Latest news with #Adams12FiveStarSchools
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
15-year-old thwarts man's kidnap attempt near school, CO cops say. He's charged
A man accused of trying to kidnap a 15-year-old walking near a Colorado school has been arrested and charged, prosecutors say. Steven Houseman, 18, was charged with second-degree kidnapping and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault, Colorado's 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office said in a May 1 news release. The teenage girl was walking near Thornton Middle School the morning of April 28 when a man tried to grab her, Thornton police said in a Facebook post. When the girl resisted, the man fled, according to police. Police said they got a report about the incident at about 4 p.m. 'During the immediate investigation, officers secured video surveillance that clearly depicted the attempted abduction, providing crucial details about the suspect and a suspected vehicle associated with the suspect,' Thornton Police Commander Tom Connor told KMGH-TV. Subsequently, police put out a request for information on social media that included a photo of the suspect. The next day, police announced that Houseman had been arrested. Houseman's arrest came after 'vital information received from our alert community' helped school resource officers identify him as a suspect, Connor told KMGH-TV. 'I would like to thank the brave members of our community who, at our request, came forward with information that helped lead to the arrest of Houseman,' Interim Police Chief Greg Reeves said in the Facebook post. Houseman was taken into custody at Thornton High School on April 29, according to police. The 18-year-old is a student at the high school, according to a letter from the school's principal to families obtained by KUSA. Adams 12 Five Star Schools did not immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for comment on May 2. Police said they 'are working closely with Adams 12 Five Star Schools to ensure the safety of students and staff as the investigation continues.' Houseman is scheduled to appear in court May 2, prosecutors said. Thornton is about a 10-mile drive north from Denver.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New budget introduced at Colorado state Capital that addresses deficit
DENVER (KDVR) — After months of work, the Joint Budget Committee introduced a budget at the Colorado State Capital. Republican Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Democratic Sen. Jeff Bridges are both on the committee, and both say they maintained their commitment to K-12 education, higher education and Medicaid, despite a $1.2 billion deficit. Adams 12 Five Star Schools looks to cut $27.5 million for next school year 'We funded education by about $200 million more. We funded higher education at about $40 million more and we funded Medicaid provider rates,' Kirkmeyer said. She's glad her top priorities were protected but wishes that more cuts were made. 'The way we balanced the budget this year though is we swept cash funds, we swept interest off of funds, and moved it over, but those are just one-time savings. They weren't cuts to our general fund operating budget which is a concern,' she said. Senate Democrats provided a document listing some of the bigger cuts. Here are the top five on their list. $72M from funding to alternative transportation methods. $38.5M from the Electrifying School Buses Grant Fund. $22.2M from reducing Road Safety Surcharge Fees. $13.7M by reducing Medicaid reimbursement rates for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). $5.0M by ending the High Impact Tutoring Program one year early. 'It has been extremely challenging, and we have made some really painful, really deep cuts,' Bridges said. Colorado now has an official state mushroom, and no, it's not psychedelic 'This is a budget that no one will like and that everyone can be proud of. We have found a way in a year where we have a $1.2 billion deficit to maintain our commitment to K-12 funding, to maintain our commitment to Medicaid, to higher education,' Bridges said. The budget will now work its way through both chambers and lawmakers hope to have something passed by the end of next week. After that lawmakers will tackle the School Finance Act. That will determine how those educational dollars are used. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adams 12 Five Star Schools must cut $27.5M from its budget; plans to cut 150 positions
DENVER (KDVR) — Adams 12 Five Star Schools announced its final proposed budget plan for next year and said it needs to cut about $27.5 million. In a release, the district said more than 88% of its budget is spent on salaries and benefits, so 150 positions will be cut across the district. Reduced state funding, the conclusion of COVID-19 relief money, increasing costs of benefits and changes in enrollment averaging led to the deficit. 10 high school coaches in Fort Collins terminated after 'violation of district policy' 'I am angry and sad that we find ourselves in this position because we live in a state where so many stubbornly deny hard facts about how inadequate our school funding system is,' Superintendent Chris Gdowski said. 'I am committed to doing everything I can to bring future changes to our state's broken school finance system.' Some of the cuts were already made. Those staff members received notifications on Thursday. The second round of layoffs will be announced in April. In a letter linked on the district's website, Gdowski outlined the positions that will be cut or reduced. Among them is the teacher librarian role in all elementary schools, K-8s and middle schools. 'We will take steps to keep libraries open for most of the school day, but recognize we'll be without the expertise these staff provide in the use of library materials and technology,' Gdowski wrote. Aurora teacher left for dead after being hit by car on e-bike, suspect still on the run Gifted and talented advocates will also be eliminted. Gdowski said instead, the district will set aside a pool of money to 'support student enrichment and growth opportunities for gifted and talented students.' Here are the other reductions Gdowski listed in his letter: The number of academic interventionists supporting students behind in meeting literacy and math benchmarks. The number of social-emotional specialists in Title I elementary schools. Some art, music and physical education staffing in eight of the district's smaller elementary schools. Teachers will be shared among some schools so students will still have access. Some teachers, meaning some classes will be larger. Twenty-two Educational Support Center positions In a webpage, the district provided details about why the budget deficit is so large, citing lower enrollment which drives funding. The state is proposing a change to district enrollment funding — using a four-year average, rather than a five-year average. Superintendent Gdowski said Adams 12 is not wasteful, nor inefficient. 'I know that we spend just 6.3 percent on school and district administration each year — one of the lowest rates in Colorado and the country,' Gdowski wrote in a letter posted to the district website. 'I know that we're lagging behind neighboring school districts like Boulder Valley and Westminster by $60 to $90 million per year in supplemental override revenue. And I know that as a state we are substantially behind most of the country in K-12 funding.' He said a pair of recent studies found that Colorado is '$3.5 to $4.1 billion behind the funding level needed to provide an 'adequate' education to all students.' CO legislators call for resignations of members of Signal chat that planned missile strikes 'If we had that funding, our budget would be 70 percent larger than it currently is — and I wouldn't be sending this letter,' Gdowski wrote. 'The positions and services that we're cutting are far removed from the 'waste and inefficiency' rhetoric. We will be without 150 outstanding administrators, educators and support staff colleagues next year — and it doesn't have to be that way.' He advocated for 'honest conversations, starting at the state level, about the unmet needs and gross inequalities in resource allocation caused by our current school funding system.' On March 18, the Colorado Governor's Office released a fact sheet detailing Gov. Jared Polis' school finance formula. The office said his proposed budget would increase education funding by $138 million in a budget year and average per-pupil spending by another $388. 'It is not a cut, and the Governor would oppose any cuts to education,' the Governor's Office said. 'This responsible budget increase during a year in which almost all sectors are taking a hit aims to fund students based on where they are learning, instead of through an arbitrary multi-year average.' On the district website, a list of specific cuts to areas of the district was provided. Educational Support Center: 22 full-time equivalent positions totaling $3 million and another $1.2 million reduction in operating costs. Learning Services, the largest budget in the ESC, will be reduced by approximately 9%. Overall, ESC reduction is approximately 6% Elementary: Reduction of $8.5 million, approximately 10% K-8: Reduction of $1.5 million, approximately 7% Middle: reduction of $2.9 million, approximately 7% High: Reduction of $4.1 million, approximately 7% Alternative: Reduction of $1.3 million, approximately 7% Enrollment reserve reduction: $0.6 million or 6 full-time equivalent positions The district also provided a full budget reduction plan in Google Sheets, accessible here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado teachers rally at the state Capitol amid proposed funding cuts
Teachers across several school districts gathered at the state Capitol in Denver on Thursday for a Day of Action rally ahead of proposed funding cuts to education. Teachers, students and families who supported the teachers wore red as they formed a crowd in downtown Denver. They are rallying in support of education funding as state lawmakers seek to cut more than $1 billion from the state budget. Some legislators believe they need to make changes to education funding in order to balance state finances. Educators claim public education has been taking a hit for 15 years and that now it's time for other funding to take a hit. Several school districts in the Denver metro area canceled classes Thursday because of the teacher demonstration. Those schools include Aurora Public Schools, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Summit County and half of Denver Public Schools. Teachers carried signs that read "Fund Our Future," "If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher," and "Our Students are the Reason."
