The embrace Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero and former Beacon iZone Executive Director Alex Magaña shared during Thursday’s board meeting stood in stark contrast to their exchanges over the past four months.

During its regular meeting, the district’s board of education briefly discussed its April decision to revoke the innovation zone status of Beacon iZone. The district review was required by state law as part an appeal.

The board did not reverse course.

It didn’t have to.

The two reached a compromise with Magaña reporting to the superintendent’s office.

“The only thing that will be different now is that there won’t be a governing board,” Magaña said following the meeting.

Director Michelle Quattlebaum praised Marrero and Magaña for finding “a third way.”

Marrero had cited poor academic performance and financial oversight for revoking the innovation zone status for Beacon iZone, which includes Kepner Beacon and Grant Beacon middle schools.

The Beacon iZone board appealed the decision to the state under a new law, which Marrero opposed and Magaña supported.

Given the COVID-19 learning loss, the state said in a non-binding statement in June that the district should have held off until new state test scores were released.

The latest results, released last week, showed that Kepner Beacon and Grant Beacon middle schools both saw year-over-year academic improvement in math and English.

“I think we need to celebrate all of their hard work,” Director Carrie Olson said Thursday.

Kepner’s literacy score average (26% at or exceeding expectations) was at or better than comparison middle schools, such as Compass Academy, West Middle School (15%) and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary (17%).

“When you put us up against district run schools, there’s no comparison,” Kepner Principal Dan Walsh said.

Kepner’s math score (7%) didn’t fare as well as other comparison schools, which ranged from 3% to 18%.

“A good chunk of our population has been in the country for less than a year,” Walsh said. “It’s an extra challenge and one not really talked about.”

Beacon’s state appeal is precedent setting.

Last year, state lawmakers approved a new law designed to give innovation schools and zones recourse when disagreements with a district decision arises.

The law, however, does not permit the state to override a local board. Instead, it requires the district to discuss the state decision, which the board did on Thursday.

State law provides innovation schools autonomous structures similar to charter schools, giving them flexibilities not available to traditional schools.

An innovation zone, or iZone, is a collection of schools under a separate governing board.

The Beacon iZone was formed in 2018 in collaboration with the district to support Grant and Kepner middle schools.

The district has two iZones and about 50 innovation schools.