education
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Budget cuts threaten Youth Mental Health Corps for rural students
In rural Colorado, a single school counselor can face impossible odds. With limited staff, students in crisis are at high risk of slipping through the cracks, and having their emotional, social, and academic needs unmet. At Moffat Schools in the San Luis Valley, school counselor Sarah DeLeon knows those challenges firsthand. “School counselors can be…
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D-11 and teachers union prepping for one-day strike
Years of building tension between Colorado Springs School District 11’s leadership and its teachers’ union may reach its climax this week through a one-day strike set to take place throughout the district and its schools. On Oct. 8, teachers, families and community supporters will gather outside of D-11 schools in the morning before speaking with…
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PPSC, UCCS students could lose money from government shutdown
As a possible government shutdown looms, Colorado Springs-area colleges are left wondering if parts of their military student populations will lose money. If Congress can’t pass a short-term funding measure by 10 p.m. Tuesday, the government will shut down. Military members will not receive pay until the shutdown ends. For schools like Pikes Peak State…
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Jeffco school board candidates discuss school safety, budget deficits
The seven candidates running for Jeffco Public Schools board of education seats met in front of a packed church on Monday evening to discuss both their ideals and what they plan to do if elected. Jeffco PTA, Engage Jeffco and Jeffco League of Women Voters held the candidate forum Monday evening at the Jefferson Unitarian…
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DPS eyes next bond just 11 months after nearly $1 billion package approved by voters
Denver Public Schools officials are already talking about the next borrowing after Denver voters just approved a nearly $1 billion bond 11 months ago. As previously reported by The Denver Gazette, DPS has grown increasingly dependent on voter-approved borrowing to fund the district’s basic needs. Over the past three decades, voters have approved billions in…
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Denver school district reporting enrollment decline
Denver Public Schools officials reported Monday that the district has 1,200 fewer students this year that last — resuming a downward trend temporarily buoyed by new immigrant students the past two years. The official enrollment count is not until Wednesday. “The scale of decline was steeper than we expected,” said Andrew Huber, the district’s executive…
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Denver Public Schools launches gun-sniffing canine program
Denver Public Schools (DPS) has announced the launch of a pilot canine weapon-detection program this semester at various sporting events that are expected to draw large crowds. “Ensuring the safety of our students, staff and schools is our highest priority,” Greg Cazzell, the district’s chief of Climate and Safety, said in a statement. Cazzell added:…
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DPS named felon as interim principal before walking back appointment, raising questions about vetting
Denver Public Schools central office administrators informed parents in May that Peter Castillo would be the new interim principal at Denver School of the Arts — but they either didn’t know, or failed to disclose, that the retired educator was a convicted felon, The Denver Gazette has learned. Officials with DPS said Castillo, 59, was…
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DPS’ celebration doesn’t match the data
Denver Public Schools is seeing green — literally. As Superintendent Alex Marrero hailed the district’s new “accredited (green)” rating as “a significant milestone” last week, he asked teachers to wear green and even changed the district’s website’s color scheme to match. But there are lies, damned lies and statistics. And nobody has this down better…
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Denver school board shifts public comment to before agenda is posted
Marathon meetings with lengthy public testimony prompted the Denver school board to move community input to workshops held weeks before regular meetings — before even an agenda is published. Take the workshop meeting Thursday. The notice said, in part: “Public comment will now be divided into two sections — one limited to action items scheduled…