Tag: Douglas County School District
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Douglas County expects busy year for public safety, business growth, school changes
Douglas County officials made their 2026 goals clear: to maintain a wealthy, healthy and safe environment for the more than 400,000 residents who call the affluent county south of Denver home. The Denver Gazette asked several government, law enforcement, business and education officials about 2026 goals. ‘SAFEST, HEALTHIEST COUNTY’ Douglas County commissioners continue to characterize…
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Douglas County School District employee arrested on child exploitation charges
Douglas County deputies arrested a new school district staff member for allegedly possessing child pornography. On Thursday, deputies arrested John Michael Beccia Jr., 35, of Highlands Ranch. He faces charges including aggravated incest, sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual exploitation of a child. Since November, Beccia…
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Federal judge sides with Douglas County School District in ex-admin’s discrimination lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last week that a former high school administrator had not proven his claims of religious discrimination against the Douglas County School District. Corey McNellis had worked at Ponderosa High School since 2002 and served as the athletic director and assistant principal at the time of his termination in October 2020. According to…
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Home rule, sports complex and school board elections: Here are the top stories in Douglas County in 2025
Douglas County this year failed to achieve home rule status, voters elected a progressive-leaning school board and officials completed a land transfer to build a massive regional sports complex. Home rule campaign fails Douglas County commissioners sought to become a home rule county, but voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. The three commissioners argued that home…
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New-look Douglas County school board names returning director as president
After four new directors swore in earlier than expected, the new-look Douglas County school board met for the first time Tuesday night to elect a new board president and discuss issues addressed by the previous board. Douglas County voters in November elected a group of progressive-leaning directors, flipping the once conservative Douglas County School District…
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Outgoing Douglas County school board members accuse incoming directors of swearing in ‘secretly’
Incoming members say previous members are trying to ‘delegitimize’ election The new members of the Douglas County school board have already assumed their seats — in “secret,” according to the outgoing president. The move by incoming directors effectively kicked out the four outgoing members early, said the outgoing board president, who accused the new members…
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Douglas County commissioners approve land plan for charter school, school district objects
There’s plenty of empty land in the Sterling Ranch development in Douglas County. But there’s no shortage of people who live there, ready to argue about what deserves to be on it. Before the Douglas County Land Commission, the developers behind Sterling Ranch successfully took back some of the land they had promised to Douglas…
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Douglas County teacher arrested on child sexual assault, internet exploitation charges
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives are looking for any more victims after authorities Monday arrested a middle school teacher on sexual assault charges. Teresa Whalin, 28, of Centennial, has been employed by the Douglas County School District since July 2021. She is currently placed on administrative leave as an integrated wellness teacher teacher at Ranch…
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Douglas County school board rejects charter school renewal proposal, tackles transgender policy
The outgoing members of the Douglas County School District board spent their final meeting on Tuesday debating a last-minute proposal to amend charter school contract renewal timelines. The current board also discussed – but took no action on a proposal dealing with transgender athletes. Progressive-leaning members are set to take over the conservative board in…
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Douglas County school board to discuss policy on transgender athletes
The Douglas County School District’s governing body, currently made up of a conservative majority, is discussing sports policy as it applies to transgender athletes right before four new progressive-leaning school board members are set to take over in about two weeks. The board plans only to discuss – not act – on any policy, according…