The board of education for Denver Public Schools on Thursday approved a handful of measures to start addressing issues in southwest Denver.
The board voted unanimously to approve , as well as a transportation plan.
The proposal divides the southwest into two zones split at Jewell Avenue — or at Evans Avenue for the east half of the district. Students will get priority to attend the middle schools within their zone, including high-performing charter schools, and second preference to attend schools in the next zone.
To go along with the plan, DPS will create a bus route to provide service to area middle schoolers.
Board member Arturo Jimenez asked the board before the vote to watch for other issues, such as the placement of the boundaries and how it might impact enrollment at schools just outside the boundaries.
A multiyear plan that will address more of the issues in southwest Denver is expected next month.
In other action, the board approved a , and approved charter renewals for 15 schools.
However, in the case of another contract up for renewal, the district began cutting ties with Escuela Tlatelolco, a north Denver school born out of the Chicano movement that now serves more than 100 students.
In their consent agenda, and without any comments, the DPS board approved a one-year contract renewal as a transition period to allow the school to once again become an independent private school raising their own funds.
This year, the school got $886,802 from the district. School leaders said that is not enough to cover their Montessori model, and pointed out that the school has always relied on fundraising anyway.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yeseniarobles
