Dear Gilpin community,
As you may know, DPS has been working with Curtis Park and surrounding communities to decide how best
to use the Gilpin facility in the future. The Gilpin Facility Placement Committee, which included both
community members and DPS staff, met five times over the past two and a half weeks to review
applications and make a recommendation to Superintendent Tom Boasberg about which school should be
located at Gilpin.
The committee recommends placing grades 4-8 of Denver Language School (DLS) at Gilpin
beginning in the 2018-19 school year. The fourth grade is included in the placement only for one year,
while a portion of DLS’ current facility is under construction.
The district makes decisions about which approved schools will be placed in district buildings through the
Call for New Quality Schools process. This past October, DPS started the process for Gilpin by releasing an
application that called for currently operating or previously-approved secondary schools that enroll
students from across the city in a unique program model.
Seven schools applied to use the building, and committee members reviewed applicants according to the
guidelines set out in the district’s Facility Allocation Policy. The committee recommended Denver Language
School due to its consistently high academic performance, track record of strong enrollment and robust
bus transportation system. The committee examined district enrollment data, and confirmed that the
school will have minimal to no enrollment impact on neighboring middle schools. DLS' unique school model
has historically drawn from across the district and enrolled very few new students after kindergarten.
DLS serves a racially- and ethnically-diverse student population that will reflect the rich diversity of Curtis
Park and the Five Points community. The school needed a higher-quality facility to serve its middle school
students, as its current leased facility lacks important features like a science lab, art room or suitable
outdoor recreation area. The layout of the Gilpin facility could serve DLS well with minimal changes,
causing less disruption to the community during the transition. In response to the needs identified by the
Gilpin community, DLS has also committed to ongoing engagement with the neighborhood through
volunteering or community cultural events.
As DLS expects to enroll just 365 students in grades 5-8, they will not fill the building, which has the
capacity for up to 600 students. In the future, we will revisit options for using the rest of the building to
serve students and the community.
Superintendent Boasberg will present the placement recommendation to the Denver Board of Education on
Monday, Dec. 18 at its public meeting. If you have any questions about the facility placement process or
would like more information, please contact the Public Affairs team at 720-423-2198 or email
publicaffairs@dpsk12.org.
Sincerely,

Denver Public Schools   1860 Lincoln St., Denver, CO 80203   720-423-3200   info@dpsk12.org   dpsk12.org

 David Suppes
Chief Operating Officer

Denver Public Schools   1860 Lincoln St., Denver, CO 80203   720-423-3200   info@dpsk12.org   dpsk12.org