DPS Students Head Back To Class
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Public Schools welcomed back students Monday, bringing the summer break to end.
Superintendent Tom Boasberg welcomed students and staff returning to Gust Elementary School. The school is celebrating significant academic and enrollment growth in the past year.
"Gust students saw some of the most academic growth in the whole state of Colorado," Boasberg said. "Enrollment is bursting at the seams, and we want to celebrate that. Thank the teachers, thank the parents."
And thanks to Denver voters, Boasberg says he expects even more improvements.
"We'll see more art teachers, music teachers, physical ed teachers, sports in high school, more opportunities for kids in poverty to have full-day preschool," Boasberg said. "We'll see more math tutoring to help kids catch up. These investments are critical to make sure we continue to raise our level of achievement."
Boasberg called the investments critical to closing the gap between children from middle class families and those living in poverty.
DPS posted the highest rate of growth in student achievement on the most recent TCAP scores.
More than 84,000 students are enrolled in Denver's 162 schools. Approximately 58 percent of the enrollment is Hispanic, 20 percent is Caucasian and 14 percent is African-American.
Approximately 68 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch.
