DENVER, Colo. — New life is coming to one of the seven schools that Denver Public Schools closed at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Come August, Palmer Elementary, which previously served students from pre-k through 5th grade, will open as a full-time Early Childhood Education center for three and four-year olds.
DPS Director of Enrollment and Campus Planning Andrew Hubert said while elementary enrollment has declined, there is a need for more early childhood spots in the neighborhoods surrounding Palmer.
"The Central East region of Denver needs more ECE seats, and we've known that for a while," Huber said.
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This struggle is familiar to many Denver parents. Meredith Quinlivan had her three-year old daughter Eloise on the waitlist at five schools, but because of the ECE expansion at Palmer, she was able to get a spot for August.
"We are currently at a daycare which is very close to my office, but it's also the second daycare in six months that we've gone through just to find something that fits with her needs and fits with my needs," Quinlivan said.
While Palmer is becoming an ECE center, other closed schools will be repurposed for different uses. Castro Elementary will transition into a new home for Summit Academy, a program serving at-risk middle and high school students.
The district is still determining the future of Schmitt Elementary, Columbian Elementary, and the International Academy of Denver at Harrington, which will all be vacant for the forseeable future. Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design and West Middle School already shared buildings with other schools.
The DPS Board of Education recently voted to postpone any additional school closures for four years, even as projections indicate a loss of another 6,000 students by 2030. Current enrollment in DPS is around 85,000 students.
“The closure process this year was designed to right-size the district relative to the number of kids we have right now," Huber said.
For children like Eloise and the incoming ECE students at Palmer next year, the hope is for a smooth transition into elementary school with many familiar faces.
“To have stability for her every day is going to be a game changer,” Quinlivan said.
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