Many Denver Schools to Close Campuses During Lunchtime

Beginning with the fall of 2006 school year, many highschools principals, administrators presented the final
schools in the Denver schools system will close theirplan, which requires all freshmen to remain on
campuses during lunchtime. This means that Denvercampus. Waivers may be requested for the other
schools students will not be allowed to leave campusgrades of 10th, 11th and 12th.After the meeting,
to eat at nearby restaurants, fast foods, andprincipals scrambled to make the new Denver schools
convenience stores.Denver schools superintendentpolicy work. Since the lunchtime schedule dictates the
Michael Bennet introduced the final draft of the newclassroom schedules, the new Denver Plan is causing
policy, called the Denver Plan, in the spring of 2006.an upheaval in many Denver schools, where they
Bennet believes his plan will reduce the increasinghave a common lunchtime for all students and
afternoon truancy within the high schools.The Denverteachers. Small cafeteria capacity means multiple
schools plan has taken several drafts to reachlunchtime schedules must be implemented. For
implementation. The first draft was introduced toexample, Denver schools East High School enrolls
Denver schools principals in November of 2005,2,092 students with a cafeteria that seats only 258.
suggesting that schools could submit waiver requestsIf only the 750 freshmen are kept on school grounds
by April to exempt the older students in 11th andduring lunchtime, at least three lunch periods will be
12th grades. A second draft was presented to therequired. This also upsets the activities by possible by
Denver schools principals in February 2006, amendinga common lunch period, such as club meetings,
the original policy by stating that more time wasstudents meeting with classroom teachers, and
needed to determine how the policy would bestudents socializing with their friends and siblings who
implemented. At a March meeting of the Denverare in different classes.