Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero on Thursday recommended to the Board of Education that 10 schools in the city be permanently closed or restructured in response to declining K-12 enrollment in Colorado’s largest district.

READ MORE: The superintendent recommends DPS close or restructure 10 schools as enrollment continues to decline

Marrero announced this on Thursday during a meeting of the elected school board. Earlier this year, the board adopted a policy that opened the door for DPS officials to consider possible school closures for the second time in two years.

The seven-member school board is expected to vote on Marrero’s closure plan on Nov. 21. Before that, the board will publicly comment on the proposal at DPS headquarters, located at 1860 Lincoln St, on November 18 at 4:30 p.m.

Under Marrero’s plan, DPS would close seven elementary and middle schools. Another three schools would be restructured to serve a smaller number of students.

Here are the schools DPS recommends closing at the end of this academic year:

• Castro Elementary845 S. Lowell Blvd.
• Colombian primary school2925 W. 40th St.
• Denver School for Innovation and Sustainable Design840 E. 14th Ave.
• Denver International Academy in Harrington2401 E. 37th Ave.
• Palmer Elementary995 Druivenstraat.
• Schmitt Elementary1820 S. Vallejo St.

• Western High School951 Elati St.

Here are the schools DPS recommends restructuring:

• DCIS Baker 6-12574 W. Sixth Ave., would become a middle school and no longer serve high school students
• Dora Moore ECE-8 School846 Corona St., would go from kindergarten to fifth grade, eliminating high school grades
• Kunstacademie Kunstmiller2250 S Quitman St., would serve grades 6 through 12, eliminating elementary grades

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Originally published: November 7, 2024 at 5:07 PM MST