Ricky Garcia, an eighth grader at STRIVE Prep Federal, told a committee of Kepner parents why he thought a STRIVE charter school at the Kepner campus would be a good fit for the low-performing school. The charter network’s pitch was one of four made to the committee Wednesday.
The committee has been tasked with making a recommendation to the Denver Public Schools’ board of education on which models the school should adopt in 2015 as part of a phase-in-phase-out intervention to improve student achievement at the school. Other models considered by the parent committee included a district-run dual language program, a charter school backed by the education nonprofit City Year that traditionally partners with high-needs schools to provide support, and charter operator DSST.
The larger southwest Denver community will be able to weigh in next week when DPS hosts a series of town hall meetings. Similar meetings are also happening across the city as DPS nears a June 2 board meeting, at which staff will make recommendations to the board on which new schools to open.