jimenez also said he is worried Lake’s IB program could be constricted from growing.
Boasberg disagreed, saying the area around Del Pueblo is already saturated with middle schools. Middle schools around Del Pueblo have 1,570 filled seats, compared with 614 filled seats around Lake.
The Lake area also has a larger number of third- through fifth-graders in the pipeline — 1,332 students, compared with 300 younger students around Del Pueblo.
Also, Boasberg said, the Lake IB program could grow to hold as many as 750 students in coming years.
At-large board member Jill Conrad said the focus should be on Lake’s current students.
“I want to make a decision that sets Lake up to succeed right now,” she said. “The future is important to think about, but we have a very urgent situation that is presenting itself right now. I want to catch those students up right now.”
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
