Three Denver Public schools face uncertain future

DENVER- Parents and students in some northeast Denver schools could be seeing some big changes in the years to come.

 

Because of a lack of enrollment Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg suggests the district close Gilpin Montessori School.

 

“It is disruptive and can be painful for that student, so I think again what we've seen in the longer term is that students are much better off by going to schools where students see stronger growth," said Boasberg.

 

Boasberg said students at Gilpin Montessori can make the transition into other neighborhood schools nearby, but some parents are concerned with how difficult that transition might be on the students and their new schools.

 

“Honestly, I was shocked, because I had known that it had been failing. In terms of what we're going to do next year? I don't know," said Cassi Clark Ward-Hunt, who’s a parent of Gilpin Elementary. “There's going to be a major transition, and it's a double-edged sword because it's going to harm these kids, but it's also going to harm the neighborhood schools that are absorbing them that have just barely started to get successful themselves."

 

Boasberg will also submit to the district board a plan that includes a re-start for both Amesse and Greenlee Elementary Schools with a kick start of up to $300,000 in additional funding.

 

Boasberg said he believes a new, strong leadership team with a focused cultural and instructional plan will bode those students well in the future.

 

In the meantime, parents would like the district to consider giving Gilpin Montessori more time to improve.

 

“We went through a change in leadership three years ago, and there has been enormous improvement since then, especially this year. I mean, it's universally talked about by the parents and the teachers that this year we've finally done what DPS wanted us to do," said Alison Wadle, a Gilpin Montessori parent.

 

The Denver Public School Board will vote on any changes Thursday at the regularly scheduled board meeting.