Latest news with #CherryCreekSchools
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Denver NWSL breaks ground on women's sports facility in Centennial
Denver NWSL broke ground on its official training center on Monday. The 43-acre site will be built in partnership with the City of Centennial and the Cherry Creek School District. Renditions of Denver NWSL's official training center. C. Morgan Engel/Denver NWSL The site will feature a proposed 12,000-seat temporary stadium and an approximately 20,000-square-foot training facility that is described as "purpose-built for professional women's sports. "We're just getting started, but breaking ground today on the performance center is a huge step," said Rob Cohen, controlling owner of Denver NWSL, in a statement. "We're building something our athletes can be proud of, and we couldn't do it without the incredible support of the City of Centennial and Cherry Creek Schools." The facility will be located near where the Denver Broncos train. It will include "soccer fields, recovery facilities like hot and cold plunge and red-light therapy, a video analysis theater, family lounge, and elite strength and conditioning spaces." C. Morgan Engel/Denver NWSL According to Denver NWSL, "The collaboration also includes a robust benefits package for CCSD students, including internships, classroom presentations from club staff, and a $100,000 donation to the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation, among others." Earlier this year, Denver NWSL announced plans for a new 14,500-seat stadium near I-25 and Broadway that is expected to open in 2028.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- CBS News
Aurora school districts addressing youth violence with leadership program
Stopping youth violence is an important issue for the City of Aurora, and now, together with the local school districts, they're putting their money where their mouth is. The City of Aurora's Youth Violence Prevention Program has allocated $50,000 each to Cherry Creek School District and Aurora Public Schools to provide violence prevention programming to at-risk youth. In Cherry Creek Schools, that money goes to their Leadership Academy Program. A program for students who are susceptible to falling into youth violence and showing them that there is another path that isn't the streets. CBS Brian Barie and Joseph Cooks have been part of the program since eighth grade. Now they are gearing up for their senior year at Smoky Hill High School, and they have come a long way. "I was going through like a lot of trouble, I guess. I had been suspended like eight times," said Joseph. "I felt like I was, like, bigger than my parents. I felt like I was at the top of the world," said Brian. "I really needed just some bigger role models to show me that I could strive for more." CBS They found that role model in Mr. Jasper Armstrong, the Director of Youth Leadership and Student Support at Cherry Creek Schools. He also runs the Leadership Academy and said he loves his job. "The joy in doing this work is taking somebody who has never seen themselves as a scholar, and then watching that transformation take place," said Armstrong. "They've always been pushed to the side or shunned. We try to say you have worth, right? You have real value. Inherent value." The program just wrapped up its second year and is beginning its third. Students start by gathering in the summer to learn to set goals and think of ways to create a safer school community. CBS Brian and Joseph said it has changed their lives. "Sometimes I be feeling like if they weren't here, I don't know where I would be in high school," said Joseph. Now they are both in the aspiring teacher program at CCSD because they want to lift up the next generation. "I just want to be able to bring kids to love learning," said Brian. There is an accountability component to this city funding program. Every year, school districts need to report back to the city and tell them how many kids are participating in their programs and how they're doing. In a statement, Aurora City Council Member Angela Lawson said: "The City of Aurora recognizes the ongoing need to address youth violence, a public health issue impacting communities around the country. This funding will support our education partners as they to continue to work on this issue, with an emphasis on evidence-based programs and data-driven accountability. The school districts are required to report back how many students are participating in their programs and city staff will provide input and guidance throughout. As someone who cares deeply about Aurora's youth and community safety, I believe it is through strong, consistent partnerships like this that we uplift Aurora's youth, giving them the tools to interrupt or stop violence before it starts, reduce crime and build a safer Aurora."
CBS News
10-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Colorado school district offers solution to teacher shortage with new training program
In Colorado, the high cost of a college degree and low teacher salaries are contributing to a teacher shortage, but Cherry Creek Schools thinks they have figured out a solution. A way to train the next generation of teachers. They have created the Aspiring Educators Pathway Program, which is like a medical residency for teachers. CBS After aspiring teachers graduate from high school, they become apprentices, which means taking classes at the Community College of Aurora while working full time in a classroom. Eventually, they will become fully licensed teachers. Sandra Brock, who goes by "Shay," is one of the first apprentices in the year-old program. She said she started on the traditional university path but didn't like it. "I was taking, like, music classes and other things that just didn't fit," said Brock. Principal Mary Bowens (left) and Shay Brock (right) CBS So, when she found out about this program, she jumped at the opportunity. She said it has educated her in a way book learning can't. "That's just been so inspiring for me and really like helped me become more confident," said Brock. Mary Bowens, the principal at Timberline Elementary School, said having Brock at her school has really paid off. "She's so engaged, so willing. So, just open. She has done an amazing job," said Bowens. Plus, in a few years, apprentices like Brock will graduate without a huge debt burden because, in addition to earning a paycheck at CCSD, the classes they need to take only cost around $15,000 in total. If they stay working for the district after the program, they will be hired with five years of experience, which will boost their income. The district hopes that it will help retain teachers. "I think it's going to open a lot of opportunities as an administrator for me to have a longevity of staff," said Bowens. Student asks questions about a class assignment CBS Brock said she is just glad her future looks so bright. "I'm super excited," she said. On Friday, the superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools and school board members met with the Colorado Department of Education to showcase their program and talk about how they can expand it to other Colorado districts. Cherry Creek Schools is also expanding its program. In its first year, around 40 students signed up for the program. Next year, they've more than doubled that number with 120 students signed up.
CBS News
04-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Colorado Gov. Polis and speaker nearing an agreement on school funding proposal
K-12 schools in Colorado will lose $50 million instead of $150 million under a new proposal by Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie. The proposal allows districts to continue to use an average enrollment over several years to calculate per pupil funding. Governor Polis budget request called for ending rolling averages. Still, his Budget Director Mark Ferrandino says he now supports a gradual move to a single year count and is waiting for school districts' feedback before signing off on the proposal. The deal comes after backlash from many school leaders over the governor's budget request, which changed how students are counted. Many districts accuse the Governor of reneging on a deal made less than a year ago when lawmakers overhauled the School Finance Formula. They allowed districts to continue average enrollment for three more years. Speaker Julie McCluskie says a billion-dollar budget shortfall changed everything. "I want to fully implement everything that we made a commitment to last year. We are in a different budget reality," she said. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer -- who sits on the Joint Budget Committee -- fought for an amendment to the new School Finance Act last year that called for pausing the original deal if there wasn't enough money. She says that is what needs to happen. "How do we take this seriously? This new school finance formula was just done in the last session and here we are six months later and they're reneging on deals that were cut. They're cutting education funding which we said we weren't going to do," Kirkmeyer said. Scott Smith, the Chief Financial Officer for Cherry Creek Schools, says his district would lose $17 million next school year. Smith says small rural districts would be hit hardest. "I don't think you achieve more equity in this state by cutting some of our most impoverished districts the most," he said. He says lawmakers and the governor talk a big game when it comes to school funding, but they don't walk the talk. "Why should we trust that any deal we reach now will be honored in the future?" Smith said. Smith says districts are trying to make decisions about hiring and pay for next school year and can't do so if they don't know what their funding will be. "We have 65 schools and I'm projected to lose 250 students next year. So that's basically four kids per school. Where do I save that money?" Smith said. "There's no school to close. There's no teacher to lay off." McCluskie's proposal also implements 10% of the new School Finance Act, caps BEST grants for school construction and eliminates the state match for mill levy overrides. "We've heard from our districts. We're responding. We are fighting to keep that averaging in for the moment," said McCluskie. Right now school districts are making decisions about staffing and pay for next school year.
CBS News
04-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis backs off plan to change how students are counted after backlash from school leaders
K-12 schools in Colorado will lose $50 million instead of $150 million under a new deal reached by Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie and Gov. Jared Polis. The deal comes after backlash from many school leaders over the governor's budget request, which changed how students are counted. School districts are funding on a per-pupil basis. While most states look at a school's current enrollment to determine its per-pupil allotment, Colorado looks at schools' average enrollment over several years. Less than a year after striking a deal with school districts to overhaul the School Finance Formula while gradually changing how students are counted, Polis released a budget that called for ending rolling averages abruptly and instead basing funding on current enrollment, which for most districts is declining. Speaker Julie McCluskie says a billion-dollar budget shortfall changed everything. "I want to fully implement everything that we made a commitment to last year. We are in a different budget reality," she said. The state is facing a budget shortfall of $1.2 billion. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer -- who sits on the Joint Budget Committee -- fought for an amendment to the new School Finance Act last year that called for pausing the original deal if there wasn't enough money. She says that is what needs to happen. "How do we take this seriously? This new school finance formula was just done in the last session and here we are six months later and they're reneging on deals that were cut. They're cutting education funding which we said we weren't going to do," Kirkmeyer said. Scott Smith, the Chief Financial Officer for Cherry Creek Schools, says his district would lose $17 million next school year. "We have 65 schools and I'm projected to lose 250 students next year. So that's basically four kids per school. Where do I save that money?" Smith said. "There's no school to close. There's no teacher to lay off." Smith says small rural districts would be hit hardest. "I don't think you achieve more equity in this state by cutting some of our most impoverished districts the most," he said. He says lawmakers and the governor talk a big game when it comes to school funding, but they don't walk the talk. "Why should we trust that any deal we reach now will be honored in the future?" Smith said. McCluskie worked with the governor's Budget Director Mark Ferrandino on a new budget proposal that keeps enrollment averaging for three more years and implements only 10% of the new School Finance Act. In exchange, BEST grants for school construction would be capped and there would be no state match for mill levy overrides. "We've heard from our districts. We're responding. We are fighting to keep that averaging in for the moment," said McCluskie. The deal still needs backing from the legislature. Meanwhile, school districts are right now making decisions about staffing and pay for next school year.
