Mckinley-Thatcher Elementary School

McKinley-Thatcher emphasizes experiential education and individualized approaches to foster a love of learning and support the growth of the whole child. The school aims for academic excellence in 21st-century learning environments while also prioritizing students’ social and emotional development so they become authentic, joyful learners ready to explore the world.

McKinley-Thatcher enrollment is handled through Denver Public Schools (DPS) SchoolChoice for families who want/need a new school next year (including incoming ECE-4 and kindergarten); Round 1 applications submitted during the window are treated the same (no advantage to applying earlier in the window). (mckinleythatcher.dpsk12.org) For the 2026–2027 school year, SchoolChoice Round 1 opened at 10:00 a.m. on December 2, 2025 and closed at 4:00 p.m. on January 20, 2026, with match results and any waitlist placements communicated in late February 2026. (mckinleythatcher.dpsk12.org) ECE-4 families must submit both a Colorado Universal Pre-K (UPK) application (Dec. 9, 2025 through Feb. 2, 2026; first-come/first-served) and a DPS SchoolChoice application (due Jan. 20, 2026), and the school notes ECE-4 priority for applicants who have a sibling currently at McKinley-Thatcher or who are the child of a current school staff member. (mckinleythatcher.dpsk12.org) Application/registration requirements noted by the school include providing documents such as proof of address for new DPS students, and for ECE families: proof of income for 30 consecutive days, proof of address, and proof of age (often a birth certificate); current DPS students generally only need documents if their address changed. (mckinleythatcher.dpsk12.org) As a resident of the Southwest/Central Elementary Enrollment Zone, your child is guaranteed a seat at one of the zone’s elementary schools (Asbury, Godsman, or McKinley-Thatcher), though ECE is offered but not guaranteed; if you apply in SchoolChoice Round 2, applications are processed first-come/first-served within priorities and students may be placed on a waitlist until space opens (then families typically have 72 hours to accept an offered seat). (files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com)