Denver Public Schools faces school closures due to declining enrollment rates

MANY OF THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES COULD BE IN JEOPARDY. AFTER 5 YEARS OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT SCHOOL CLOSURES ARE COMING TO DENVER. DPS SAYS BY 2028 THEY EXPECT 6,000 FEWER STUDENTS AND TO REMAIN FINANCIALLY VIABLE. THEY WILL HAVE TO CLOSE AND CONSOLIDATE SEVERAL SCHOOLS. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS STARTED THE PROCESS OF GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT TODAY. DENVER SEVEN'S SAM PENA SPOKE WITH THE BOARD ON HOW THEY PLAN TO MAKE THE DECISION ON THESE DIFFICULT CUTS. IT'S GOING TO BE HEARD. SCHOOL CLOSURES NEVER EASY. >> DENVER SCHOOL BOARD HAS A DIFFICULT CHOICE ON ITS HANDS. >> WE HAVE DECLINING ENROLLMENT ACROSS CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER. AND THAT'S AFFECTING OUR SCHOOLS. >> IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN DENVER SCHOOLS DECLINED BY 8%. MEANING THEY'LL SOON HAVE TO CLOSE CONSOLIDATE SEVERAL SCHOOLS. WE CAN GIVE THEM THE GUIDELINES. >> AND THEN HE'LL COME UP WITH A PLAN WITH SPECIFICS. >> BOARD PRESIDENT DOCTOR CARY NELSON SAYS THAT DECISION LIES WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GIVE HIM SOME GUIDELINES THROUGH IN ORDER CALLED EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS. 18 OR 18. >> THE RESOLUTION DIRECTED THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT LEFT HIM WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT MEANT THAT THE OUTCOME WASN'T ONE THAT REPRESENTED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS A BOARD BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT BOARD MEMBERS. SCOTT, AS HERMAN SAYS, THE LAST TIME THEY USE THIS POLICY. >> IT WAS FLAWED. SO THIS YEAR THEY DECIDED TO TAKE IN PUBLIC OPINION, NOT JUST MAKE DECISIONS NECESSARILY TO THEM. BUT WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO READ AS MANY OF THESE QUESTIONS AND ANSWER THEM AS WE CAN. THE BOARD IS HOLDING SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS ASKING PARENTS FOR THEIR INPUT. IS THERE ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO START A THURSDAY MEETING? PARENTS ASKED THE BOARD TO TAKE INTO VERSITI MULTI LEGAL OPTIONS AND SPECIAL NEEDS RESOURCES WHEN CREATING THEIR GUIDELINES. >> THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE INPUT INTO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS PLAN. THE BOARD WILL HOLD SEVERAL MORE PUBLIC FORMS OVER THE NEXT WEEK, BUT THEY'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. JUNE 30TH IS OUR DATE. HAD THIS VOTED UNFINISHED BEFORE. TOUGH DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE AND IT'S STILL PAINFUL FOR DENVER 7. I'M SAM PENA. >> JASON GRUENAUER: NOW DPS SAYS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OR WHICH SCHOOLS ARE IN DANGER OF BEING CUT AT THIS TIME. >> JESSICA PORTER: GOING IN-DEPTH, DECLINING STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM IN DENVER. IT IS A STATEWIDE ISSUE TAKING INTO STATE DATA ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN DROPPING OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS IN 2019 ENROLLMENT FOR PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE IN COLORADO REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH WITH MORE THAN 913,000 STUDENTS ENROLLED AT THE START OF THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR ENROLLMENT WAS AT 8881,000. ACCORDING TO THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT