DPS serves up lunch plan

Approval of waivers means open campus for some students

Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 28, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More Education

An effort to improve attendance in Denver high schools means that some students will get to eat out for lunch this fall and some won't.

Denver Public Schools released its list Thursday of campuses that will be closed at lunchtime, by grade and by school, a list that drew groans from students such as junior Alex Lopez. "I don't like it," said Lopez, who will be a senior at West High School, which will require all students to stay on campus for lunch. "But they're going to do what they want to do."

West, near downtown, along with the nearby Center for International Studies and Montbello High School in far northeast Denver, are imposing the toughest policies.

Older students at Montbello, those in grades 11 and 12, will be able to earn the right to leave by compiling strong attendance records.

"We wanted to help students understand that it's a privilege to leave the campus," said Montbello Principal Antwan Wilson, "and they have certain responsibilities to fulfill to earn that privilege."

Most Denver high schools, though not all, now allow students to leave school for lunch and return for afternoon classes. But many students aren't coming back.

"Our interest is, and always has been, in the truancy question," DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet said. "We want, at a minimum, a 97 percent attendance rate in our schools." Bennet first proposed closing high school campuses for lunch in his district reform plan released last November. He said schools that submitted truancy-reduction plans might exempt students in grades 11 and 12.

But the idea was unpopular with high school students who were used to midday freedom. In the second draft of the reform plan, released in February, Bennet said more time was needed to determine "if/how" the policy would be implemented.

Some principals thought that meant the plan was being tabled - until March, when Bennet told them to submit their campus plans and agreed that students in grade 10 could be exempted as well. He held firm on the youngest students, those in grade 9.

"We worked through the process with high school principals individually and also as a group," he said. "There were a lot of issues we needed to consider as a group - would it be OK to treat different high schools differently? . . . Our view was, absolutely, it gives us more opportunities to see what works."

Principals submitted various proposals. North Principal Darlene LeDoux wanted to keep current policy - restricting students in grades 9 and 10 to campus for lunch. Those students can leave the building but must stay on the grounds, many playing sports or games outside.

And East High School sought to continue allowing all students to leave, partly because its cafeteria seats only 258 students and 2,092 students are enrolled.

Bennet granted that proposal, making East the only high school with a completely open campus, because of the building issue but also because the school proved that it already is meeting the 97 percent goal.

At Montbello, Wilson said he supports allowing different policies at different schools. He already keeps younger students, those in grades 9 and 10, on campus because of his school's location - a long hike from many restaurants. And for older students who can drive, those in grades 11 and 12, the new policy allows "those who are coming to school regularly to be rewarded," he said.

Not everyone is convinced that closing campuses will improve attendance rates.

Nallely Mendez, a West freshman who will attend the Center for International Studies this fall, said that students are likely to rebel.

"If you tell them you can't, they'll just leave and not come back," she said.

Closing campuses

These Denver high schools are closing their campuses to all grades in the fall, with some exceptions:

• Center for International Studies, 574 W. Sixth Ave.; students in grades 11 and 12 can leave with parental permission.

• Montbello High School, 5000 Crown Blvd.; students in grades 11 and 12 with good attendance can earn the right to leave.

• West High School, 951 Elati St.; DPS will review the policy after a new principal is appointed.

• Online: For a complete list of policies for all DPS high schools, go to RockyMountainNews.com.

Lunchtime privileges

Denver Public Schools on Thursday released the list of high schools that will close their campuses to some grades - but not all - at lunchtime in the fall:

CLOSING FOR GRADES 9, 10

• Abraham Lincoln High, 2285 S. Federal Blvd.

• CEC Middle College, 2650 Eliot St.

• North High, 2960 N. Speer Blvd.

CLOSING FOR GRADE 9

• Denver School of the Arts, 7111 Montview Blvd., but students in grade 9 can earn the right to leave for the second semester if they complete a required community service plan.

• John F. Kennedy High, 2855 S. Lamar St.; but students in good standing in grades 10, 11 and 12 will be allowed to leave campus. • George Washington High, 655 S. Monaco St.; but students in grades 10, 11 and 12 who meet high attendance standards can leave.

• South High, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave.; but students in good standing in grades 10, 11 and 12 can leave.

• Thomas Jefferson High, 3950 S. Holly St.; but students in grades 10, 11 and 12 with poor attendance will lose open campus privileges.

OPEN FOR ALL GRADES

• East High, 1545 Detroit St.*Individual Schools Will Set Their Own Criteria To Determine Whether Students Are "In Good Standing" Or "Meet High Attendance Standards."

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News