The Denver school district has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a parent group that is seeking to stop the closures or partial closures of 10 district schools.
Chalkbeat Colorado reports that the group, Mamás de DPS LLC, sued the school district in December over the Denver school board’s vote to close seven schools and partially close three more because of declining enrollment.
Mamás de DPS asserted in its lawsuit that district leaders had an “ulterior motive” for the school closures “of converting public resources to the private market.” The group accused the district of not being transparent about its enrollment and argued that the district’s claims about underused school buildings were dubious.
In a pair of court motions, the district says the judge should reject the request for a preliminary injunction and dismiss the lawsuit from Mamás de DPS.
Seven Denver schools are set to close at the end of this school year: Castro Elementary, Columbian Elementary, Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, International Academy of Denver at Harrington, Palmer Elementary, Schmitt Elementary, and West Middle.
Three more schools will partially close. Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy will lose its elementary school grades, Dora Moore ECE-8 School will lose its middle school grades, and Denver Center for International Studies will lose its high school grades.
