Melanie Asmar, Chalkbeat Colorado

The first day of school is almost here. If you need help finding free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, clothing, and more, here’s where to get it in the Denver area.

Cell phone policies were due in Colorado schools at the start of the month.

The proposed changes come as one such school faces state sanctions and a potential loss of funding after complaints about how it physically restrains students.

Before a ban on cellphones, Jill Haffley said her classroom “was like Vegas.”“The cellphones were lighting up all the time,” said Haffley, who was a teacher for 30 years before being elected to the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board.

Denver students won’t be allowed to use cellphones, smartwatches, or other personal devices during the school day when they return to class this fall.

Would DPS need to close more schools, she asked at a meeting last week? And when? The answer was yes. And possibly soon.

When Colorado lawmakers passed a law in 2015 allowing school districts to be held liable for school shootings, they intended to give both staff and students the opportunity to sue.

Denver Public Schools could adopt a bell-to-bell cellphone ban if it follows the recommendation of a community committee.

Denver Public Schools has long been supportive of immigrant students, even suing the Trump administration to try to reinstate a federal policy that previously treated schools as generally off limits to immigration enforcement.

School closures are contentious, and parents often want to know how a district will repurpose a building that many consider the heart of the community. But the answer is rarely clear right away. The decision process can take years, leaving buildings vacant and families wondering.