85% of new migrant students still enrolled in Denver schools

(The Center Square) – Denver Public Schools said that 85% of new-to-country students who joined this school year are still enrolled in the district.

DPS’ April 18 newcomer report shows the district has received 4,494 students, with 692 exiting for a new net gain of 3,802 students. “The new arrival student” or “newcomer” are terms used to describe a student who has moved from another country to Colorado. The new arrivals have cost the district $1.3 million thus far this school year.

The district has seen a decline of 150 migrant students since the March 21 update, according to the report.

While the numbers have begun to slow, the district report shows that transportation requests have increased for the schools affected by the shelter closures. Southeast Denver remains a challenging area to place students.

There are 445 students receiving transportation through the McKinney Vento (homeless) status, and the district is seeing a 79% increase compared to the previous year.

The district has struggled to determine how enrollment will be impacted by the city of Denver’s new cap on assisting 1,000 migrants with long-term housing.

New legislation allowing additional funding was passed on April 5. The bill appropriates $24 million from the state education fund to be disbursed in one-time allocations to school districts that enrolled new arrivals after the Feb. 9, 2024, enrollment day, according to the legislation document.

Overall, 28 schools have requested additional funding needs, with 10 of those receiving the additional funding.