Parents, lawmakers appeal to school board in last-ditch effort to halt Denver shutdown

Hours before Denver Public Schools board members were to vote on whether to close or restructure 10 schools at the end of the school year, more than 20 parents and community organizers came together to urge the district to reconsider school closures.

Their message to district leaders: They should be prepared to take legal action if they continue to close schools.

Parents and activists — along with State Rep. Tim Hernández, a Denver Democrat — gathered Thursday morning outside DPS’s headquarters building, where board members will vote on the fate of the 10 schools later in the day. They were front and center at a press conference held by the national organization Alliance for Educational Justice and Movimiento Poder, which describes itself as a grassroots advocacy organization made up of parents, youth and community members from Southwest Denver. One by one, parents of schools on the block spoke out against Superintendent Alex Marrero’s proposal to close schools in response to declining enrollment.

“School closures harm children, parents, staff, and our communities,” Holly Lucas, parent of a Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy student, said during the press conference. “Closing schools is another way for the government to suppress marginalized communities, and we will not allow it.”

As each parent spoke, others stood behind a banner that read, “DPS is closing this school,” with a very large paper sculpture of Marrero in the background.

Parents said the press conference was their last chance to publicly object. A suggestion Marrero presented to the board two weeks ago Closing some DPS schools and lowering grades at others to help the district adjust as student numbers continue to decline.

Marrero proposed closing Columbia Elementary School, Castro Elementary School, Schmitt Elementary School, Denver International Academy in Harrington, Palmer Elementary School, West Middle School and Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design. Marrero also teaches Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy for grades 6-12. to limit it to grades 1-5. He wants to abolish classes; Modification of Dora Moore ECE-8 School to serve as a kindergarten through 5th grade, grades 6-8. abolition of classes; and the Denver International Studies Center in grades 9-12. 6th-8th grades are cut. downsize classes.

His proposal would eliminate 4,000 vacancies in the district, which currently serves approximately 85,000 students; That’s down from more than 92,100 children in the 2019-20 school year. This would also save DPS an estimated $30 million. DPS, the project of district officials, will accrue $70 million less in annual revenue by 2028 than in the 2019-20 school year, which was the peak year for enrollment.

Various frustrated parents and organizers called on the board to pause the school closure process. They questioned the district’s financial difficulties, which included spending on benefits for Marrero, including more than $17,000 in bonuses and $100,000 in office renovations on top of his more than $300,000 salary. They criticized the district for not giving communities affected by the closures adequate opportunity to provide feedback. After the district had two years to prepare a plan to make adjustments to the district and find solutions other than closing schools, they were forced to ask for more information about how DPS would reconfigure transportation for students who had to commute to different schools.

“Dr. “There seems to be only one tool in Marrero’s toolbox, and that’s the wrecking ball,” said Abraham Drucker, who has two children at Palmer Elementary School. “Two years later, he came back to us with what appeared to be a hastily prepared plan of nothing more than closing schools and destroying neighborhoods.”

Drucker said he was disappointed that Marrero announced his offer so soon after the election and shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday; This gave parents and students little time to organize and respond comprehensively.

Parents are also frustrated by how much his proposal would disrupt the education of many of the district’s most vulnerable students, including students of color, children with disabilities and children living in poverty.

For example, seven schools on the list educated between 85% and 98% black students last year, according to information from Movimiento Poder.

The parents’ criticisms and questions are the same ones outlined in a letter to Marrero and school board members from a handful of Democratic lawmakers representing Denver.

Lawmakers in a letter to district leaders on Wednesday highlighted concerns that school closures would have huge impacts on low-income families and students of color, foreshadowing what they saw as “devastating impacts” on children and communities. Lawmakers worry that students will be displaced and communities left without critical before- and after-school programs, adult education classes, health clinics and other resources.

“Students can suddenly lose some of the most important relationships in their lives,” the lawmakers write. “The loss of their schools often represents the loss of a safe, secure and stable place for children and young people.”

The lawmakers behind the letter are Hernández, State Sen. Robert Rodriguez, State Sen. Julie Gonzales, State Rep. Javier Mabrey and Deputy Minority Leader Jennifer Bacon.

They also wrote that two weeks was not enough time for the district to hear from all affected students, families, teachers, staff and community members.

“School closures have a dramatic impact on students, their families, and the entire DPS community; this is not something that can be rushed and devoid of community input, as has been the case with the process of closing DPS schools,” the letter said.

DPS spokesman Scott Pribble said the district had no response to the letter “at this time.”

DPS board members and district leaders have spent the past two weeks visiting every school at risk of closure to meet with students, parents and staff. Board members dispersed last week to attend three public participation meetings at each school: morning, lunch and after school. All board members also participated in the evening public comment session held at each school last week. Additionally, community members were able to voice their concerns at a public comment meeting held at the district office Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Marrero and district support staff took time at each school this week to talk with families and staff about what would happen if their schools were approved to close. Families and staff were able to learn about options for attending and working at other schools, Pribble said.

But demonstrators protesting the school closures on Thursday said the board and district leaders’ efforts did not go far enough.

Nayeli Bañuelos, a youth organizer at Movimiento Poder, called the district’s community engagement process “extremely rushed” and “nothing but a sham.” Bañuelos said the district was not flexible in timing the meetings to accommodate parents’ work schedules and noted that the visuals in the meetings were shown only in English.

“The community engagement process used by Superintendent Marrero has consistently and repeatedly marginalized and excluded those who would be most impacted by proposed school closures,” he said, adding that community engagement sessions held by the district were “dominated” by district staff who gave their own views. The reason for closing schools.

“They want people to think they are being listened to when it is the opposite,” Bañuelos added.

Movimiento Poder leaders said they plan to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office if the board approves school closures. Leaders claim Marrero has provided false information about the district’s enrollment declines and that his proposal “will cause serious and catastrophic harm to students, families, and communities.” They also argue that DPS did not explore other options, such as redrawing school boundaries, to accommodate enrollment changes.

Board members will vote on whether to close schools and change grades under Marrero’s proposal at Thursday’s board meeting at 4:30 p.m.