March 27, 2015
Dear Henry Families,
Thank you for attending our parent meeting earlier this week for our discussion about changes coming to
Henry in 2016-17. We are sending this letter to respond to some questions you asked at the meeting and
to provide information for those families who were not able to attend.
Changes coming to Henry
1.What is happening at Henry?
Despite the hard work and commitment of many of our staff, families and community members, we do
not believe the majority of our students at Henry are making the academic progress they need to be
successful in college and career. So we are making the difficult decision to begin phasing out the current
Henry program starting in fall 2016-17. That means, 18 months from now, Henry will no longer accept
incoming sixth-graders. The following year, in 2017-18, Henry will serve only students in grades 7 and 8.
Then, in 2018-19, the last class of eighth-graders in Henry’s current program will graduate.
2. Are you closing the school?
No. In fact, we will begin seeking proposals for a new high-performing school to begin phasing in, one
grade at a time, on the Henry campus in 2016-17. So as the existing program phases out, the new highperforming school will be phasing in. No matter your child’s grade, Henry will be open to serve them.
3. My child is a current Henry student. Will he or she have to go to another school?
No. We welcome your student, and all of our current Henry students, to continue at the school until they
graduate to go to high school. We have hired a strong veteran principal, who is experienced in leading a
positive school climate and a quality academic program. This principal, Don Roy, has pledged to stay at
Henry and see our staff, families and community through this transition.
4. I was planning to send my younger children to Henry. Will they still be able to go?
Yes. Henry will continue to serve students for many years to come. What is changing is what that school
will look like. We will seek proposals for a high-performing middle school to begin with grade 6 at Henry
in 2016-17. So while the current program is phasing out, we will be phasing in a new program. There will
be no gaps in service to our families.
5. Will the new school have an IB program?
It certainly could. We have hired a principal to create a district-run, high-performing middle school to be
considered among the proposals for the new Henry school. We do expect there will be multiple applicants
to serve the community, including charter schools. This new principal, Lindsay Meier, will begin working
with you, our families and community, to see what you want this district-run school to look like,
including whether it should be IB. We want to hear from you during this process.
6. When will we know what the new school will look like?
We will issue our request for new school proposals next month, with proposals due over the summer. The
Denver board of education will approve the new school for Henry in the fall. This is a public process and
you are invited to participate.
7. How can I participate in creating a new school program?
We want to hear what you want from Henry to prepare your children to thrive in middle and high school
and graduate ready for college and career in the 21st century. We encourage you to attend meetings that
will soon be announced, to describe what you would like to see and to discuss what others say. Our vision
for Henry is a school where every child is growing and learning every day.
Questions we heard at the meeting
8. What’s wrong with Henry as it is? My child is doing well.
Some students are doing very well at Henry; however, we are concerned the majority of students are not.
Henry is the second lowest-performing middle school in Southwest Denver and its overall performance
has failed to meet district expectations for several years. For the past two years, roughly half of the
children who live in Henry’s boundaries have chosen to go to other schools. We have invested in
additional funding at Henry and in new school leaders but student academic growth has not substantially
improved for all kids.
9. So nothing will change next year?
You will see a new leader, Don Roy, for 2015-16. In fact, Principal Roy will begin regular office hours –
1 to 5 p.m., Tuesdays – at Henry after spring break this year, so he can get to know our staff, students and
families. When he takes over this fall, Henry will also benefit from additional funding and supports such
as more mental health services for our students’ social and emotional well-being.
10. I am concerned about bullying at Henry. How will this help?
Our new principal, Don Roy, believes strongly in creating a positive school climate by being very clear
with students about expectations for their behavior and consequences when they fail to meet those
expectations. He believes it is critical that all school staff consistently reinforce those expectations with
all students. He plans to begin working on new school behavior expectations with staff, students and
families in the coming weeks. In addition, Henry will launch an anonymous tip line to report bullying
problems after spring break. Staff members need to know about bullying in order to stop it.
11. Why is this decision being made now, after the first round of school choice has been completed?
As many of you know, we have been in the process of hiring a new principal at Henry for some time. As
we reviewed the challenges facing the school, we realized a new school leader was not enough to make
the changes our students need. We were particularly struck by the fact that more than 70% of students
living in Henry’s boundaries are choosing another school for next year. By making this change now,
rather than waiting until the fall, we are allowing applicants to spend more time creating proposals for
new, high-performing middle schools.
Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to come to our parent meeting and/or reading this letter to learn more about
changes coming to Henry. We welcome your ideas and your participation as we all work together to
provide a stronger middle school for our children and our community.