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Seven Denver schools recommended by superintendent to close, 3 to partially close
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Seven Denver schools recommended by superintendent to close, 3 to partially close

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado Five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school would close if the Denver school board accepts a recommendation made by Superintendent Alex Marrero Thursday meant to address declining enrollment in Denver Public Schools. Three other schools would be partially closed, meaning they would serve fewer grades. The school board is expected to vote on the recommendation on Nov. 21. If the board votes yes, the 10 schools would close or partially close at the end of the school year. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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Amid dropping enrollment, Colorado districts deciding what to do with closed schools
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Amid dropping enrollment, Colorado districts deciding what to do with closed schools

By Ann Schimke , Melanie Asmar and Yesenia Robles | Chalkbeat Colorado Construction workers in hardhats and safety vests bustled around the 7,000-square-foot Loveland building, installing fixtures and painting. It was late October, and they had two months to go before the grand opening. Soon, the former Thompson School District preschool would become “The Landing,” the first shelter for homeless youth in northern Colorado. Leaders of the effort say the state-of-the-art-building will give young people ages 15 to 20 a safe place to live and receive services while they get their lives back on track. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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Denver will use these criteria to decide which schools to close for low enrollment
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Denver will use these criteria to decide which schools to close for low enrollment

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado How many seats are filled and whether the neighborhood is experiencing declining enrollment are the first two criteria that Denver Public Schools staff will consider when deciding which schools should be recommended for closure. That’s according to a methodology released Monday night, a week and a half before Superintendent Alex Marrero is expected to make school closure recommendations on Nov. 7. The school board is set to vote on those recommendations two weeks later, on Nov. 21. District officials have not indicated how many schools will be closed or consolidated. The board directed Marrero to close schools to address declining enrollment. Although DPS enrollment is up 2% this year due to an influx of migrant students, officials said t...
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In rural school districts, creative solutions to house teachers being created
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In rural school districts, creative solutions to house teachers being created

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice From Deer Creek School District on the far Eastern Plains to Rangely on the western border of Utah, from Telluride and Aspen to Vail and Steamboat Springs, school districts all over rural Colorado are struggling with a need for affordable and available housing for teachers. In an effort to begin finding solutions for what school districts foresee as a long-term problem, Colorado Rural Schools Alliance (CRSA) hosted their first Rural Housing Forum in Beaver Creek on Thursday, Oct. 24. CRSA represents 146 of 178 school districts in Colorado. The remaining 32 are located in urban areas.  Chris Holbert, formerly a Colorado senator and Minority Leader, and current consultant for CRSA, doesn’t think that one-size solutions fit all sc...
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Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Collette Simkins — a theater and visual arts teacher at West High School — works two extra part-time jobs just to live in the Cap Hill neighborhood near the campus she has taught at for three years. “I think it’s important to live in the community in which my students live,” said Simkins, 29. She — and the nearly 4,000 educators that the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) represents — was counting on a full cost-of-living increase this school year. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Durango School Board pauses decision to ban LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter flags in classrooms
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Durango School Board pauses decision to ban LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter flags in classrooms

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice In a room charged with emotion, the Durango School Board's decision to revisit their flag policy left the community holding its breath. The Durango School Board met Oct. 15 to discuss the district's recent choice to take down LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags from classrooms. The controversy began when a parent lodged a complaint on Sept. 11, arguing that Black Lives Matter and the Pride flags are political symbols. The parent claimed these flags promoted political agendas in a school setting. In response, Durango School District 9-R implemented a policy on Oct. 1, requiring the removal of these specific flags, while allowing standard Pride flags to remain. This decision ignited community and teacher concerns, leadi...
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Millions in tax dollars went toward programs taught by those fanning flames of anti-Israel protests
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Approved, National, The Daily Caller

Millions in tax dollars went toward programs taught by those fanning flames of anti-Israel protests

By Jaryn Crouson | Daily Caller Professors connected to anti-Israel protests head programs that received millions of taxpayer dollars, according to a report released Wednesday by government transparency group Open The Books. The Department of Education has spent $283 million on foreign studies grants since 2020, with over $22.1 million going towards programs studying the Middle East, Open The Books found. The study analyzed the top three grant recipients, Indiana University, Columbia University and Georgetown University, and found that each highlighted anti-Israel professors as distinguished staff in their programs. “These universities all have multibillion dollar endowments,” Amber Todoroff, deputy policy editor at Open The Books, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “They...
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Reports of school threats, safety concerns surge in Colorado
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Reports of school threats, safety concerns surge in Colorado

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Driven by a surge in school threats and safety concerns, Safe2Tell saw an “unprecedented” 74% increase in reports in September compared to last year, according to the Colorado Attorney General’s office. Established by the Colorado Assembly in 2017, Safe2Tell Colorado is a harm and violence prevention program that allows students and the community to anonymously report safety concerns. September’s monthly report shows 4,729 reports, outpacing the previous record set earlier this year. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado districts hope voters support tax measures for new school buildings, scholarships, and more
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Colorado districts hope voters support tax measures for new school buildings, scholarships, and more

By Yesenia Robles | Chalkbeat Colorado More than 30 of Colorado’s 178 school districts are asking voters to approve a local tax measure in this November’s election. The number of requests on the ballot isn’t more than in some past years. But what has gone up is the amount of money districts are requesting — nearly $7 billion. There are two types of tax measures districts are putting to voters this year. Bond and capital measures would mostly go to pay for new school buildings, renovations, new air conditioning in some districts, and safety upgrades. Mill levy overrides would raise operating dollars that would mostly help increase staff pay and add more career education opportunities for students. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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In search of new child care money, more Colorado communities look to hotel guests
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

In search of new child care money, more Colorado communities look to hotel guests

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado Three western Colorado communities hope to raise new dollars for child care through taxes paid by out-of-town visitors who stay in hotels or short-term rental housing. La Plata and Grand counties and the City of Montrose all have lodging tax measures on the November ballot, with at least some of the proceeds intended to help make child care easier for local residents to find and pay for. The three communities are the latest in a string of mostly mountain resort areas to ask voters for permission to spend lodging tax dollars on housing and child care. The idea is that local workers power the tourism industry, so visitors should contribute to efforts supporting a stable workforce. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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