Denver Public Schools tonight will embark on a new era in what may be the district's most pivotal school board meeting in decades.

The old board, with three members about to vacate their seats, will vote on a host of ambitious reforms recommended by the administration, including turnaround plans for six schools and placement of new charter schools.

Minutes after that vote, a new board will be sworn in — adding three new faces to the seven-member board.

Speculation is rife over what both boards will do.

Will the old board approve all of the controversial reforms? Will the new board overturn the old board's fresh decisions? And which member will be voted in as school board president — Nate Easley Jr., Jeannie Kaplan or incumbent Theresa Peña?

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No one's expecting TV critics to take notice, but the Colorado Channel — the legislature's cable access channel — returns to the airwaves this session with a new offering in its lineup.

The Colorado Senate is going live in 2010, following in the footsteps of the House, which has been broadcasting live video of its floor proceedings for the past two sessions.

"I'm excited," said Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont. "I think it'll be a good thing for the Senate and a good thing for the public."

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About 40 parents, teachers and others weighed in Monday on reform plans by Denver Public Schools — criticizing and applauding the district's proposed changes.

The DPS administrators' recommendations aim to improve schools, close failing programs and add charter schools throughout the district.

The school board votes on the recommendations Nov. 30.

Until then, the board begins a process of mulling over the recommendations and listening to feedback.

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Denver Public Schools officials today recommended sweeping changes to some of the district's lowest-performing schools — and a change in how charter schools operate.

District officials want three charter middle schools to become "boundary schools," which means they must accept every child in the neighborhood the schools serve.

The move could silence a long-running criticism about charters schools serving select groups of students.

The debate of charter schools vs. neighborhood schools became a focus of campaigns during Denver's recent school board election..

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Denver voters Tuesday soundly defeated a ballot initiative that would have significantly restricted police discretion on whether to impound cars driven by unlicensed drivers.

Initiative 300 had prompted opposition from an array of civic and political leaders. They told voters the initiative would unnecessarily tie up police resources and become a costly bureaucratic burden. Opponents also said it was a thinly veiled attack against illegal immigrants.

The measure was rejected by nearly seven of every 10 voters.