A simmering controversy on the city’s northwest side cooled off Thursday night, as the Denver Public Schools board of education approved a new charter high school — but left open whether it would be on the North High School campus.
The fact that West Denver Prep Charter School, which operates four middle schools on the west side of the city, wants to launch a second high school has generated no opposition. Its first high school is expected to open in southwest Denver this fall.
The controversy has been over where West Denver Prep wants to put that second high school.
A compromise resolution approved late Thursday sets up a joint committee of school leaders and parents of current and future students from West Denver Prep and North to examine ways to share the campus — and also explore other possible locations for West Denver Prep. The evenly split group of six to 10 members — along with a neutral facilitator — would report back to the board by September but would be required to reach a consensus.
The resolution left open the likelihood that West Denver Prep and North would end up sharing the campus as originally planned and included a number of agreed-upon principles and specifics on how the campus would be shared.
The amended resolution passed 6-1. Nate Easley was the “no” vote.
Leaders of a group called Choose North Now had asserted that, after years in decline, one of Denver’s historic high schools is on the cusp of a major rebound. Sticking a second high school on the North campus now, they said, would undermine the resurgence of a neighborhood school.
Choose North Now issued a statement in support of Thursday’s compromise. The statement thanked the board for its “effort and willingness to dive into more depth on the issues of co-location at North High School” and for “rebuilding trust where little remained.”
The group said the compromise was “an opportunity for leadership to set new precedents of collaboration and for a better outcome for students of Northwest Denver.”
Some 600 people had signed an online petition backing Choose North, and several City Council members signed a letter asking the board to get more public input.
