New Enrollment Zone Information

Posted November 22, 2024

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Dear Centennial Crew,

As part of the Denver Schools Thrive Initiative, and using direction from Executive Limitation 18 (EL-18), the superintendent recommended 10 schools for closure or grade level restructure to the Board of Education earlier this month. At their Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education voted to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation of closing Columbian Elementary. With the closure of Columbian, this means that Centennial will become part of the new Northwest Denver Elementary Enrollment Zone. 

This means that starting in the 2025-26 school year, Columbian’s boundary will join the following schools in this new zone:

  • Beach Court (ECE-5)
  • Centennial (ECE-5)
  • Edison (ECE-5)
  • Trevista (ECE-5)

I want to assure you that students currently enrolled in Kindergarten and above at Centennial will remain enrolled through the final grade offered at our school, regardless of the proposed changes to boundaries and enrollment zones. You will still have the ability to choose a school through the SchoolChoice process if you would like to explore other school options. SchoolChoice Round 1 application window opens on Jan. 15, 2025 at 10 a.m. and will remain open through Feb. 18, 2025 at 4 p.m. 

Enrollment Zone Transportation

Per existing Transportation policy, the following DPS students who reside in (existing and newly created) enrollment zones and attend a school within that enrollment zone are eligible for stop-to-school-to-stop service on yellow buses:

  • Elementary (K-5) students who live more than 1 mile away from the school they attend.
  • Middle School (6-8) students who live more than 2.5 miles away from the school they attend.


Additional Enrollment and SchoolChoice Information 

  • Guaranteed Seats: Students residing within the new or expanded enrollment zones are guaranteed a seat within that zone, with transportation provided in some cases (see above).
  • Incoming Kindergarteners for 2025-26: Families of future kindergarteners will need to participate in SchoolChoice Round 1 to secure a seat.
  • SchoolChoice Timeline:
    • Round 1: Opens Jan. 15, 2025 at 10 a.m., and closes Feb. 18, 2025 at 4 p.m. Families will receive results by the end of March 2025.
    • Round 2: Opens April 8, 2025 and remains open through the summer.
    • Note: Round 1 provides the best opportunity to secure your preferred school.
  • Closing School Priority: If any nearby schools close, students from those schools in grades kindergarten through fourth will receive “closing school priority” for enrollment at any other DPS school.
    • This will be the highest choice priority at all DPS schools.
    • See this example of priorities for an elementary school that serves an enrollment zone
  • Bell Times: Bell times may change for some impacted schools; if this is the case there will be an effort to make minimal changes (less than 15 minutes). 

For more information, including frequently asked questions, including a summary of the impacted schools, please visit the Denver School Thrives webpage. If you have any additional questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at emily_volkert@dpsk12.net.

Sincerely,

Emily Volkert

Principal, Centennial