Opinion: Denver Public Schools closures are breaking up the community that creates a thriving, safe neighborhood

In November, Denver Public Schools approved the closure of seven schools and the restructuring of three more, citing declining enrollment, facility usage and budget constraints. One of those closures was my children’s neighborhood school.

While significant attention has rightfully been given to the immediate educational and social-emotional disruptions, an initially overlooked consequence that is surfacing as families are confronted with the realities of their new school commutes is the impact on neighborhood infrastructure and pedestrian safety for students who will now have to travel farther to school.

Walking and biking to school is about more than just transportation, just as schools are more than places of learning. Neighborhood public schools anchor communities, fostering stability and connection. When students and faculty are displaced to distant schools, the disruption extends beyond education, straining families and weakening the fabric of the neighborhood. 

For families like mine, our commutes to school offer social connections — whether stopping to chat with neighbors, grabbing a warm drink from the local coffee shop on crisp fall mornings, or running into classmates for an impromptu ice cream stop after school as the weather warms. These rituals strengthen neighborhood ties and create a sense of belonging for students and surrounding neighbors. 

In fact, living in well-resourced neighborhoods where connections with neighbors and positive neighborhood sentiment are interwoven into the culture are proven factors to increasing safety and well-being.

As part of its restructuring plan, Denver Public Schools has introduced enrollment zones, effectively making the school choice system mandatory for families affected by closures. While promoted as a way to expand options, this system targets already marginalized communities, reinforcing long-standing patterns of racial segregation and inequity. 

As it pertains to school access, the reality is wealthier families who can afford private transportation or work flexibility are better equipped to take advantage of the school choice system, while marginalized families face increased barriers to accessing education.

In Denver, the impacts of school choice on families already facing systemic barriers to education due to inadequate transit infrastructure have been well-documented. Historically, many low-income students in the city struggle to attend their schools of “choice” simply because they lack the means to get there. 

Now, these new enrollment zones worsen existing challenges by requiring students to cross some of the city’s most hazardous traffic corridors. 

During meetings hosted by Denver Public School Board Directors and Superintendent Alex Marrero, families raised concerns about students getting to their new schools safely after the closures and enrollment zone changes. DPS leadership pointed only to their promise to update bus routes outlined in the Denver School Thrives Report, without addressing the specific challenges highlighted by families who walk and bike to school. 

This limited response failed to account for several real-life scenarios; one frequently raised concern is the lack of guarantee siblings will be able to attend the same schools, potentially requiring families to manage conflicting bus pick-up and drop-off times at different locations. Additionally, families voiced concerns about the social-emotional impact on students who currently walk or bike independently to school but will be forced to navigate an unfamiliar and potentially stressful bus system.

The Central East Enrollment Zone, for example, now forces students from the nearby closing school to cross either Colorado Boulevard or Colfax Avenue, two of the highest-risk corridors due to heavy traffic and frequent pedestrian injuries. 

Similarly, students in the Northwest Enrollment Zone must cross Federal Boulevard, where nearly half of traffic-related deaths on the corridor have been pedestrians, despite pedestrians only making up 7% of commuters in the city. 

Families and faculty in the South Central Enrollment Zone face dangerous crossings at Santa Fe and South Broadway, both part of the city’s Vision Zero High-Injury Network. 

What was once a safe, walkable trip to school for many students and teachers will become hazardous and impractical.

Throughout the closure process, parents from impacted schools across the district echoed the same concern in the listening sessions hosted by DPS: They did not feel heard. While efforts like transportation planning were in place, meaningful engagement must go far beyond logistics. 

It should come as no surprise that families and staff felt sidelined, given that the school board released its proposed list of closures just two weeks before the final decision. PTA leaders from several schools raised concerns directly with Superintendent Marrero, arguing that the data cited in the closure plan, particularly regarding neighborhood growth and student enrollment projections, did not align with their own findings. He declined to revisit the data. 

Moving forward, school closure and consolidation processes must prioritize a holistic, community-centered approach; one that ensures families have both a meaningful voice and sufficient time to offer input and propose alternative solutions.

For those affected by recent closures, DPS must collaborate with the city of Denver to prioritize safety improvements, including crosswalks, traffic calming measures and protected bike lanes. 

Rather than just adding bus routes, the district must reconsider how to ensure safe, equitable access to education and determine whether closing all seven schools was truly necessary, especially if it jeopardizes student safety and community cohesion.

Grace Thorvilson of Denver is a mother, political consultant and community organizer. (Twitter)

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