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Takeaways from Je co K-8 and middle school enrollment and choice numbers, ahead of school closures
BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Je co school leaders have said identifying middle schools to close will be more complicated than it was with elementary schools.
at’s a daunting challenge for a district that voted to close 16 elementary schools last fall.
Leaders plan to recommend to the school board in August which schools to close, and to redraw some attendance boundaries and redesignate feeder schools in summer 2024.
A look at enrollment, school spending, campus utilization levels, and family poverty gives a glance at some of the data that may inform Je co’s decisions.
e district’s work has been spurred by years of declining enrollment. Even though the number of residents in Je co increased over two decades, the population of schoolage children decreased by 29,918 from 2000 to 2020. Fewer children are being born. According to the district, 2020 marked the lowest number of births recorded in 15 years.
e district has not yet identi ed the criteria to determine which middle and K-8 schools to close or consolidate. In one exception, district leaders have told the Arvada K-8 school community that if it earns a low state rating this fall, triggering possible state action, the district will recommend closure. e school is the only one that is nearing state action for low performance. e district describes its work as data driven, and has published some school data that it may consider in deciding on closures.
With elementary schools last year, the district identi ed for closure or consolidation schools that had fewer than 220 students, or were occupying less than 45% of the capacity of their building, and had another elementary school within 3.5 miles that
“We decided that twice a month would be more realistic for families. at’s on par with what a lot of other places have gone to,” Baldassare said. In addition to combating food shortages, Community Table has gone above and beyond for the people it serves, partnering with about a dozen local organizations and nonpro ts to provide a whole lot more than food.
Community Table has on-site medical and dental care, showers, laundry, mental health counseling, housing navigation, enrollment in government assistance programs and other services.
Martin said she hopes that o ering on-site services in the heart of Arvada — Community Table is located at 8555 W 57th Ave., near Olde Town — will help people who may not have the means to bounce around a bunch of di erent locations trying to get help.
“A lot of people are using us that never thought they would need to,” Martin said. “We kind of consider ourselves a hub in Arvada for these types of services. It’s di cult to get down to the county (building in Golden). We’re right in the community.” e following are a list of Community Table’s partnerships:
Medical Care: Stride Medical, Red Rocks Community College
Wednesdays
Community Table has partnered with Stride Medical to provide primary care services for people who are uninsured or underinsured. Stride comes to Community Table’s campus every Wednesday, and Red Rocks Community College will soon begin o ering medical services at the nonpro t as well.
Dentistry: No Smile Left Behind ird Wednesday of the month
Once a month, No Smile Left Behind performs basic dentistry for patients on Medicaid or those who are uninsured. e nonpro t cannot provide dental surgeries but can give referrals for those in need.
Shower and laundry truck: Bayaud, The Dignity Project
Fridays (Tuesdays forthcoming)
Every Friday, Bayaud Enterprises’ shower and laundry truck rolls up to Community Table, o ering free, hot showers and complimentary laundry. e Dignity Project has a similar truck that will begin visiting Community Table on Tuesdays starting soon.
DMV services: DMV To Go ird Friday of the month DMV To Go o ers full DMV services — including drivers licenses and car registration — for all community members on the third Friday of the month.
Mental health: Ardent Foundation workshops, Advocates for Recovery
Quarterly/Tuesdays e Ardent Foundation provides quarterly workshops on mental health, the last of which focused on coping mechanisms and stress relief, and the next of which will be held in July. ese sessions are open to the whole community.
Advocates for Recovery provide weekly meetings with clients interested in recovery services, every Tuesday.
Government assistance: Je erson County, Benefits in Action
Wednesdays
On Wednesdays, a representative from Je erson County or one from nonpro t Bene ts in Action come to help folks with enrollment in government assistance programs including SNAP and WIC. Representatives help clients identify and enroll in programs they might be eligible for.
Housing navigation: City of Arvada
Fridays
Arvada Housing Navigator Lisa Chavez meets with clients on Fridays at Community Table to help them apply for a ordable and governmentassisted housing.
Other partnerships
In addition to these partnerships, Community Table is working on nalizing a partnership with the Je erson Center for Mental Health to get a kiosk set up on site. e nonpro t partners with the City of Arvada’s One Small Step program for homeless criminal defendants, o ering a table with resources outside of the courtroom.
Community Table also runs ve mobile food pantries: Elevado Mobile Home Estates, the Arvada House, Mountain Vista, Highlands West and Mountain Terrace are the communities the nonpro t serves with its mobile pantry, spread out from Arvada to Wheat Ridge to Westminster.
A partnership with Doordash’s Project Dash allows Community Table to reach 50 individuals who are unable to come to the nonpro t’s Arvada campus in person. Baldassare said that sta is evaluating how many people can be included in the free program going forward.
e United States Postal Service Food Drive returned this year after going on hiatus during the pandemic — Community Table has received about 63,000 pounds of food, short of its 80,000-pound goal. Donations for the United States Postal Service Food Drive will be accepted until Sunday, May 28.
Martin said Community Table’s biggest need right now is canned goods.
“We really need to donations of canned goods and those kinds of items because those have gone down,” Martin said. “We’re still having supply chain problems, the rising cost of food, it’s increasing for (donor’s) families too. So, we don’t get as much food as we could use. “
Martin added that the donated food brings in a variety.
“As opposed for us going somewhere and buying 10 cases of green beans: they’re bringing in carrots and corn and it’s giving us a real variety to the store,” Martin said. “Plus, the community likes to help with this program.”
