Traditional schools in DPS up 2 pupils

Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 17, 2006 at midnight

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Enrollment in traditional public schools in Denver climbed this fall for the first time in five years - by two students.

"I wouldn't dance in the streets over these numbers . . . but I do hope it will be a moment when we've turned the corner," said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet.

Overall DPS enrollment numbers released Thursday show a total of 73,399 students attending city schools from preschool programs through grade 12, a jump of 381.

As in recent years, most of that increase has come in the city's charter schools, those nontraditional campuses operated by independent groups of parents or others via contracts with the Denver school board.

Charter school growth accounts for 379 of the 381-student jump, which is the smallest annual increase for charters since 2001.

Just two of the 381-student climb are in DPS traditional neighborhood schools or alternative programs operated by the district, such as Emily Griffith High School, a dropout retrieval program.

But it's still the first growth in district-led schools since 2001.

Ethan Hemming, DPS director of planning, research and innovation, pointed out that one year doesn't make a trend. Still, he said, "we do hope this is an indication of enrollment changes for traditional schools."

Enrollment totals in the city school district have been stagnant in recent years, marked by some common threads:

• Some students leaving traditional schools and more families entering charter schools, such as the popular Denver School of Science and Technology in Stapleton.

"It's not a one-to-one match" of students trading traditional for charter, Hemming said, noting that charters do pull in families new to DPS. But there is overlap.

• Families tend to leave DPS as their children enter middle school, a trend that continued this fall. Every middle school grade - 6, 7 and 8 - saw large declines.

• By geography, northwest Denver schools have seen some of the biggest drops, another trend that continued this fall. The area's two middle schools - Horace Mann and Skinner - are operating at less than 50 percent of their building capacity. Two-thirds of the area elementary schools are operating at less than 80 percent capacity.

Enrollment numbers are closely watched, largely because student count determines state funding. DPS receives roughly $6,500 per student. The district keeps the total amount for students in its own schools but, by state law, can only keep up to 5 percent of that amount for students in charter schools. The rest follows the students.

With the trend in recent years, then, of declining enrollment in its traditional schools - even as its charters have grown - DPS has taken a financial hit.

Even this fall, if only grades kindergarten through 12 are counted and preschool is left out, the district's traditional schools saw a decline of 347 students. Charters in those same grades jumped 377.

That means overall DPS enrollment in K-12 still went up, by just 30 students, from 68,994 in 2005 to 69,024. But it's a less pretty picture for traditional schools.

Whichever grades are counted - and DPS officials like to include preschool because they try to hold on to those kids - Bennet does not believe the count is high enough.

He has made increasing enrollment a drumbeat of his public speaking, urging the return of families to an improving city school district.

Enrollment figures in the metro area

Denver Public Schools

2006: 73,399

2005: 73,018

Difference: +381

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

2006: 37,439

2005: 36,318

Difference: +1,121

Boulder Valley School District

2006: 28,196

2005: 27,921

Difference: +275

Jefferson County School District

2006: 84,790

2005: 85,083

Difference: -293

Douglas County School District

2006: 51,100

2005: 48,043

Difference: +3,057