Announcements

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, thousands of parents and students took education into their own hands by learning about their middle and high school options at this year's DPS School Choice Expo.

Families funneled into the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, walking from table to table and chatting with representatives from dozens of middle and high schools to learn what each school has to offer their students.

Last year, about 700 attended the expo. This year, that number is estimated to have more than tripled with about 3,000 in attendance, proving that more and more Denver families are taking advantage of school choice and open enrollment.  Because of the unexpected high turnout, tables at next year's expo may be more spread out or perhaps at a larger venue.

Parents with further questions about school choice and open enrollment can e-mail Marissa Ferrari at marissa_ferrari@dpsk12.org. 

“Education is not one-size-fits-all, and we are proud to offer an incredibly wide array of high-quality schools and programs to meet the learning needs and interests of every student,” DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said. “The Denver Public Schools Expo is designed to help families find the school that’s the right fit for their child.”

Colorado is one of only six states nationwide to offer the “open enrollment” form of public school choice. Open enrollment allows students to attend any school in the state, regardless of where they live, provided that school has space, the student meets entrance requirements, and the student’s family is able to provide transportation.

About 41% of DPS students attend a Denver public school other than their attendance-area school, up from about 34% in 2004.

During that same time period, the variety of schools and programs offered within DPS has also increased dramatically. Students and parents can now choose from several schools within each of many special-focus areas, including:

• Dual-language (five schools),
• Arts focus (three schools),
• International focus (11 schools),
• Science focus (three schools),
• Expeditionary learning (two schools) and
• Montessori (six schools).

Elementary school (K-5) programs are not on display at the annual Expo, but families can get information on those offerings in the DPS Enrollment Guide, which is available at all DPS schools.

More information is available at www.dpsk12.org/expo. 

Watch 9News coverage of the Expo, and read a Denver Post article on school choice.

(Caption: Parents visit Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy's table at the 2009 Expo)