DENVER — The end of the school year is a bittersweet time at the Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design (DSISD), as students and staff come together to celebrate their final week as a school community. DSISD is one of seven schools Denver Public Schools is closing because of declining enrollment.
For most of the ten years of its existence, DSISD has shared a building with Morey Middle School. With Morey set to expand into the space DSISD leaves behind, school leaders felt DSISD students should have a chance to leave their mark behind as well. They spent part of this week painting sections of a mural in a hallway, symbolizing the school’s legacy.
“It means a lot, because you do get to leave like an imprint here with the building and just the place in general” DSISD senior Johanna Flood said. “Especially because it's my senior year, I think that makes it a little more special.”
For junior Anthony Richardson, DSISD provided a personalized environment.
“I always struggled in class. I was a C student. When I got here, they helped me perfectly, and now I’m almost a straight-A student,” Richardson said.
Evelyn Cruz, principal of DSISD, hopes that the district will continue to offer the kind of project-based learning and career and college prep courses that DSISD championed. But she feels the closure is a loss for the district.
“We have students that have always come to our school looking for a small, tight-knit community where they feel safe and heard, and their voices always matter,” Cruz said.
The finished legacy mural will be unveiled Friday during a special ceremony at the school for families and alumni.
Students affected by the DPS closures were offered priority in the district’s choice process.
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