able, if you could stand for the pledge of allegiance. On behalf of this board and the Cherry Creek School District, I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on the ancestral and unseated lands
of the Cheyenne, Arapjo, Ute, and Oshetti Shakaway people who steward it for generations. The Oshetti Shakawi includes seven bands. So, I would also like to recognize that over 40 additional tribal nations likely use
this area for trade ceremony and social gatherings. >> Uh, do I have a motion to approve the agenda for December 8th? >> So, moved. >> Second.
>> I'll second. Thank you. >> Okay. Roll call, please. Director Spates. >> I. Egan >> I >> Futrell >> I >> Garland >> I >> Hammerich >> I >> that motion carries would also like to
call for a motion to approve the minutes as listed on the December 8th 2025 agenda. >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Second >> second. >> Roll call, please. Directors Bates >> I.
>> Egan I. Futro >> I >> Garland >> I >> Amrich >> I >> that motion carries. Thank you. Now we will hear communications from the our board of education and we will start with director Futrell.
>> Thank you President Egan. Good evening everyone. Uh thank you Horizon for hosting us and allowing us to join the pack. As we close out our year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what makes Cherry
Creek School District so special. Every week, I'm reminded that our district isn't just a system. It's a living, breathing community of families, educators, students, volunteers, and neighbors who genuinely show up for one
another. Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Highline Community Elementary School during one of their glow parties. A celebration for students in classrooms who have really bought into positive school culture. Princ principal Medina
and her team are building. Big shout out to Coach Dominic, formerly of Overland, whose leadership has helped transform the school's climate into one where literacy, math, and belonging are celebrated at the highest level. The party itself was amazing with parent
volunteers and the music teacher and the PE teacher and so many others creating a safe, joyful space filled with movement, games, neon lights, and community. It was a reminder that culture doesn't happen by accident, but it's built
intentionally. At Prairie Middle School, that same intentionality is on full display. Prairie continues to create pathways for academic support with their reading and math power hours, returning January 12th to help students strengthen their
foundational skills. As part of my own learning and leadership, I also want to acknowledge my participation in Leadership Cherry Creek, a group of invested parents, community members, staff, administrators who visit schools
and meet with all people involved in our children's education to better understand the ecosystems within our district, how decisions are made, how programs operate, and how we can collaborate to strengthen outcomes for all of our students. Our recent visit to
Smoky Hill High School with Dr. Bala was powerful. We visited with four different classrooms with four incredibly distinct teaching styles. Yet each room reflected the same deep commitment to student engagement, clarity, and connection.
Smokeoky's team has fully embraced our district's PLC, professional learning community approach, building systems that elevate best practices and ensure consistent growth across the entire school. That kind of alignment doesn't happen by chance. It happens through a
pathway of purpose. While we celebrate these bright spots, we are also doing the work behind the scenes. Over the past several weeks, I've been working closely with our incredible district our community is fully informed and supported as we discuss the proposed adjustments to our
school's boundaries. This work is especially important for our immigrant families and our at needs communities. families who often carry the weight of change most heavily. Transparency is essential, accessibility is essential,
and trust is essential. Communication, culturally, culturally responsive engagement, and making sure every family understands how these shifts will affect them. No family should be left guessing. No student
should be left overlooked. No community should feel unheard. On the same day that I learned of the passing of a friend and Colorado music icon Pernell Steen, a man who dedicated his life to preserving and elevating
the cultural excellence of Denver's Five Points neighborhood. I attended the Voices of Color meeting at Grand View High School. Walking into that room, hearing the students speak with such courage, clarity, and commitment to uplifting marginalized voices genuinely
lifted my spirits during a hard time. Their determination to educate their peers, challenge misinformation, and build spaces of belonging reminded me that the work Pernell championed lives on in our young people.
In a moment of personal grief, their leadership felt like a continuation of his legacy and a powerful affirmation of why this work matters. As we head into winter break, I want to ex extend love and light to everyone
observing a holiday this season. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanza, Habari Ghani, and many warm blessings to all of our families celebrating in their own way. May this season bring rest, joy, and connection to your homes. Thank
you. >> Thank you, Director Futrell, Director Garland. >> Thank you, President Egan, and thank you to the Horizon Community for hosting us tonight. For several years, I I've had the opportunity to celebrate Veterans Day with various
schools. However, the program held here at Horizon Community was one of the most memorable. It was entirely run by students. They welcomed guests, handled the signins, served as guides, and acted as MC and even one student sang the
national anthem, which is a very difficult song to perform. They off they offered reflections and provided artwork that may even be submitted for national contest. It is always a gift to see students using their talents and stepping confident confidently into leadership roles. A special shout out
goes to the MC who was definitely giving late night talk show vibes. He kept the program moving smoothly and added welltimed light-hearted commentary. In addition, I've had the opportunity opportunity to attend multiple community forums. Some focused on possible
legislation for the 2026 session on both the federal and state levels while others centered on centered on on affordability and highlighted the services available to families in our area. Many families in the Cherry Creek School District fall into the donut. Their their income is too high to
qualify for federal or state assistance yet not yet not high enough to comfort comfortably make ends meet. cover deductibles and co-pays on on even employer provided insurance plans or to absorb rising day-to-day cost.
Fortunately, many programs and organizations are working to support these middle class families. I am also proud to say that our district strives strives to do the same whenever possible. When families are struggling, we work with them to ensure students can participate in athletics, music
programs, and other extracurricular activities, even when their income exceeds federal federal eligibility guidelines. It is important that we take care of one another. School fundraisers and the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation also work together to help close funding
gaps for special programs. Together, we make it possible for students to access enriching opportunities and to feel supported by their community. Finally, I would like to take this time to address some comments made last month. I would like to address the comments made by my former colleague,
Director Kristen Allen. While I respect everyone's personal experiences, her last minute decision to not attend our June meeting solely because she disagreed with the quorum requirements could have caused serious harm to our district. With the quorum, we risk without a quorum, we risked not being
able to pass the budget, which could have jeopardized roughly $100 million in funding. Such a fail failure could have led to staff layoffs and severe program cuts. Like all of us ser during that tenure, director Allen had several months just
like all of us to and participated in session question answered and expressed no fierce objections to the overall budget as presented. unforeseeable for circumstances prevented members from attending our June meeting and
legislatively we we are required to pass our our budget by the end of June. Yet she expected board members who were dealing with illness and grief and other hardships to attend virtually which ran counter to our core values of equity and whole well-being. She herself had previously participated in decisions
when only three members were present. The budget presented in June contained no surprises or drastic changes, and if there were objections as elected officials, it is our duty to show up and share them. Her absence and and and the potential consequences reflected a lack of
attention to reality and the impact on our community. Similarly, her comments about the relocation of a stride center failed to acknowledge that she had been part part of the discussion for more than two years. She shared her truth and now I'm sharing mine. I wish her well on her future endeavors. However, when we
ask voters and stakeholders to entrust us with these roles, we make a commitment regardless of how we feel, we must show up and use our voice, whether in support or dissent or to abstain. That responsibility is a sacred path that we should hold and not be treated
as an opportunity for for grandstanding. In this season of Advent, let us all remember that this is a time of hope. It is the hope and dreams of student and families that first led me to do this work. It is my wish that your holiday season be filled with filled with hopes
and new and bigger dreams. If you are able, be a blessing to others. Merry [snorts] Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Quanza, and merry festivas for the rest of us. Here's to an epic 2026. That concludes my comments.
>> Thank you, Director Garland. Director Hamrik. >> Well, I probably won't have as much to say. I'm kind of new on the job. Uh it's been less than a week, but I'll have to tell you I was able to participate in numerous Veteran Week activities. Uh
starting with the cloak of valor ceremony uh oh geez uh the Friday the first week of uh November I was able to attend Creekide uh Liberty Middle School uh Falcon Creek
Rolling Hills and Pton Elementary's Veteran Day events and I sure wish I could have been at them all because every one of them was special. Uh especially the elementary schools with the uh the young kids. Uh I've also had the opportunity to
attend the Grand View Theater Voices of Color uh this morning the CCIC beam signing which was fantastic for me because that was my last design project I performed when I was actually uh in the construction business. Uh to go from
blueprint to the signing the last beam uh just was an honor today to do. And I wrapped up the day uh besides tonight uh visiting the humanities classes at the challenge school and watching three different classrooms studied g the
geography of Africa, the economics, the environment, the populations and uh it was really neat to see all these young kids working together motivated and trying to learn something about our worldview. So, I'll wrap it up uh with
two things. I believe tomorrow's Colorado Gives Day. Uh a shameless plug for the Cherry Creek School Foundation and or the the Cherry Creek uh Pantry Program. Uh they're both on the website. Uh if if you can afford to do something
to help those that not as fortunate as we are, as many of us are, uh please go there and do something. And I want to wish everybody a safe and happy holiday season. Uh no matter what you're celebrating, uh this is a special time of year and it's a great time to spend
with your friends, families, and colleagues. Thank you. >> Thank you, Director Ham. Director Bates. >> Hey, good evening. Like Mike, um this is my first board meeting, and it's truly
an honor to join join you for this first board meeting. For the folks who don't know me, Cherry Creek's been home to my family for more than 21 years. All five of my children graduated from CCSD schools. And during that time,
my wife and I volunteered in classrooms and supported families across our community. This district has given a great deal to my family, and I'm grateful for the chance to give back. I also want to celebrate a recent
example of excellence in our schools. Eagle Crest High School's fall play, She Kills Monster as the showcase production for the 2025 Colorado Thesbian Conference. An honor
awarded to only one high school in the entire state. Congratulations to the talented students and educators who earned this distinction. Education has always been part of my life. My mom, my dad, and my grandfather
were teachers. My own five kids have had very different paths through Cherry Creek. One is on the autism spectrum and two graduate at the top of their class. Those experiences reinforced for me that every
student's journey is unique and our schools must continue to meet learners where they are. Professionally, I've spent more than two decades as a CFO and senior executive, and I've
served on the boards of many companies working closely with budgets, governance, and long-term planning. Most of all, I'm here because I believe every student in Cherry Creek deserves an equal
opportunity to learn, to grow, and find their own pathway of purpose. I'm honored by the trust placed in me, and I look forward to serving our community with integrity and collaboration.
Happy holidays to everyone. Thank you. Thank you, Director Bates. Good evening. Thank you to Horizon Community Middle School and Dr. Weinhold for hosting our meeting here this evening. And thanks to our security, safety, technology, and
setup teams for making these meetings happen in our neighborhood schools. Welcome to our newly elected and seated board members, Mike Hamrich and Terry Bates. We appreciate your commitment to the Cherry Creek School District and your time and expertise in this
volunteer role. As Director Hamrich mentioned, my colleagues and I, all five of us beam signing ceremony at the innovation campus this morning. I had the privilege to be part of the groundbreaking and
ribbon cutting ceremony of the initial building and have seen this amazing facility come to life and change lives over the last six years. Signing the beam on the expansion of CCIC was truly an honor. I know for all of us. We
wouldn't be here without the support of our community. Thanks again for your support of the bond and budget packages and your commitment to our students, staff, and buildings. CCIC will grow to serve 70% more students and add nine new
high demand career pathways. I'd also like to thank Superintendent Smith and his team for doing a great job managing this and the other bond projects taking place across this district. This visionary leadership is what sets Cherry
Creek School District apart. And just in my time, six years, we've seen it through Traverse, COVID Protocols, the Aspiring Educator Program, among many other initiatives. These programs do not happen without visionary leadership.
Colorado Gives Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, December 9th, the largest day of philanthropy in the state. When you make your gift to the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation, you elevate what's possible for all of our students, staff, and schools. Don't forget also to save the
date for the annual Elevate Gayla on Thursday, February 26, 2026. This event is a celebration of our students and schools and helps us continue to power possibilities for our community. If you're a corporate or community
organization interested in supporting our students, please reach out to the foundation to learn more about ways you can partner with them. Thank you to Mr. Scott Smith and his team, including Kate Kataka,
executive director of financial planning and analysis, Morgan Mauricio, controller, Chris Ruter, executive assistant for fiscal services, and the rest of the staff of the accounting and budget teams for their hard work on the
annual audit. The Cherry Creek School District once again received a clean audit, and we are always proud of that. I'd like to take a minute to address some harmful inaccuracies made by Director Allen which director Garland addressed around the adoption of the
Cherry Creek School District budget during the 20242 school year. The budget information was presented publicly at the following meetings. 1023 DAC budget subcommittee
124 board study session 125 DAC budget subcommittee 35 board study session 36 CFO budget video to our community 42 DAC budget subcommittee 57 board study
session on proposed budget 510 board provided budget book and the 69 board business meeting prior to 2021 One, the budget book was never delivered to board the board before September. Board members now have access to all budgetary
documents more than a month before requesting a vote. Also, if a board of education fails or neglects to adopt a budget or appropriation resolution prior to the beginning of the ensuing fiscal
year as required under section 2244103, then 90% of the amounts budgeted and appropriated to the funds, functions, and objects by the last duly adopted budget and appropriate appropriation resolution shall be deemed to be
budgeted and appropriated. ated by operation of law for the fiscal year. This means that everyone would take an instant 10% pay cut and 10% of staff would be laid off. As a board of education, we take very seriously the
adoption of the annual budget. We see the proposed budget many times and have the opportunity to ask questions at any time. and we would never jeopardize the education of our students by claiming we were unprepared for a vote. As far as
administrative costs, 87% of the district's general fund goes directly to schools, teachers, nurses, classroom supplies, etc. And 90% of CCSD's operating fund is spent on people. For
example, all employees salaries and benefits. Only 3.8% 8% is spent on non-school staff and operational expenses in departments such as HR and legal. Congratulations to the Cherry Creek
Bruins football team on their 5A state championship win against Rosson Valley this past weekend, capping off an undefeated season. Congratulations are also in order to Cherry Creek High School graduate Teddy Zhu, who was named
a 2025 United States Presidential Scholar, one of the nation's highest honors for academic excellence, leadership, and service. And the Cherry Creek Unified Theater Program knocked it out of the park with their production of Aladdin last week. Congratulations are
also in order to Eaglerrest High School as director Bates mentioned and their fall play, She Kills Monsters, being selected as the showcase play for the 2025 Colorado Thespian Conference. This honor is given to just one high school
in the entire state. Please visit the high school websites for specifics on holiday choir and orchestra concerts. And best wishes to our district cheer and palm teams on their upcoming state championships or competitions to be held
over December 11th through the 13th. Happy holidays to you and yours. I wish you a very restful break. Now I'll turn it over to Superintendent Smith to introduce our presentation. >> Thank you, President Garland. I just too
want to say thank you to staff as we go into our winter break. Thank you for a great beginning of the school year. Thank you for all of your hard work. Um we are a family in Cherry Creek and I just want to say thank you for everyone and all that they do. Thank you Dr. Weinhold for um hosting us this evening.
Appreciate it. Congratulations to Director Bates, to Director Ham. Welcome to the team. We're excited to have you. Um congratulations to you, President Egan, on your new position. Thank you, Vice President Garland, for your years of service as president and your years of service as vice president. I'm going
to defer the rest of my comments to executive director Christy Hart to talk about Veterans Week. >> Thank you guys so much for the opportunity to present tonight. I am going to start with a video that showcases all of the veterans events that we have had so far this
year. A hero is someone who knows their worth, radiates confidence, and kindness without anyone else's approval. A hero is someone who does something out of the ordinary. I believe heroes are the people who don't try to be a hero, they just are. There are truly so many amazing veterans that have fought to
serve the US. In my own words, a hero is someone who is never afraid to leap in and help in any situation. A hero never backs down to stand up for someone. A hero isn't afraid of any challenges, even knowing the consequences. A hero is someone who's always been a hero, but they just didn't
know they had it in their heart. Where you going? [screaming] Schools have joint efforts today to bring >> [cheering] >> Allen up. We are
dreams. We are watching. We have the right Americ. [music] And you and you and [music] you and you and you and me and you and you and you
and you. We are all American. All American. All me and you. All American. All American. All American. [music]
Me and you. >> [cheering and applause] >> Just a huge shout out um to Jeremy Chavez out of the communications department for putting that together for us and thanks to the communications team for being at all of those events. Um, so I just want to give you an overview of
the types of opportunities, um, especially for those of you who are new, that we do all year round. Um, we just wrapped up Veterans Week, but we have opportunities to support and celebrate our veterans and our partnerships with veterans organizations all year. We do,
um, events in the spring and the fall. Um, we had a military appreciate or military appreciation lunchon and a veterans appreciation lunchon, a football game. Obviously, we have our quilts of valor that you mentioned, Director Hamrik. Um, we support a field
trip to the Center for American Values, but I really want to highlight that this these opportunities are um just really woven into the fabric of our community. Um, in our Veterans Day or in our Veterans Week celebrations, we had a 100% of our schools participate in an
opportunity or an event to celebrate veterans. Everything parades to breakfast, which many of you attended. Um, and they are so joyful and I'm with you. Me, I spend most of my time in secondary. So, I love seeing all the opportunities that happen at the
elementary and the singing. I can't get enough. It's amazing. Um, so for those of you who have not attended, I would really recommend attending some of those community events. I'm going to highlight just a couple of them today. Um, first of all, the quilts of valor. This is an opportunity that we do twice a year,
once in the spring and once in the fall. Um, we have our Smoky Hill Quilters Club is an organization that actually makes all of these quilts. There are, you know, a hundred volunteers that work, you know, countless hours to sew these beautiful, beautiful quilts in.
Um, and in order to receive a quilt of valor, one just needs to have been a veteran and served our country in the military. Um, and so here are three of the folks that we wrapped. You saw them in the video. And I also want to highlight that we had the honor of wrapping Director Hamrich this year who
served in the United States Air Force. Thank you so much, director, for your service. Another opportunity that we do each year is a field trip to the Center for American Values. This is an organization um based out of PBLO that highlights all of our Congressional Medal of Honor
recipients. Um it was started by a man named Drew Dixs and he is also a Congress or he is also a a medal recipient along with having a lot of other [laughter] um celebrations to his military career. He is a retired Vietnam veteran. Each
year, schools from around our district nominate students who have demonstrated um a you know, American values in the way that like wanting to celebrate veterans and wanting to really uphold what it means to serve our country and serve their communities. And so, schools
nominate students um to attend this field trip. Um this year, we had to reschedule last week due to some inclement weather conditions. Um but we will be rescheduling that for January or February um and still be able to take all of our kiddos. Um, the really cool part is that there's just a lot of
opportunities for our students to have a learning experience there around what it means to serve our country. But in addition, it also is an opportunity for the Center for American Values to really highlight their continued work in uplifting what they're doing in their communities and the celebrations that
they have in supporting the veterans in their community. So, it's a really kind of a beautiful twofold um celebration of all of the things that it means to serve. So, I wanted to really highlight um what has been my favorite part of being uh in
this role. I have the pleasure of supporting the veterans events um for on behalf of the educational operations team. And one of the things that I've had the pleasure to do um is at the beginning of the year when we military appreciation football game at the
pregame we um have a family um that we toll the honor bell in in reminder of it. A veteran that we toll the honor bell for. The honor bell is a um it's it's a bell that travels around to different opportunities. Typically they
will toll in honor of a ser a former service member or service member who's lost their life. Um and the bell itself was produced with the artifacts of 10 or I'm sorry 12 deceased Colorado veterans most of which um include dog tags of
servicemen and women. Um so this year in the pregame we had the opportunity to toll the bell for nurse Patty. Nurse Patty was a Vietnam veteran. Um, I had the pleasure of sitting with her husband and her daughter um on the field during
the pregame while they showed a video about nurse Patty and then told the bell in her honor. Nurse Patty was um someone who struggled coming back from the Vietnam War with some PTSD and went on to become a champion for veterans and
supporting the PTSD work that occurs in our community um in support of them. And it was just it was so incredibly touching to sit next to her husband and her daughter and honor nurse Patty for all that she has contributed to her community. It is a an experience I will
never in my entire life forget. Um and so we have we do a lot of really really amazing special things in our community in honor of our veterans. Um, if you haven't, you know, those of you who haven't had the opportunity, I wanted to give you the, you know, we have two more
opportunities this year that are really amazing. On, uh, March 6, we will do, um, the another Quilts of Valor full day wrapping. And then, um, March 16th at 1:00, we also have a military service celebration at CCIC for our graduates who intend to join the military. So, I
just wanted to thank those in the audience who have served um the schools for honoring our veterans and our staff who make these events possible and then also for the board of education for all the support that you guys have really um just helped us with in in terms of supporting these events across our
community. So, thank you for your continued support. >> Thank you, Miss Hart. We appreciate this presentation. It is a special time to visit the schools during this week. Uh, Director Futrell, do you have any questions? >> Uh, yes. I have one and a comment. Uh,
first of all, congratulations on the celebration of Veterans Week. It was um very clear uh how this district uh views our men and women of service. So, thank you so much. Uh my question is really simple. Um
it important for our kids >> [snorts] >> uh to see our veterans and our men and women of service. Uh, does it teach them anything about resilience and empathy and all those things? >> Yeah, I think that's one of the most um I think that's one of the gifts that I think our veterans also really appreciate is the opportunity to share
their story and to share that what it means to serve. Um, they I think the students really appreciate that and it's sometimes a perspective that they don't, you know, you don't always get that same perspective by reading in a book or watching it, you know, watching a video or something like that. But to have a conversation with someone who has served
our country is really important. >> Director Garland, >> um I don't really have a question about the celebrations themselves and um but just recognizing their importance and that we also do the military graduation where they celebrate that. But just um can you highlight some of the services that we give students who have families
in the who are part of military families because sometimes they have a lot of transitions. >> Yeah, absolutely. So we have a really great partnership with Buckley Space Force Base. Um we partner with their liaison in support of students who are transferring in and out of our community. All of our schools have
access to supports around um you know that are able to support some of those services that they might need. And I think the other part that is really important is that as as we think about how we care for all kids who might be transitioning in or out of our school community, our teams are really well
equipped. counseling teams, mental health teams, um our, you know, we have lots of additional services that will just help to ease that transition in and out, but we do a lot of partnerships with organizations across our community that also support our military students and families. >> Thank you. I just think it's important
to highlight how we help those families and some of the issues that they face. But thank you. >> Thank you, Director Ham. I just think we need to change it to u a month. [laughter] And the reason I say that these kids were so amazing at all these
schools from the little kids to the middle school bands and the choirs uh that even when you went every day, you could only go to a couple. And it would have been great to see everything that was going on across the entire district.
And uh I haven't figured out how to clone myself yet. Uh but if I do, I I would have loved to be at all the events. It was probably one of my favorite weeks of uh that I've ever had. It was uh as a veteran was honored to participate. Uh but the kids are what
made it special. And uh that's why people joined the military to protect our freedoms, to protect our education, to protect our way of life. So it was a wonderful week. And like I said, can we make it a month? Thank you. >> I agree.
Director Bates. >> Uh, very well done. I know in the 21 years my wife and I have lived here, this has always been a special event or events. Thank you, Director Hammer, for serving. And thank you to anybody else in the
audience who served. >> Yes. Thank you for your service. And that was an honor that wrapping quilts of valor. very very good nice honor for you. Thanks again. We appreciate this. >> Very well done. Thanks.
>> And I'd now like to invite our communications team up for a short presentation um similar to the one that you saw at the study session. So I' invite our team up. Good evening. Uh we are so excited to be here again uh
presenting on some of the work that the communications office does in the district. Uh I am joined today with Ashley Verville, our uh director of strategic communications and we are going to go through some of the ways
that we communicate and engage with our families, our staff uh and the broader community. We always start with uh our purpose which we say is to inform, empower, and engage families, students, and staff in the community as partners
in discovering and pursuing their pathway of purpose. We do this through sharing stories that reflect who we are and who we serve. You saw one of our videos uh today uh that was part of our storytelling from Veterans Week. Uh we
talk about ensuring equitable access to information for every family and stakeholder. Uh we talk a lot about translations. Uh making sure that all of our materials are translated into our top languages. Uh also ensuring that our
website is accessible to uh people of all abilities. Uh we talk about strengthening communication through research data and best practices. lifting student voices and highlighting diverse perspectives. Uh reporting
transparently on district progress and promises. Uh we'll hear Ashley go in a little deeper on that on how we report on our bond uh program and how we're making good on our promise to our taxpayers by spending their dollars uh
wisely. Supporting a culture where every student rises to their full potential and finds their pathway of purpose. So how do we do that? Our focus for this year uh is in six areas. Uh we talked a little bit around storytelling on
pathway of purpose. We are very focused on the strategic goal plan of literacy for all by 2030 and how the communications office can support that goal. Positive perceptions of public education and CCSD. As we know public
education is attack under attack in this country. How can we talk about the value uh that public education provides to the community and how we strengthen communities? We're celebrating the district's 75th anniversary this year. So, a lot of celebrations in that area.
We'll go a little bit into crisis communications, uh how we communicate when there's an emergency at a school, one of the most important services we provide. And we'll talk about bond project reporting. I won't go through all the list of
services uh that we have here. Um but this is um part of the strategy that we really ground ourselves in is supporting schools and departments in their communication strategies. So providing
liaons and toolkits for our um principles so that they have what they need to be able to uh communicate and engage with their communities in a positive way. messaging strategies that we use. Uh we
used uh district uh digital messaging campaigns, district-wide mailers. Uh you know, we send out newsletters on a bi-weekly basis, social media, uh external media, video storytelling, printed materials, website, and then
message ambassadors through programs like our leadership cherry creek program where people go out into the community and talk to their neighbors and other parents at their schools. We know those are some of the most trusted uh messengers that we have in a school community. So, we'll we'll go by uh go
through some of our top tactics and talk about the ways that they engage uh the audiences that they intend to engage. Uh our digital messaging campaign usually runs on Facebook, Instagram, and Next Door. uh targeting our community
including parents and guardians but also the 70% of residents in our school district that don't have children in Cherry Creek schools. Um so it's a little bit more of a challenge on how to meet those uh stakeholders. And so our
digital campaign is one way that we do that. Um, we'll uh show you a video that's an example of something that we run on Facebook and Instagram to talk about our bond projects. So, that's just one example of uh some
of the shorter uh videos that we do to tell our story. Um here is an example of some of the static posts that we run on Instagram and Facebook. Uh that again just reinforce the message of how we are making good on taxpayer our promise to
taxpayers on our bond projects, how we're breaking ground on new projects that are going to have a positive impact uh for generations to come on students. Uh the district-wide mailer is another uh tactic that we use uh to reach community including the 70% without
children in our schools. Uh we have 95,000 households that we reach with our mailers. Um we always include a call to action so a QR code that links to our interactive bond map or someplace on the website where they can get more information. These are just some
examples of recent um mailers that have gone out at our school district. We also used this as an opportunity to celebrate our 75 years as a school district. Um, in the spring, uh, we have the pleasure of celebrating our graduates, uh, on the
cover, but also providing information about how we are, uh, delivering bond on our bond program to our community. Uh, one of the best ways that we have to reach our families and our employees is our newsletter, which goes directly to
uh, our 62,000 people for the family connection, 11,000 people for the employee connection twice a month. um on off months or I'm sorry twice a month on off weeks we sometimes have a topical newsletter that will provide more
information to parents uh about a way that they can support their students in their educational journey. An example for that is uh we have sent out a literacy for all um newsletter directly to parents. Worked with um folks in our
literacy department uh to compile resources and link to the website, link to the strategic plan so that parents um can understand what their children are learning, but also have access to resources that help them support their children on their literacy journey. So,
we'll continue to do that throughout the year for different topics. Social media is one of uh the topics that seems to grow every year. Uh I know that our followers grow every year on Facebook and Instagram. Uh we're at
about 21,000 followers on Facebook, 17,000 followers on Instagram. When we talked about using data and research to inform how we uh create our strategies for social media, um we look a lot at
the analytics. How do we engage uh our audiences? And what we find is that a lot of the short form videos such as reals uh outperform still images. We know that um content posted in stories versus posts also can get a different
level of engagement. So we're really trying to find ways uh to use social media not just to put out information from the district but to create a place uh where people can engage with the content and share it with their own uh networks. So this is an example. It's
really hard to see I guess uh that far away um but of some of our top stories that have received the most engagement um on Facebook. I don't have my glasses on, so I'm embarrassed to say I'm not going to be able to read what those are.
Um, but we'll send you this presentation and um, you can see for yourself what some of the top content is for us. Uh, this is a snapshot of our Instagram engagement. Um, as you can see, the short uh, reels that we post uh, get a
lot of engagement, a lot of shares, a lot of views. Um and so we've really increased uh the amount of coverage that we do in schools celebrating positive stories of students and staff uh through uh short videos and realels on
Instagram. External media is um a way that we have of building relationships and telling our story on a platform that reaches uh audiences from our internal audiences to the 70% outside of our school district
that we or out who don't have children in our schools to statewide and national outlets. Um so we really work to build positive relationships with media outlets in the area. Here are some of the examples of the stories that have
been running. We've had a lot of interest uh from local, state, and national media in Traverse Academy, um our mental health uh program, as well as our aspiring educator program. Um and for positive perceptions, I will
kick it over to Ashley. >> Thanks, Abby. So, I think as we've all seen over the last couple years, um the narrative around public education has been challenging and under the direction of our board and Superintendent Smith,
we've really tried to do some coalition building efforts um to try to tell the the positive story of what's happening in our classrooms every day, right? And so that that looks a lot of different ways. We have an advocacy committee of parents and staff members and community
members um that meet several times throughout the year uh and and help kind of engage our our lawmakers at uh local, state, and federal levels. Um we we've tried to build uh relationships with different dis school districts across
the state, small and large, rural, suburban, urban. Um, we have also tried to point to we are one of the largest employers in Arapjo County and we with the passage of the $950 million bond, we
are a huge economic driver for our community and so really kind of pointing to some of that economic data that that we provide our local community I think tells a really compelling story as well. Um, you know, Abby mentioned some of the positive storytelling. We try to do that
here too uh through alumni and like I said the great things happening in our classrooms and through this kids matter too effort which again is a coalition of um several school districts across the state small, medium and large to come together to really help educate and
inform our parents and our community about school funding issues in Colorado, how schools are funded um and threats maybe that are coming down the line in terms of the state legislative action or the governor's uh mansion in terms of state state funding.
Uh as Abby mentioned, another um big effort out of the communications department is on bond reporting um in November 24. We obviously passed a $950 million bond and we have always prided ourselves on um you know really being
transparent in how those those bond dollars are being spent. And so we uh first came out with this interactive bond map um in 2019. We have continued to update that um dating back all the way to the 2012 bond so that taxpayers
can really see where their where their dollars are going um to each and every school. Um we just launched a district dashboard to show at a high level um the progress on these these bond projects uh costs, construction schedule, um all of
that. We have banners out at every school. Um and have really tried to engage the uh the community as well. Um in you know the bigger we have several big bond projects as you all are aware and so really engaging the community on
the forefront telling them you know how this is going to affect their community uh groundbreaking ceremonies ribbon cutings uh the like as we kind of move forward with several of these projects. This is just a a picture of the interactive bond map. I'm I'm sure you
all are aware, but happy to answer any questions about it. Um, and this is these are all the tools that I just mentioned. Um, the interactive bond map really breaks down by school the 2024 bond improvements that are being made as well as the bigger projects. There on
the right is a snapshot of the bond dashboard. Um, and we will continue to be promoting this across the district as as often as we can in newsletters, on social media and community meetings uh and the like. So, I'll talk briefly about um crisis
communications. Uh, this is one of the most important uh bodies of work that we do on the communications team. So we have a crisis team on communications made up of six train six members who are trained on our emergency messaging system. Any one of those six members can
step in at any time to uh send out messages during a crisis. Uh we have an extensive set of crisis templates for each standard response protocol action. So that's a lockdown, a secure, a hold. Um the vast majority of the SRP actions
that we communicate on are thankfully um secure statuses or holds due to a medical issue in a school. Uh but we do do um uh trainings and runthroughs to make sure that everyone on the team is prepared to do a lockdown communication
when necessary. Messages uh go out in phone, email, and text formats. Uh we do uh all of our crisis communication messages go out in English and Spanish and we are working to see uh how we can expand to other languages in sending out
our uh crisis communications. Uh we do work closely with local law enforcement to align our messaging and for accuracy purposes. Um social media monitoring, responding to media outlets. Um and again regular training and drills. uh we
debrief after every incident um and update templates adding new templates as as we need them. So this is we know that when there's a crisis situation at a school this is one of the most um tense and scary for a family. So, we really
work hard uh to hone our ability to communicate accurately and in a timely fashion um when we have one of these incidents. But I didn't want to end our presentation on crisis communications. Uh wanted to end on a positive note. Uh
it has been such a joy to celebrate the 75th annivers uh this year celebrating our history, imagining our future. Um, at the start of the year, we uh did a whole lot of research, uh, digging into old, uh,
history books, uh, yearbooks, visiting old sites on the district, talking to people who have been around for a long time, and produced a series of videos, including, uh, a video of the history of the district uh, that we released uh, to the full community back in August. Uh we
also created a number of other videos that uplift student voices about uh what they see as the legacy of Cherry Creek. Also what they think um education will look like in 75 years. Uh that's a fun video you should check out if you
haven't already. Um we also did a series of uh social media campaign posts. We worked with several media outlets, The Villager and um the Aurora Sentinel, uh to have special sections uh that talk
about the history of Cherry Creek. Um we went through uh we have a new designer in the school district who went uh through really old records and found uh some of our getting to know us brochures back from the 80s and designed a new
timeline based on uh the design themes from that book. So we had a lot of fun with it but I think the most fun um is happening in the schools uh which are all hosting events uh to celebrate 75 years um and as part of those events uh
are sharing some of the resources. We created a logo for the event and so you'll see that and a lot of the the gear uh that you'll find at schools this year. So, um, that's an overview of what, uh, services the communications
office, uh, provides districtwide, and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you to both of you for being here today. It's good to see this presentation again. Appreciate it. Director Futrell,
>> uh, thank you. Yeah, great, uh, presentation again. Uh, my kids would definitely say that my yearbook is a history book, so I relate back to that. I am one of your uh likes and subscribers and re-sharers and you guys are always in my Facebook feed.
Fantastic job in the communication um with the uh district's successes. You guys are doing a fantastic job with that. Um, I just have one question around um, the crisis comms and uh, can you talk without getting too much into the weeds about some of the possibilities that the district is
exploring as far as more accessibility with languages and for accessibility community communities for sharing information when it needs to go out um, districtwide? >> Absolutely. Um, so, uh, we do translate, uh, any district-wide communication that
goes out, we use our in-house translators, uh, to translate in our top nine languages. Um, we have pre- uh recorded templates for all of our weather uh programs that do have all of our top nine languages and we're making
changes uh as we can to adopt platforms that are more translation and accessible friendly. Uh so in uh with our new website platform final site um it comes
with an accessibility uh that allows us to train uh website editors at the school level um and to provide a level of accountability around uh website accessibility. Um, we also launched a new newsletter platform last year,
S'more, which we specifically switched to, uh, because it allows translations, uh, and uses a higher, um, form of translation than just Google Translate. So, what we're seeing now is a lot of the, um, software and the programs that
we use are adopting higher level uh, translation uh, AI powered in some instances um, software. So, it's not just Google Translate. So, we're we're working uh to find out what those options are. We also brought in talking
points uh with the school district that really allowed um stu uh teachers and principles uh to communicate in languages that the family speaks. So, we're looking for ways that we can improve that. You know, there have been some technical challenges with our um
crisis communications to be able to send out in our top nine languages, but we are looking for ways to solve that. Yeah, >> Director Garland, >> thank you. Um, I don't have like a a question, but I know um you had shared like student opportunities, particularly
with um the new CCIC um >> um pathway that's coming about and how we can get our students more involved in social media. Can you share some of the possible options available for students? >> Yeah, absolutely. We are always looking for ways to elevate student voice and to
have students be more involved uh in how we communicate and engage. So uh I'll give the example of the superintendent uh student advisory council uh which superintendent uh Smith and Assistant Superintendent Latoya Tolbert lead. Um
and the students uh the projects that they work on um they've came they've come to us with ideas on how to bring their ideas to their peers using social media and maybe using tactics and strategies that we you know as adults in
the communications office don't always think about. So we are actively looking for ways that we can get more student input. uh whether it's engaging with um student newspaper classes, journalism classes, um soar uh other student groups
um that we can help elevate, you know, their voices through our platforms, but also learn from them on how we can do a better job using and a more creative job uh using different social media platforms to engage with students. >> Yes. And 67, I just needed to say that.
>> 67 [laughter] Thank you, Director Garland. Director Hamrik, >> I just like to follow up on that is engaging our students, especially our high school students, and uh being a part of that team with communications
and getting their thoughts and views because I have to tell you, if I have a problem with social media, I talk to the kids. In fact, I think my grandkids know it even more than my kids sometimes. But uh no, it'd be a great thing to involve them. I know we talked
at study session about potentially a podcast >> from some of the schools. Let's engage these kids, get them involved and let them help with their communications. Great presentation. >> Thank you. And yeah, we love that idea. We're also talking to high schools about
if they have podcasts that are already happening that we can go on or learn from or help elevate. So, thank you for that. Uh, great job Ashley and Abby and Lauren. Um, I really like that interactive map.
I could I could see that whole thought process of using that interactive map and a lot of other applications, you know, across from a communication perspective. But that's a very powerful tool and um to really you know for all
the taxpayers how how do we get that out you know how do how do we communicate to the taxpayers that this information is out there and it's available because it's a lot of great information. So thank you. >> Thank you for that.
>> Yes. Thanks again. And I did um make this comment before about the interactive map and then also in conjunction with letters that you're targeting to specific feeder areas about bond projects. And I think that that's so helpful. I think that we have
meetings around that already, but it's nice to have some of the information out there in both forms. So, thank you for leaning into that. I I think that we are leading the way in the state in terms of an interactive map that we can look at
for bond projects. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, B. It is at this point in our meeting that we make time for members of the audience who have completed the online public comment form prior to 12 noon today to
address the board of education. In order for everyone to be heard, please limit your comments to a maximum of two minutes. A buzzer will sound at the end of two minutes and the microphone and audio will be automatically muted. Each speaker may only speak once during
public comment. Speaking time may not be shared between speakers. This is your opportunity to make comments to the board of education. In accordance with board policy, it is not a question and answer session. Please confine your
comments to matters that are gerain to the business of the district. Further, please recognize that students attend most of our meetings. Any speaker whose statements or behavior are unrelated to the business or the district, appear threatening or unsafe or inappropriate
for K12 students, may be interrupted or warned, and their opportunity for comment terminated. Audience members who speak are asked to do so in a respectful manner, and the audience is encouraged to listen respectfully. Any speaker or
audience member who disrupts the good order of the board meeting, including the speaking time of others, may be asked to leave. We are very interested in your feedback and will listen carefully. On behalf of the board, I want to thank you in advance for taking
your comment for your comments and taking the time to come to tonight's meeting. Mr. Koig, would you call the first group of speakers? >> As I call your name, please line up behind the podium. Um remember state your name at beginning. Molly Lamar,
Adam Allen, Harley Holiday, Dana Polland, Mark K. Start now. Okay. Um good evening, President Egan and members of the board of education. I'm Molly Lamar, a concerned parent, taxpayer, Cherry Creek
K through2 graduate, former teacher, and employee. I stand before you to address a growing crisis of trust, transparency, and misplaced priorities. The recent smears against dedicated parents who sought to serve on our board of education have shaken the faith of many
residents. Parent voices matter, and when they step up to challenge the status quo, they should be met with respect, not a campaign of defamation and attacks. Our core issue is a profound lack of financial transparency. We demand to know precisely how our tax
dollars are spent and why you continue to approve spending without clear goals for improving student achievement. We are confronted with staggering examples of this financial disconnect. Cherry Creek High School's black mold issue is a direct immediate health hazard that
demands urgent priority. Yet you have approved a $20 million lease for an outofd district administration building and a $15 million plus expenditure for a new soccer stadium. This sends a clear message. Administrative comfort and
facilities take precedence over the health and learning environment of our children. This is a failure of priority. This failure has created a toxic culture of fear low. Our educators are afraid to speak up fearing retaliation. Teachers who are
afraid of losing their jobs can't teach well and therefore we are fundamentally failing our students. We demand immediate action. One, stop all non-essential high-cost projects and reallocate those funds immediately to critical infrastructure starting with
the mold remediation at Creek. Two, institute immediate comprehensive financial transparency. And three, establish a protected mechanism for staff to report concerns without fear. Also, please reinstate the three minute speech time, especially since
>> Thank you. Your time is up. >> Have a hand out. >> Yep. Uh Terry, Mike, congratulations on your election to the board. I hope you and the board hear us tonight with our concerns. I'm a parent of a fifth and ninth grader in Cherry Creek schools. I attend school accountability meetings
regularly. Under these state statutes, those meetings are meant to evaluate whether leadership, personnel, and resources are meeting our school's commitments. Two weeks ago, 49 Highplane elementary parents sent Chris Smith a letter about the 2E pilot program.
This program has been discussed in accountability meetings for the past two years by parents and staff. Our request is straightforward. Transparent updates, needed changes, and appropriate resources so the program better serves
students, teachers, and the staff. I understand the program review has been assigned to Tony P. because his wife oversees and runs this program at the district level. That review pre presents an inherent conflict of interest, at
least in appearance. I respectfully ask district leadership and council ensure that the review is independent so the community can trust the outcome. We also understand Chris has visited High Plains since receiving our letter,
so we know he hears us. I believe the issues are not about our current principle, rather about resourcing, training, and oversight in how the pilot was launched and currently run. And congratulations on your nomination
to the board president. I also encourage you to re bring back the threeminut speaking part of this meeting. A district with an $840 million annual [clears throat] operating budget, we the community deserve 60 seconds more to
discuss our items. Finally, with enrollment reportedly declining from 55 to 53,000 students, $23 million operational impact. >> Thank you. Your time is up.
Good evening. I'm Carly Holiday. Um, first off, welcome to our newest board directors, Mr. Bates and Mr. Hamrich. Um, now that we have another election behind us, our association looks forward to the upcoming legislative sessions and the goals that we have developed to
ensure that all our elected leaders follow through on their promises and keep public education at the forefront of their minds and their decision-making. As a result, I wanted to share with you what CA and CCEA are hoping to accomplish this spring. Our
union has begun a campaign to raise the cap on an artificial spending limit created in 1992 so that Colorado can use the money it already collects for K12 public schools without raising any new taxes. Even when our governor develops a budget that
increases funding to public schools in Colorado, we all know that increase gets us nowhere close to the amount our students are owed. And every year, our children advance from one grade to the next. And we are asking students, educators, parents, and taxpayers to
continue to catch up, make do, and perform miracles. Finally, we have a feasible plan to change that. Our members are doing their part to convince our legislators to refer this measure to the ballot next fall. Next week, our ARs will distribute
postcards to our 2965 members to deliver to the legislature when we lobby at the end of January. I am excited and proud that we have finally landed on something doable, something possible that can bring an end to underfunding. So, when the time comes, I also hope our
students, our members, and our community can count on your support as well by having this board pass a resolution in favor of the measure. Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Dana Poland. I'm a speech language pathologist and I've worked in Cherry Creek Public Schools, New York
public schools, and Chicago area public schools in my career. inclusion of students with special needs is very important to me. That being said, I've never witnessed such a poorly rolled out and run program as a two-way effective needs program at High Plains Elementary. Little to no proper training was put
into place before implementation and no adequate training have has been given to staff that are struggling to meet these students needs. This has led to both staff and students experiencing significant levels of distress and physical harm. There has been a lack of communication from the principal of the
school and the director of the program with regards to any protocol for consequences of violent behavior or how the success of this program is being measured. There's been no follow-through when parents in the community have expressed significant concerns for the
safety of their children. I have reason to believe that the individual needs of these students enrolled in the program are not being met and that these students are also experiencing distress. Staff's turnover within the program is high and a lot of staff feel they cannot
express these issues without fear of retaliation. It angers me as a parent of the student of students in this school that our children are exposed to this type of dysfunction and also as a therapist that students with special needs are not being evaluated, placed
and treated in a program that can adequately meet their needs. There's been no transparency about measures of success and no transparency about any changes that are being made in light of complaints and feedback from the community, teachers, and parents of
students. A signed letter by 50 parents in the community was emailed to Superintendent Smith on November 25th. More than a week later, Tony P replied stating he was taking over the investigation into our concerns, which is a conflict of interest. our community would like some answers and action and
this has gone on for way too long. Thank you. >> Hi, I am a Cherry Creek School District alumni and my children are in first and third grade here at High Plains and I had the opportunity to watch it several times. Thank you Scott Smith for putting out the video on school funding. It was
absolutely fantastic to learn how it functions. Unfortunately, I think our district is falling into similar traps. The state is not really evaluating uh the education budget properly. And now with the twice exceptional program at High Plains, we are not evaluating that
properly. The the the program has, I believe, two full-time equivalents for seven or eight students. Uh very disproportionate. Um there's no metrics for success that we understand. There are no clarification of safety measures
especially for violent acts and and the teachers who are not part of the 2E program have zero training as I understand it. These are no longer an anecdotal items. I think these are real concerns of the school. You know our ask is that we create some kind of true
measurement for the success of the program and the growth of the program so all the kids can have a fair and equitable education within the school. it it certainly has been damaging to some of the students within there. We would also love to see additional training and allocation of resources to
the students, excuse me, to the teachers and the other faculty within the school. And and I guess the last thing I want to say here, I personally was shocked having been to numerous bond measures that we are funding a temporary stadium for the women's soccer team. I think there's a better use and allocation of
those resources, especially when we have black mold in a high school. Thank you. President E. That's all for tonight. >> Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda resolutions number 25.12.1
through 25.12.11. Motion to approve the resolutions 25.12.1 through 2512.11. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Director Spates.
>> I I >> motion carries. Our last remaining business of the evening is to announce our next board meeting which will be held Monday, January 12th, 700 p.m. at Thunder Ridge
Middle School, 5250 South Picadelli Street in Aurora. May I have a mo motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. Director Bates
>> I >> Egan >> I >> Petro >> I >> Garland >> I >> Amrich >> I >> we are adjourned. Happy holidays.