Denver Public Schools

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.

The U.S. Education Department says Denver Public Schools violated Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination in education by creating all-gender bathrooms and allowing students to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. The finding announced Thursday followed an unprecedented probe of Denver's East High School.

The controversial move has generated mixed reactions from school staff and parents - some who feel Marrero has not done enough to address the district’s needs.

The school closings are a way for the district to address declining enrollment.

DPS sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after immigration enforcement raids were carried out in February. The district said ICE actions hurt school attendance and spread fear among students and families.

Some Colorado schools are testing out the use of AI in their classrooms. So far, there’s been a mixed reaction from students and staff.

The district is proposing closures and consolidations to address enrollment declines and save nearly $30 million. The board will vote on the closures November 21st.

It was a busy week for news, but KUNC's The Catch-Up will get you up to date on the biggest stories from November 4 to 11. We know how busy life can be, and that it's not always possible to get your news on our airwaves (or from streaming us right here on our website), so use this article to stay in the know.

Earlier this summer, the Denver school board unanimously approved a new policy for when and how it would close schools to address declining enrollment. However, concerns from Superintendent Alex Marrero forced the board to revise it this month. Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Melanie Asmar said some of the changes are intended to make the process smoother for administrators, but not necessarily communities the schools are serving.