The Denver school district has asked additional affluent schools to join a pilot program to give preference to poor students who want to “choice in” to them.
Denver Public Schools is not requiring affluent schools to join. Instead, officials have invited nine more schools where fewer than 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch to consider joining the program. Districtwide, about two-thirds of students qualify.
The district first asked schools to participate two years ago. Just six elementary schools and one high school agreed, and the impact on student diversity was modest. Despite that limitation, a committee of community leaders recommended expanding the pilot as one piece of the districtap larger response segregation caused by gentrification.
“Itap fair to say we’re in a time period where the demographics of this city are shifting,” Superintendent Tom Boasberg said at a news conference Tuesday at McAuliffe International School. “Communities are acutely concerned that as demographics shift, that as we see more gentrification, that diversity that is such a pride and a strength in our schools is not lost.”
At the seven schools that previously signed on, the pilot worked like this: After the schools enrolled students who live within their boundaries, they prioritized accepting non-boundary students from low-income families who listed the school as a top choice. Denver has universal school choice, which means students can request to attend any school in the district.
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