DPS board plans vacancy search, mulls merging closure, boundary rules

The Denver Public Schools Board of Education met Thursday evening to further discuss combining two policies about school consolidations and enrollment boundaries, and next steps for filling a vacant board seat, among other topics.

Thursday’s meeting came as members prepare to hold a series of sessions in the coming days and weeks to fill a vacant board seat and get closer to coming to a vote on combining two separate policies related to school consolidations and enrollment boundaries.

It was also the first board meeting since Denver voters passed a $44 million mill levy override Tuesday night. It continued a nearly four-decade winning streak for DPS when passing mill levy overrides. Nearby Douglas County School District failed to pass a similar measure. Jeffco Public Schools’ mill levy override vote is still too close to call as of Thursday evening.

“With every mill levy, we get communities together to hold the district accountable to that funding,” said board President Xóchitl Gaytán. “I am deeply grateful for the trust of the voters, and we will do everything we can to ensure every student is thriving and getting an education they deserve.”

Here is what board members discussed during the special work session.

Updates on the board’s District 3 vacancy

The board’s District 3 seat opened after former member DJ Torres stepped away after saying, “Too much of my time and energy have been consumed by internal conflict.”

Torres was on the board for just 10 months before his resignation, which came on the day the board was to consider whether to investigate him for member misconduct.

According to board members, a further update will be provided about the process to fill the District 3 vacancy at a Nov. 12 meeting. Members spent well over an hour contentiously discussing how to proceed forward with choosing finalists during Thursday’s meeting.

On Nov. 16, the board will hold a special meeting to select finalists. How many finalists and how they will be voted on have still yet to be determined. On Nov. 19, the board will hold another special meeting to interview finalists, vote on the final candidate and announce the new board member. The selected board member will be sworn in on Nov. 20.

There are 12 candidates for the District 3 vacancy. There were originally 13 candidates, but the board discovered one lived in District 1 and was removed from consideration for the vacancy, Gaytán said.

The immediate next step for the board is to create criteria to determine how they will choose finalists. Gaytán said Thursday she created a rough criteria chart with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

Board could combine policies related to school closures, enrollment boundaries

The DPS board is now considering combining two separate policies into one. The first relates to school consolidations and closures, and the second relates to enrollment boundaries and zones.

DPS’ board last year passed a policy that required the district to review and adjust school boundaries every five years. Superintendent Alex Marrero said last month that he is urging board members not to make any changes to school enrollment zones this year. But the board is still considering combining that policy with its already existing consolidations and closures policy.

The district is considering combining the policies because boundary and zone changes are also likely to be required when closures happen. The board has historically closed schools based largely on campus size and utilization without revisiting attendance boundaries. A single policy would tie those two things together.

The existing boundary and zoning policy requires regular reviews of boundaries tied to demographic changes. School districts usually change school boundaries in response to increases or decreases in student enrollment, to address overcrowding or when opening or closing schools.

But DPS has not conducted a boundary study since 1973. DPS has closed schools mainly based on campus size and utilization without revisiting attendance boundaries. Consolidating the two policies will make that mandatory.

During an October count, the district reported an enrollment decline of roughly 1,200 students and almost $18 million lost in annual revenue, according to a district spokesperson.

The district’s most recent round of school closures was approved in November 2024 when the board voted to close seven schools and restructure three others.

Several parents and community members spoke against consolidating the two policies during the public comment portion of Thursday’s meeting.

“I’m here today to urge you, the board, to reconsider the consolidation of (the policies) and to pause any decisions until there has been meaningful input from the community,” said Nayeli Banuelos, an attendee during public comment. “These policies are not just administrative procedures. They establish important expectations on how this district makes decisions that impact students.”

It is not yet clear when the district will hold a final vote on the consolidation of the two policies.