Author: Nicole C. Brambila [email protected]
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DPS to formalize CORA policy practice that lumps multiple requests to collect fees
Denver Public Schools is proposing changes to its CORA policy that would allow the district to combine related open-records requests for fee purposes, raising transparency questions from advocates about how broadly and retroactively the policy could be applied. The proposed update to the policy says: “Multiple record requests submitted from an individual or entity, related…
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Cherry Creek School Board fires former superintendent’s wife from top HR role
The Cherry Creek School Board today announced the termination of Brenda Smith, the district’s chief human resource officer. She’s the wife of former Superintendent Chris Smith, who abruptly resigned in January during his annual review. Brenda Smith’s termination marks the latest upheaval for a district that has faced months of leadership turmoil and controversy. “In…
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Denver Water to drain Antero Reservoir amid one of Colorado’s worst snowpack years
HARTSEL • The Antero Reservoir isn’t empty yet. But it will be in about six weeks. Facing historically low runoff from this year’s drought-stricken snowpack, Denver Water expects to drain Antero Reservoir within the next six weeks to reduce evaporation losses and preserve water supplies. On May 1, Denver Water began releasing water from the…
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Hantavirus outbreak is not like COVID-19 pandemic, CDC says
Hantavirus is not a COVID-19 sequel. Infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who refer to the outbreak on the cruise ship that’s been in the news as the Andes virus, describe the risk to the American public as “extremely low” because it is not spread as easily from person-to-person as…
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DPS asks judge to dismiss racketeering lawsuit over COP financing
Denver Public Schools asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging a racketeering scheme through the district’s use of a widely-used lease-finance structure. “The new complaint has many of the same defects as the claims asserted in Mamas I, including that Plaintiff lacks standing, that the COCCA claim is barred by the Colorado Governmental Immunity…
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Denver schools project $28.6M gap over four years, signals future closures
Denver Public Schools is projecting a $28.6 million funding gap over the next four years, while district leaders warn more school closures are likely if enrollment decline further. The district’s $1.5 billion proposed budget for next school year outlines a series of financial pressures — declining enrollment, uncertain state funding and rising costs — that…
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Snowstorm offers little relief as Colorado snowpack ranks among worst on record
A late-season snowstorm may look like relief, but it can’t salvage a historically bad snowpack year. While it’s too early to measure Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s storm’s impact, water experts said a single snowstorm won’t reverse months of below-average snowpack. “This year is proving difficult to quantify,” Brad Udall, senior water and climate research scholar at…
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Denver snowstorm forces first metro school closures in over a year
A May snowstorm forced schools across the metro Denver area to close Wednesday — the first snow day of the school year. Most districts said their last snow day was Nov. 8, 2024, when the first major storm of the season that year dumped nearly 3 feet of snow across large sections of the Front…
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Hickenlooper hears stories on Medicaid, health costs at Denver Health
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper went to Denver Health on Tuesday to hear how rising health care costs and federal policy changes are affecting patients. He got an earful. Hospital staff shared stories about Medicaid patients who lost eligibility — and then a limb or their life. Dr. Stephanie Augustine, a family medicine physician, told of…
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Sheridan school board approves teachers’ contract, ending historic strike
The Sheridan teachers strike that languished through much of the month is officially over. The Sheridan School District Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday to accept the union contract. “It has been a long road to get to today,” Sheridan Educators Association President Kate Biester said in a statement to The Denver Gazette after this…