Denver Public Schools loses 1,800 students, exceeding fall projections
Preliminary data shows enrollment dropping faster than expected, prompting officials to revisit closure policies despite a recent pause.
By Aaron Foster ·
Denver Public Schools is facing a faster drop in student numbers than officials anticipated for the 2026 fall semester. Preliminary figures indicate a decline of approximately 1,800 students compared to the previous year. This loss exceeds the district's earlier projection of about 1,500 students.
Andrew Huber, the district's executive director for enrollment and campus planning, stated that the pace of the decline creates tangible obstacles for educational quality. He warned that leaving the trend unaddressed for an extended period would negatively impact the students in the system.
The steepest losses are occurring in southwest and northwest Denver. However, the decline has also reached the far northeast side of the city. Huber identified three main drivers for the drop: declining birth rates, fewer new arrivals from out of country, and families leaving the state due to affordability issues.
The district experienced growth between 2023 and 2024 due to an influx of new residents. Huber noted that the number of new to country arrivals entering the system this year is the lowest in many years. He suggested that current immigration policy may be a factor, though he acknowledged that specific local reasons remain speculative.
The school system closed seven schools and restructured programs in 2024. Despite these changes, the district is down about 3,000 students from that time. Huber expects to lose thousands more in the coming years due to demographic shifts alone.
Huber told Denver7 that the district is approaching a point where the math no longer works. He described a scenario with too many schools for the current number of kids. He argued that closing schools is the right long-term strategy, even though the district recently closed campuses just a couple of years ago.
A four-year moratorium currently pauses school closures through 2029. The board of education is now working to consolidate two policies that govern school closures and enrollment boundaries. These policies are known as Executive Limitations 18 and 19.
The district stated it is responsible for ensuring schools have enough students to offer a full range of programming. A district statement said it is continuously monitoring demographic trends to keep schools well-resourced. It added that it cannot speculate on further closures until the policy review is finished.
No new school closures have been announced for the current academic year. The board will continue its review of the executive limitations. The district remains committed to providing quality learning environments across the city while it completes this work.
