Melanie Asmar

Melanie Asmar covers Denver Public Schools. Asmar previously worked as a reporter for Westword newspaper in Denver and for a daily newspaper in her native New Hampshire. She joined Chalkbeat Colorado in 2015.

Wyatt Academy, an elementary charter school in Denver, will likely close this spring. (Screenshot via Google Maps)

Wyatt Academy charter school in Denver likely to close at end of school year

February 7, 2024 at 6:11 p.m.

The likely closure of Wyatt follows a pattern of single-site charter schools shutting their doors in Denver Public Schools, once one of the most charter-friendly districts in the nation.

DENVER, CO - MAY 17: Jose Gonzalez, fourth from left, smiles as he and his classmates put their tassels from left to right after officially graduating during commencement ceremonies for seniors of William Smith High School at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at DU on May 17, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. This year's class had a 100% graduation rate and was the largest graduating class ever for the school. William Smith is an Aurora public school. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

For Colorado鈥檚 class of 2023, the graduation rate was up and the dropout rate was down

January 10, 2024 at 12:19 p.m.

Colorado鈥檚 graduation rate ticked slightly up for the class of 2023, continuing a long-running trend of rising graduation rates except for a brief dip during the pandemic.

John Youngquist high fives Marlene de la Rosa during their joint DPS school board race watch party at The Bar at Plaza 38 on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

At $2.2 million, the 2023 Denver school board election is second-most expensive in recent history

December 15, 2023 at 8:10 a.m.

This year's total surpasses spending in the last board election in 2021 and nearly ties the all-time record of $2.3 million spent in 2019.

Director Carrie Olson speaks during a Denver Public Schools board meeting at DPS headquarters in Denver on Monday, April 17, 2023. The board elected Olson to a second stint as president on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post)

Carrie Olson elected to second stint as president of Denver school board

December 1, 2023 at 11:46 a.m.

Former teacher Carrie Olson's election, by secret ballot, puts an experienced leader at the helm of a school board that had a reputation for dysfunction and infighting.

Colleen O'Brien, the executive director of the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone, addresses the Denver school board during the public comment portion of its meeting Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. (Screengrab of DPS board meeting via Chalkbeat Colorado)

Denver Public Schools bars administrator amid McAuliffe seclusion room investigation

November 28, 2023 at 10:25 a.m.

As part of the ongoing fallout from an investigation into the use of a seclusion room at McAuliffe International School, Denver Public Schools has barred an administrator responsible for overseeing...

Denver Public School脮s new superintendent Alex ...

Denver school board gives Superintendent Alex Marrero an $8,000 bonus with his second evaluation

November 28, 2023 at 10:25 a.m.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero met just over 80% of his goals last school year, a record that earned him an $8,235 bonus, equal to 2.5% of his annual...

Books are ready for students in Denise Saiz's third-grade classroom at Castro Elementary, a small bilingual school in the Denver Public School system, on August 24, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Denver Public Schools pledged to pay tutoring vendors based on their results. Did it work?

November 28, 2023 at 10:25 a.m.

Two outside companies that Denver Public Schools hired to tutor students in an effort to make up for lost learning fell short of some targets that could have earned the...

Kids board the school bus outside of Stephen Knight Center for Early Education as the school closed early due to extreme heat on September 7, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Some Denver Public Schools still don’t have air conditioning. Seventeen will close early Wednesday because of it.

August 23, 2023 at 10:24 a.m.

Record August heat forced the district to release students early from 14 schools on Tuesday, and 17 principals announced early closures for Wednesday.

Police officers secure the student parking area of Denver's East High School after a shooting at the school on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Police said a student shot two adult male faculty members, and that a known suspect had left the school. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Tickets and arrests didn鈥檛 increase when SROs were reinstated at Denver schools, police data shows

November 27, 2023 at 6:07 p.m.

When SROs were reintroduced on 13 Denver Public Schools campuses for the last two months of the 2022-23 school year, after a shooting inside East High School, the monthly average...

Charter school centering Black students misses enrollment target, won鈥檛 open in Denver this fall

November 27, 2023 at 6:07 p.m.

5280 Freedom School, a charter elementary school centering Black students, won鈥檛 open as planned in Denver this fall, and the school board isn鈥檛 considering giving it more time.

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Melanie Asmar

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Wyatt Academy charter school in Denver likely to close at end of school year

For Colorado鈥檚 class of 2023, the graduation rate was up and the dropout rate was down

At $2.2 million, the 2023 Denver school board election is second-most expensive in recent history

Carrie Olson elected to second stint as president of Denver school board

Denver Public Schools bars administrator amid McAuliffe seclusion room investigation

Denver school board gives Superintendent Alex Marrero an $8,000 bonus with his second evaluation

Denver Public Schools pledged to pay tutoring vendors based on their results. Did it work?

Some Denver Public Schools still don’t have air conditioning. Seventeen will close early Wednesday because of it.

Tickets and arrests didn鈥檛 increase when SROs were reinstated at Denver schools, police data shows

Charter school centering Black students misses enrollment target, won鈥檛 open in Denver this fall