Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Jeffco Public Schools

Jeffco Parents Demand Answers After Hidden Safety Audit Flagged 153 Threats
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Jeffco Parents Demand Answers After Hidden Safety Audit Flagged 153 Threats

By Maggie Bryan | Denver7 A safety audit completed a month before the Evergreen High School shooting flagged 153 threats in Jeffco schools, including a hit list with around 15 names. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County Public Schools parents are demanding answers after learning school district leaders received a third-party safety audit flagging 153 imminent threats — including a hit list with 15 names — a month before the shooting at Evergreen High School, but never released it to the public. The audit was conducted by student safety firm Gaggle, which was given access to the district's Google Workspace, including Google Drive and email accounts belonging to students, from February to April 2025. In the report, the company said it looked for questionable cont...
Read More
Jeffco Schools Superintendent Steps Down After Five Years
No Comments
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Jeffco Schools Superintendent Steps Down After Five Years

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado Colorado's second-largest school district needs a new superintendent. Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Tracy Dorland announced her resignation on Friday. Dorland has been on the job for five years. She began her position in April 2021 after serving as Chief Academic Officer for Adams 12 Five Star Schools. In May 2025, the Jefferson County Education Association announced a "no confidence" vote against Dorland, stating there was a "disconnect between the central administration and the educators, families and communities we serve." READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Read More
Jeffco Schools Challenge Federal Title IX Findings Amid Data Dispute
No Comments
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Jeffco Schools Challenge Federal Title IX Findings Amid Data Dispute

By Anna Alejo | CBS Colorado Jeffco Public Schools is disputing a U.S. Department of Education conclusion that the school district is violating Title IX, asking federal officials for a meeting and more details on their findings as a 30-day deadline for response arrived on Monday. The department's Office for Civil Rights determined that 61 male students were competing on girls' sports teams in the district — a finding Jeffco says contradicts data it originally submitted to investigators after the OCR began its investigation of Jeffco in June 2025. "During this review, we requested clarification on several findings that appear to contradict the data we originally provided — discrepancies that directly impact two of the OCR's three proposed actions," the district said in ...
Read More
Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Courtney Capek claims her career was completely altered by the actions of another. The Lakewood native returned to the school she graduated from, Green Mountain High School, in 2023 to begin her career teaching and establishing a new era for the school’s theater program. Her dream job didn’t last long, though, with the district not renewing her contract just a few weeks after her ex-boyfriend, James Michael Chevrier, was arrested by the Lakewood Police Department on charges of sexual assault on a child. “What was done to me is not OK. I’m tired of being quiet about it,” she told The Denver Gazette. “The district essentially used me as their scapegoat to say, ‘Hey, we did something’.” ‘Pure disgust’ Capek and Chev...
Read More
Jeffco Schools Reject Federal Ruling On Transgender Sports Policies
No Comments
Axios Denver, Approved, Local

Jeffco Schools Reject Federal Ruling On Transgender Sports Policies

By John Frank | Axios Denver Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration's claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections by allowing transgender students to compete in girls' sports and access their facilities. Why it matters: The clash between the Trump administration and Colorado's second-largest school district highlights the widening national debate over how federal civil rights law applies to transgender students. The dispute could also lead to a legal showdown over the interaction of federal policy, which defines sex based on biology, and state laws that protect gender identity and transgender students' rights. What they're saying: Jeffco officials said in a statement that the administration's legal arguments...
Read More
Jeffco Schools Warns Staff of Major Job Cuts as Budget Strain Deepens
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Jeffco Schools Warns Staff of Major Job Cuts as Budget Strain Deepens

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Jeffco Public Schools employees received a voicemail from Superintendent Tracy Dorland Monday morning warning them of potential job cuts in the next year. “My holiday message this year is a more somber and serious one,” Dorland said in a voicemail obtained by The Denver Gazette. “Some of our colleagues in central services will receive notifications this week about changes to their positions at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.” The district expects to eliminate between 150 and 160 full-time positions as part of its new Budget Reduction Blueprint — or overall plan to whittle $60 million from the district’s budget in the 2026-2027 school year, according to a Nov. 13 presentation to the district’s board of education by Chi...
Read More
‘Feeling safe is a privilege’: Jeffco board member’s remark sparks outrage after school shooting
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

‘Feeling safe is a privilege’: Jeffco board member’s remark sparks outrage after school shooting

By Adria Iraheta | Denver7 Denver7 heard from several parents who were upset by Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education Member Erin Kenworthy's remarks. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — More than a month after the shooting at Evergreen High School, school safety remains top of mind for families across Jefferson County. Parents voiced their concerns during a Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education meeting Thursday. Many of those parents were directly impacted by the tragedy that rocked the community on Sept. 10. “Our most important job is to protect our children, and what we’re doing right now is not working,” said Evergreen resident Kim Halligan. Emotions ran high Thursday as community members made their pleas for improved school safety measures across the district, inc...
Read More
“Not one mention of sexual abuse”: Parents slam Jeffco union as Title IX storm builds
No Comments
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

“Not one mention of sexual abuse”: Parents slam Jeffco union as Title IX storm builds

By Heidi Ganahl, Rocky Mountain Voice Jeffco Public Schools is at the center of a storm as teachers and parents clash with Superintendent Tracy Dorland over leadership, transparency, and the district’s handling of cultural and safety concerns.  Tensions hit a breaking point on May 29, when the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA)—representing roughly a quarter of Jeffco’s 5,000 teachers—declared a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Tracy Dorland. The move came just days before news broke of a federal Title IX investigation into the district. Union leaders accused her of top-down leadership, fostering instability, and eroding trust. They highlighted high turnover in central office staff, the rejection of a board-approved policy on ICE protocols, and the rollback ...
Read More