Cool Schools: Downtown charter school encourages students to take ownership of their education

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School was featured as January’s 9News Cool School!

The K-5th DPS public charter school opened in 2013. Founded by parents, community members and business leaders, the school of about 250 students practices the curriculum of Expeditionary Learning, where students dig deeper into projects both inside and outside of the classroom.

Watch the feature from photojournalist Byron Reed at 9NEWS.

Student with cell phone in class

Cell Phones, Classrooms and Community Voice: What’s Happening in Denver Public Schools

If you are a Denver Public Schools (DPS) parent, educator or community member, you have probably heard the conversations already—at school pickup, in group chats or maybe around your kitchen table. What should schools do about cell phones? And who gets to decide? By July 1, 2026, House Bill 25-1135 requires every Colorado school district to adopt a formal policy that limits the use of smartphones and smartwatches by students during the school day. The goal of the legislation is

READ THE STORY