Denver schools draft plan projects further 8% enrollment decline by 2029

Denver Public Schools’ draft 2026–27 improvement plan projects enrollment will decline by a further 8% by 2029. It reports an 82% four-year graduation rate for 2026 and sets an 85% target for the 2026–27 school year, the district’s work-session packet shows.

The plan links declining enrollment and aging infrastructure to financial pressure. It identifies staffing instability, a lack of standardized districtwide student-support systems, financial constraints and inequitable resource allocation as root causes. It says resource inequities affect schools’ ability to meet student needs, particularly schools with less capacity to raise money independently.

Graduation is one of four plan priorities, alongside literacy, math and attendance. The plan targets a reduction in chronic absenteeism from 43.1% to 41% and an increase in attendance from 88.3% to 90%. It also aims to raise the share of kindergarten through third-grade students reading at or above grade level from 69% to 71%, and to improve English language arts and math results for students in grades 3–8. The earlier draft plan and board update describe proposed attendance supports and instructional strategies.

The Board of Education agenda lists the draft plan for discussion at its October 8 work session.