Denver Public Schools expands early childhood classrooms in Northeast Denver

When Palmer Elementary School closed two years ago, a new need in Northeast Denver arose: early childhood education. Last year Palmer reopened serving a younger group of students, and the school is already expanding.

"That's an example of a place where we're using targeted data to expand capacity in areas where we know that we need to expand capacity," said Andrew Huber, executive director of enrollment and campus planning for Denver Public Schools. 

The school is doubling in size, going from four classrooms last year to eight this year. Palmer will now teach 160 3- and 4-year-olds some early and important foundations.

"Students that attend ECE during their 3-year-old and 4-year-old years actually do much better on CMAS testing when they get to third grade and things like that, " explained Palmer's principal, Sara Snyder-Poole. "Partly because they have all of the social, emotional, and self-regulation and all of that stuff that if they didn't go to ECE would be happening in kindergarten when they're really starting to focus on academics."

It's a win-win for both DPS and DPS families.

"Bringing kids into our system at the 3 and 4-year-old level, usually those kids stick around for their K-12 experience in DPS because they kind of see the value of what we're able to offer," said Huber.

There are nearly 6,000 students enrolled at ECE centers across Denver for a full schedule of learning.

"It's 20 students total in our classrooms, and they are all full day," said Snyder-Poole. "So, they all come from 8:05 to 3 p.m. in the afternoon." 

While DPS still doesn't offer school for infants to 2-year-olds, that could also be something they look at in the future.

"Feeling optimistic about our ability to serve every kid that we possibly can in those early years," said Huber.