The New GVR E-12 Campus Quickly Rising Up into the GVR Skyline

By: Thad Jacobs, GVR Citizens Advisory Board, Education Committee Chair

There is a lot happening around education in GVR and in Far Northeast Denver. We recently held elections where new DPS school board members were elected.  Representing District 4 and supporting Far Northeast Denver is Dr. Nate Easley.  At the November 30th Board of Education meeting Dr. Easley was also named the Boards new President.

The new GVR E-12 Campus is quickly rising up into the Green Valley Ranch western skyline and the campus is taking shape.  The construction is currently on schedule to meet the campus opening in August of 2010.    The campus will open with two collocated Charter School programs approved by the DPS Board of Education. The elementary program, SOAR Charter School, will open with Kindergarten through 2nd grades and grow to a K – 5th grade program. For more information on SOAR, and enrollment visit www.soardenver.org .  The Campus will also house the 2nd School for the Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST), DSST will open with 6th grade for the 2010-11 school year, and then 6th, 7th, and 9th grades for the 2011-2012 school year.  For incoming 9th graders in GVR, DSST has opened an additional 50 preferential lottery seats at the Stapleton Campus.  For more information about DSST and enrollment for either Campus, visit www.scienceandtech.org.

Montbello High School has begun to look at a comprehensive turnaround strategy to improve the schools performance.  This is just in the beginning stages and school officials, community leaders and parents are starting the community engagement and information processes. This turnaround strategy is important not only for the Montbello community, but to the entire Far Northeast community, including Green Valley Ranch.  There will be Community information and Engagement meeting Saturday 12/12/09, 8:30am to 12:00pm at Montbello High School located at 5000 Crown Blvd.

Now is a critical time for our community and the educational opportunities for the children who live here.  Our schools are overcrowded and under achieving in many cases.  Now is the time where we need to re-engage with our schools and help in their improvement and turnaround.  As hard as the teachers and administrators work in our schools they cannot do it alone.  They need our help, parents, community members and community leaders, alike to succeed.  If you cannot attend a meeting, then write a letter, send an email or make a call with your concerns or ideas.  The children in our community deserve our support, and need our help. Please Get Involved!