Denver Public Schools (DPS) has postponed plans to install a secure vestibule at East High School following strong opposition from parents, students, and alumni. The $800,000 project, meant to enhance safety two years after a student shot two administrators at the school, faced backlash from the community for lacking input and potentially compromising the historic integrity of the building. Critics argue that true safety improvements require policy changes rather than physical infrastructure, and that the vestibule would serve as a symbolic gesture rather than a real solution.
While security experts emphasize the added safety provided by controlled entry points, many in the East High community remain unconvinced. Alumna and historian Marcia Tremmel Goldstein voiced concern over using “cookie-cutter” solutions for historic schools, while parent Lynne Ly stressed the need for stronger disciplinary policies over architectural changes. DPS officials now say they will use the delay to gather more community input, with the goal of completing the vestibule by summer 2026 as part of a broader, multi-layered safety strategy.