Reporter — Chalkbeat Colorado
Best laid plans: Years of planning haven’t spared Aurora from angst over closing schools
In reorganizing campuses, Aurora officials said they can’t keep all schools open and still provide broad and high-quality academics and enriching programs everywhere
Amid Colorado’s substitute shortages, school specialists are filling in while juggling their own work
The Aurora district knew that intervention work was going to be critical to helping students catch up. Some schools hired additional specialists, and many are offering tutoring on weekends or after school.
Sheridan School District is first in Colorado to pay its school board members
The five-member Sheridan board voted unanimously to allow its members to get paid $150 for a full day of board work
Colorado launches website to connect kids to free mental health sessions
Lawmakers allocated $9 million to launch the effort in response to increasing student mental health needs
Union-backed candidates in Jeffco are outspending school board competitors
Jeffco Public Schools is the second largest school district in Colorado, serving about 80,000 students. Three of its five school board seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 2 election.
Aurora and Denver school boards discuss pay for board members
In Colorado, school board members serve as volunteers, and have not been allowed to be compensated for their time. But a law passed in April changed that.
With accreditation at stake, Adams 14 school district and its external manager remain at odds
The state asked for written proof in the form of a joint report that Adams 14 and MGT, its private managers, would resume cooperation
Beloved former high school in Commerce City will be demolished after enduring fire, squatters and a meth lab
The former high school has been empty since 2009 when the district moved high school students to a new building off of Quebec Parkway
Adams 14 school board moves to sever ties with management company
The move comes just after the district hired a new superintendent Karla Loria and follows a critical evaluation of the company by a third party
Adams 14, facing another year of declining enrollment, looks to attract students with billboards
The school board north of Denver unanimously approved the $43,500 advertising project
Masks will be required in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas county schools for those under 12
Should any of those individual counties opt out of the requirement, it would be up to school districts to decide whether to follow the order
Jefferson County health officials order masks for all in schools regardless of vaccination status
The Jefferson County Public Health Department issued an order Monday that requires masks for anyone age 2 or older when in childcare and K-12 schools
As employers and universities adopt vaccine mandates, Colorado school districts mostly quiet
One local district, the Aurora Public Schools, announced as far back as May that it planned to require the vaccine for employees as soon as it received full federal approval
Bucking Denver-area trends, Mapleton schools grow by attracting out-of-district students
Among 15 metro area districts, the only other district with an upward enrollment trend over the last five years is the Brighton-based School District 27J where development is booming
Jeffco Public Schools shelved a $170,000 report on school closures. Four years later, the district faces the same challenges.
The report wasn’t presented to the school board or the community, and no policies changed
Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado’s second-largest district, will require masks for children under 12
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masks for everyone in a school setting
Colorado agrees to fully fund emerging online learning programs, but the state wants proof they are succeeding
Members of the State Board acknowledge they’re taking a risk with students’ education and that it will take time to know what is and isn’t working, but they believe it’s worth it
Should Colorado students wear masks in school next academic year? Most districts are still weighing their options.
School officials in many communities face competing pressures between public health guidance, parents who want a more “normal” school year for their children, and other parents who want to see COVID precautions remain in place
Colorado decline in participation of annual English fluency test prompts need for more analysis
The tests are usually used to help place students in appropriate English development classes, or to determine when they’ve learned enough English to stop requiring additional support
“Not waiting until summer”: Adams 14 leaders try to get ninth graders back on track after more than half fail two or more classes
Administrators blame a long period of online instruction because of coronavirus. Adams 12, Aurora also logged big increases in kids failing classes in pandemic conditions.
