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Public school enrollment is on the decline. How is your local school district changing?
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Public school enrollment is on the decline. How is your local school district changing?

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun Most Colorado school districts are continuing to count fewer students in their classrooms, propelling a statewide trend of declining enrollment. Total state enrollment in preschool through high school this school year fell by a modest 399 kids — from 881,464 students during fall 2023 to 881,065 students last fall, state data shows. Education leaders attribute decreasing student counts across both the state and country to a mix of factors, primarily declining birth rates and increasing housing costs. Four of the Colorado’s 10 largest districts saw a notable year-over-year decrease in students: Jeffco Public Schools, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Poudre School District and Boulder Valley School District. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO ...
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D-38 superintendent steps down after less than a year on the job
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

D-38 superintendent steps down after less than a year on the job

By Eric Young | The Gazette After less than a year on the job, Lewis-Palmer D-38’s leader is stepping down. The school district’s board of education unanimously accepted Dr. Stacie Datteri’s resignation letter Tuesday night during its regular meeting. In an official statement sent out to families and staff, board president Tiffiney Upchurch stated that they mutually agreed to part ways after Datteri expressed, “that some working relationships hadn't developed as she had hoped.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Jeffco Schools admins respond to ‘crisis at hand’ of chief’s death during child porn investigation
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Jeffco Schools admins respond to ‘crisis at hand’ of chief’s death during child porn investigation

By Heather Willard | KDVR-TV Fox 31 News The Jefferson County Public Schools administration said Tuesday it is “grappling” with the death of the district’s former chief of schools, who was under investigation for child pornography. At the same time, administrators said they are working to strengthen student safety. Jeffco Board of Education President Mary Parker released a letter Tuesday about recent board actions regarding the investigation’s circumstances. She noted that the board met for a retreat on Jan. 7 to allow board members “to be able to publicly face the crisis at hand.” READ THE FULL STORY AT KDVR-TV FOX 31 NEWS
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Summit Co. student, staff information may have been compromised in third-party data breach
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Summit Co. student, staff information may have been compromised in third-party data breach

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado In a release Thursday, officials with the Summit County School District announced that a data breach may have exposed sensitive information affecting students and staff. The district said they were notified on Jan. 7 that a third-party vendor experienced a data breach between Dec. 19 and Dec. 28. The company, PowerSchool Group LLC, said the compromised login credentials may have exposed information including student names, social security numbers, addresses, medical details, and staff contact information. PowerSchool said the breach has been contained and they are working with cybersecurity experts to investigate it. School district officials said they are continuing to monitor the situation. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Jefferson Co. schools dismisses Wheat Ridge H.S. students early Friday after bomb threat
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Jefferson Co. schools dismisses Wheat Ridge H.S. students early Friday after bomb threat

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado According to the Wheat Ridge Police Department, Jeffco Public Schools is dismissing Wheat Ridge High School students early Friday due to a bomb threat. Jeffco Schools officials said they conducted an early dismissal at 11:15 a.m. as a precaution. They said the school was made aware of a threat made by a student directed at the school. Authorities advised parents that there is construction along West 32nd Avenue right outside of the high school and asked that they drive up Holland Street from West 38th Avenue to pick up students. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Enrollment slipping in Colorado’s K-12 public schools, with total of 881,065
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Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Enrollment slipping in Colorado’s K-12 public schools, with total of 881,065

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Fewer students are enrolled in public schools across Colorado, according to data from the state's October 2024 student count released by the Colorado Department of Education. The data shows a slight decline in Pre-K through 12 student enrollment with a total of 881,065 students. That's a decrease of 0.1% compared to October 2023. Education officials say the enrollment trend in Colorado mirrors larger national declines in student enrollment. Colorado's enrollment numbers have steadily decreased over the last five years, except for a bump in enrollment post-pandemic in 2021. Before the pandemic, the state experienced nearly 30 years of enrollment increases.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Lawmakers have introduced 10 education-focused bills thus far in 75th session
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Lawmakers have introduced 10 education-focused bills thus far in 75th session

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers hit the ground running as the 75th General Assembly opened last week, introducing more than 130 bills on the first day. Ten of those bills were education-related. The bills cover diverse topics, from workforce development in natural resources to food waste reduction in schools.  Below is an overview of the education bills, their prime sponsors and some pros and cons to be considered. 1. HB25-1078: Forestry & Firefighter Workforce & Education Prime Sponsors: House: Rep. Andrew Boesenecker (D, District 53)  and Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D, District 57)  Senate: Sen. Janice Marchman (D, District 15)  and Sen. Lisa Cutter (D, District 20)  Summary: Aims to enhance workforce developmen...
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District 11 ends decades-old contract with teacher union in effort to deliver for students, families
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

District 11 ends decades-old contract with teacher union in effort to deliver for students, families

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The District 11 School Board has decided against renewing its master agreement with the local teacher union — the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA). The CSEA is a branch of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), an affiliate of the largest teacher union – the National Education Association (NEA).  District 11 President Dr. Parth Melpakam described it as a move to empower nimble governance and improve student outcomes: “Without the master agreement, it just gives us a lot more flexibility to address some of our persistent challenges and change the narrative of a district that was becoming irrelevant in the landscape of Colorado Springs.”  “The agreement was a layer of complexity that limited our ability t...
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Denver schools Supt. Marrero sets goals to lift test scores, focus on staff retention
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Denver schools Supt. Marrero sets goals to lift test scores, focus on staff retention

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero has far fewer performance goals this school year. But the goals he does have are more ambitious, he said last month. For example, Marrero wants the share of Denver students in grades 3-8 who meet or exceed expectations on the state literacy test to increase from 40% to 42%. His goal last year was for that percentage to increase by just 1 percentage point. Marrero’s targets, which the school board unanimously approved at a meeting last month, might be more ambitious. But the district still isn’t on track to meet the academic goals he laid out in Denver Public Schools’ strategic plan in 2022. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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DOJ spent over $100 million pushing DEI, restorative justice in classrooms, report finds
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Approved, Daily Wire, National

DOJ spent over $100 million pushing DEI, restorative justice in classrooms, report finds

By Mary Margaret Olohan | Daily Wire The Department of Justice spent over $100 million on proposals promoting woke content in classrooms between 2021 and 2024, according to a new report first obtained by The Daily Wire. An investigation conducted by Parents Defending Education (PDE) found that the Biden DOJ awarded over $100,113,942 through 102 grants, throughout 36 states, impacting 946 school districts and upwards of 3 million K-12 students. Those funds were spent on proposals promoting restorative justice practices, social and emotional learning practices, and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the classroom over the past four years, The Daily Wire has learned. The funds were awarded through the Justice Department’s STOP School Violence Program, w...
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