Three-Year, $310 Million Bond?

The last two bonds for Denver Public Schools (1990 and 1998) were for five years each and both bonds yielded new schools, additions and other improvements.

Because of the uncertain nature recently of the economy and the demographics, Superintendent Jerry Wartgow this week proposed a three-year bond to address identifiable, short-term needs. The new proposal would slash the size of the bond package for voters in November to $309.2 million. Previous bond discussions ranged up to $470 million.

“We’re concerned,” said Superintendent Wartgow. “It’s very, very hard to project enrollment for this fall. Five years is risky.”

The shorter timeline would follow the groundwork analysis of the CCFN-Citizens Committee on Facility Needs (see next page). Under the new package, the bond would yield two new K-8 schools (one in Green Valley, one in Montbello), land for a future high school at Stapleton, and large classroom additions at two southwest Denver elementary schools (Johnson and Schenck).

Work to address code compliance ($28.4 million), restoration ($25.9 million), and infrastructure projects ($85.9 million) would also be accomplished. In addition, $5.3 million worth of improvements would begin at North in advance of a master plan to renovate Denver’s oldest high school.

“We would not be destroying North High School,” said Superintendent Wartgow, who said North is an “architectural treasure” along with East, South and West high schools.

Technology projects, several food service kitchens, transportation facilities and learning landscapes would also be supported under the bond. Among highlights of the bond proposal would be improvements at Byers (formerly home to Denver School of the Arts), the Career Education Center and two charter schools.

Board members are expected to consider a final bond package at the August 21 meeting. “I don’t think I heard any major objections to what the staff is proposing,” said Board President Elaine Gantz Berman.

 

 

 

Mill Levy Too?

The Board pondered a staff proposal to place a $20 million mill levy question before voters in November.

The Board members seemed to generally support the staff concept for one key element – providing each elementary school an average of one dedicated art or music teacher. That would cost $7 million.

Also under consideration is $3.5 million for textbook purchases, $2 million for repair and upkeep of new construction and other projects in the bond (see related story), $2.5 million for new choice programs at existing schools and to begin revitalization of low-performing schools, and $2 million to start at least one all-day kindergarten for each school with 50 percent or higher free/reduced price lunch eligibility.

The final use of the remaining $4 million or so will be reconsidered by district staff in time for the August 21 meeting, when the Board will decide precisely what will go on the November ballot.

First Day Of School: August 18

The first day for the new school year for most Denver students is Monday, August 18. Superintendent Jerry Wartgow and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper held a joint news conference Thursday (August 7) at West High School to encourage attendance from day one forward.

“We are asking the entire community to help us let people know that the first day of school is Monday, August 18,” said Superintendent Wartgow. “We’re ready to learn on the first day. A missed day of school is a missed day of learning.”

Superintendent Wartgow urged parents to also consider August 18 as their first day of school and to become reengaged in learning on behalf of their children.

“We’ve set high expectations for all of us — students, parents, staff and the community included — to improve the performance of all students and close achievement gaps,” he said. “We can’t work toward those goals if students aren’t in school.”

Students who attend Continuous Year calendar schools (there are 19 of them) started July 28; middle schools and high schools stagger the starts for different grade levels.

 

 

 

“Westerly Creek Elementary”

At the first Board meeting of the year, Board members approved the name Westerly Creek Elementary School for the first of five schools planned in the Stapleton development area.

The name was the primary choice presented by a committee that queried the community and researched the area.

Named for a small waterway that flows through the Stapleton area, Westerly Creek is unique because it will be home to a neighborhood school and the Odyssey Charter School (K-8). This is the first such arrangement in DPS.

Both schools and their distinct educational programs will occupy separate sections of the facility but will share some common spaces such as the cafeteria, gymnasium and library.

The new school will open its doors to preschool-aged children through fifth-graders this month. Westerly Creek Elementary School projects a first-year enrollment of 119 students, the school’s capacity is 550 students. Odyssey Charter School anticipates 214 students this year.

 

CSAP Momentum

Chief Academic Officer Sally Mentor Hay reviewed the recent upbeat results from the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP).

Mentor Hay noted a strong upward trend in the elementary grades, where the new literacy program focused most of its attention last year. And two more key components are still to be implemented, she said. Still to come are more work on small group reading instruction and increasing teacher skills in diagnosing individual student performance.

All the data need more analysis, she said. “It’s not enough for us to say ‘oh good, we got a bump.’ We need to understand the results so we can keep going.”

Board member Lucia Guzman complimented Mentor Hay for all the changes. “You’ve brought some wonderful opportunities to use we haven’t seen before,” said Guzman.

For a complete review of recent CSAP results, see the district web site, www.dpsk12.org. A news release includes a broad overview and the Department of Assessment and Testing’s pages include complete CSAP tables.

DPS in Early Stages of “Opportunity Contract” Pilot

During the legislative session, the State of Colorado approved House Bill 1160 – the Colorado Opportunity Contract Pilot Program – which launches a year from now. The pilot will be evaluated by January 1, 2008.

The bill applies to school districts that had at least eight “low” or “unsatisfactory” schools during the 2001-2002 school year. It allows qualified students to take 75 to 85 percent of the per-pupil funding and use it for non-public school tuition. (For the current school year, per pupil funding for Denver Public Schools is $6,379.)

Student Qualifications
Opportunity contracts may be issued only to students who: 1) qualify for free or reduced price school lunches, and 2) live within school district boundaries. In addition:

• Fourth- through twelfth-grade students must have attended a public school during the previous year and scored “unsatisfactory” on at least one CSAP academic area or the equivalent on a college entrance exam.
• First- through third-grade students also must have attended a public school during the previous year; lack overall learning readiness attributable to at least three significant family risk factors such as homelessness, physical abuse or drug and alcohol abuse; and live within the boundaries of a school that has been school rated “low” or “unsatisfactory.”
• Kindergarteners also must lack overall learning readiness and live within the boundaries of a school that has been rated “low” or “unsatisfactory.”

• October 1 – Non-public schools apply to DPS to participate in the pilot.
• November 1 – DPS notifies non-public schools of acceptance.
• December 1 – DPS notifies qualifying families of pilot program and participating non-public schools.
• January 1 – Eligible families apply to DPS to participate in pilot.
• February 15 – DPS notifies applying families whether child meets criteria.
• March 1 – DPS selects participating families.
• April 1 to May 31 – Families submit applications to participating non-public schools. Schools must confirm or deny acceptance.
• September 15 – Eligible child must be enrolled in participating non-public school.
  
  
  
  

Board Notes...

Among other action this week, the Board of Education:

• Selected Reed & Associates as the architect for the Columbine Elementary School two-classroom renovation project.
• Denied requests for Challenges, Choices and Images Charter School and P.S. 1 Charter School to participate in the district’s proposed general obligation bond. Requests for two other charter schools are being considered as part of a potential bond package for voters in November.
• Approved an IDEA grant of $12,331,536 to provide supplemental services for students with suspected and identified disabilities and to supplement capabilities of the Office of Special Education.
• Approved an IDEA grant of $399,665 to provide a continuum of services for three- to five-year old students with disabilities.