The Denver Public Schools Board of Education tasked Superintendent Alex Marrero with taking a holistic approach to school closures, rather relying solely on enrollment and academic performance.

On Thursday, Marrero recommended closing seven schools and restructuring three others.

Of the seven schools proposed for closure, three are located in southwest Denver, the region hardest hit by declining enrollment.

Four of the campuses — Columbian, Castro, Schmitt and the International Academy of Denver at Harrington elementary school — were on the closure list proposed and then nixed two years ago.

Enrollment in Colorado is tied to funding; fewer students mean less money. Closing schools would close a growing gap in funding. If enrollment forecasts hold, district officials expect to lose $280 million over the next four years.

Of the seven proposed for closure, only two of the campuses met academic expectations in 2023. In four schools, greater than 95% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch, a poverty indicator that signals other needs.

Schools in districts 1 and 4 were spared this round of closures.

Here are the demographics, using the most recent state data, for the schools proposed for closure by district:

Castro Elementary

Enrollment: 237

District: 2, represented by Director Xochitl Gaytán

Region: Southwest

2023 Performance Rating: Meets expectations

Free and Reduced Lunch: >95%

Schmitt Elementary

Enrollment: 127

District: 2, represented by Gaytán

Region: Southwest

2023 Performance Rating: Low performing

Free and Reduced Lunch: > 95%

West Middle School

Enrollment: 186

District: 2, represented by Gaytán

Region: Southwest

2023 Performance Rating: Low performing

Free and Reduced Lunch: >95%

Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design

Enrollment: 60

District: 3, represented by Board President Carrie A. Olson

Region: Central/Southeast

2023 Performance Rating: Approaching expectations

Free and Reduced Lunch: 39%

Palmer Elementary

Enrollment: 150

District: 3, represented by Olson

Region: Central/Southeast

2023 Performance Rating: Meets expectations

Free and Reduced Lunch: 33%

Columbian Elementary

Enrollment: 143

District: 5, represented by Director Marlene De La Rosa

Region: Northwestern

2023 Performance Rating: Meets expectations

Free and Reduced Lunch: 88%

International Academy of Denver at Harrington

Enrollment: 122

District: 5, represented by De La Rosa

Region: Northwestern

2023 Performance Rating: Approaching expectations

Free and Reduced Lunch: >95%

Marrero also recommended restructuring at these schools:

• Kunsmiller would become a campus for grades 6 through 12 only (removes grades 1-5).

• Dora Moore would become an early childhood education through 5th grade only campus (removes grades 6-8).

• DCIS Baker 6-12 would become a middle school campus (removes grades 9-12).

In making the recommendations, staff looked at enrollment trends, academic performance, facility conditions and planned upgrades, as well as family choice patterns, school demographics and special programming.

Charter schools were not included in the recommendations.

Skyrocketing home costs, gentrification and lower birth rates have been blamed as the main factors driving the district’s enrollment declines. Lower birth rates is not just an issue in Denver — birth rates in the United States have trending down for decades.

The district has already lost about $107 million in revenue since 2019, when the district hit a peak of 93,815 students. Enrollment has been declining ever since.

Students attending a closed school will have priority in the school choice process that begins in January for campuses within their boundary.

In addition to opportunities throughout the day, board members next week will hold one-hour public comment meetings for those in the affected schools.

The board is expected to vote on Marrero’s school closure recommendations on Nov. 21.

For more information about the process or public comment schedule, visit Denver Public Schools.