DENVER (KDVR) — Denver’s public school district is feeling the impact of changes across the metro area. Lower birth rates and housing challenges are resulting in a decline in enrollment.

The school board voted to close seven schools and restructure three others under the Denver Schools Thrive Initiative.

While the District will not close any additional schools in 2025, a spokesperson tells FOX31 that 6,000 fewer students are expected to enter the school system by 2029, an 8% decline that could drive additional changes in the coming years.

“This isn’t something that we ever want to do, and it’s something that we feel compelled to do and have to do as a result of our commitment to provide a high standard of service to all kids,” said DPS Enrollment and Campus Planning Executive Director Andrew Huber.

Tara Johnson told FOX31 her daughter will no longer attend her neighborhood school due to the closures, but instead will start riding a bus to a new school this fall that is located about two miles away.

“This is a different school, new school; I’m not going to be able to just walk over there,” she said.

Johnson says she is concerned about being able to quickly address any problems that affect her child’s well-being.

“I want to make sure she’s safe and everything that’s happening for her is for her betterment,” said Johnson.

Denver’s school district currently has approximately 90,000 students, but that number will change according to DPS’s Strategic Regional Analysis, which outlines projections for enrollment over the next five years. The report shows a pattern of declining enrollment since 2019 that is expected to continue through 2029.

“The things kind of like the specials, the electives, the extra supports and services that we know all of our kids deserve, become harder and harder to sustain financially,” he said.

Huber added that it is important to carefully address falling enrollment numbers in order to preserve the quality of educational programs.

“We believe that as a result of that process, we’ve right-sized the district relative to our current enrollment,” said Huber.