Severe Needs Para Educator

Cherry Creek School District to partner with Highland Electric Fleets and Xcel Energy on Electric School Bus project. Jun 04, 2026, 10:30 ET AURORA, Colo., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - The Cherry Creek School District will host a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on its new electric school bus depot. The initiative will help the District in efforts to modernize student transportation in partnership with Highland Electric Fleets, North America's leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS). Highland will provide six bidirectional-capable Type C IC electric school buses, six 60kW bidirectional chargers, fleet electrification services, and ongoing operational support. The deployment is part of Xcel Energy's bidirectional charging demonstration initiative, which will allow energy stored in the buses' batteries to flow back to the electric grid during periods of peak energy demand when the vehicles are not in use on student routes. The initiative is supported through funding including $2.4 million from Xcel Energy's electric school bus rebate program and additional operating incentives. "The Cherry Creek School District continues to seek opportunities to serve both the environment and taxpayers responsibly. This partnership works to support our environmental goals while delivering long-term operational savings," said Dr. Jennifer Perry, CCSD Interim Superintendent. The program will provide six new electric school buses to the District for a lease rate of approximately $20,000 per year. When combined with fuel and maintenance expenses, the total cost of ownership of a diesel bus over 12 years materially surpasses that of an electric bus offered through this program. The District evaluated multiple electrification options and determined this program offered a highly competitive total cost of ownership and strong long-term value while also including the charging infrastructure and ongoing support required for successful fleet operations. As part of the program, Highland and Xcel Energy will provide the infrastructure improvements at no cost to the District, and Highland will perform maintenance on the buses beyond routine checks and services Electric school buses are up to four times quieter than traditional diesel buses. While a quieter ride can help create a calmer environment for students and drivers alike, electric buses also have 97% fewer moving parts than diesel vehicles, helping reduce routine maintenance needs, lower long-term operating costs, and reduce exposure to diesel fuel price volatility over time. "School buses are one of the most visible and heavily used assets in any community, so transitioning them to electric technology can have a meaningful impact for students, drivers, and school districts," said Brian Buccella, Chief Commercial Officer at Highland Electric Fleets. "Cherry Creek School District is building a program that not only modernizes daily student transportation but also showcases how bidirectional charging technology can support broader grid resiliency and energy management efforts beyond the school day." Cherry Creek School District will host the Electric School Bus Depot Groundbreaking on June 4 at 10:30 a.m. at 16500 E. Smoky Hill Rd. in Aurora, Colorado. About Cherry Creek School District Cherry Creek School District serves more than 53,000 students and 300,000 residents across eight municipalities. It is the fourth largest school district in Colorado and the largest employer in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Cherry Creek achieves its mission "to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care" through its five Core Values: Growth Mindset, Equity, Whole Wellbeing, Engagement and Relationships. Dedicated to Excellence has been a guiding principle of Cherry Creek's for more than 75 years and continues to guide the district's approach to ensuring a bright, fulfilling future for each and every student. About Highland Electric Fleets Highland Electric Fleets is North America's leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service. Founded in 2019, Highland partners with school districts, municipalities, and fleet operators to make the transition to electric fleets simple and affordable. Highland proudly serves as the Official Electric School Bus Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA. From pioneering vehicle-to-grid technology to managing some of the nation's largest electric school bus fleets, Highland delivers reliable, cost-effective solutions that support local communities and drive the future of transportation. Learn more at www.highlandfleets.com. Media Contacts: Chris Orlando | Highland SOURCE Highland Electric Fleets

Cherry Creek Schools' board appoints new member. Parent Keith Frazier replaces Terry Bates, who resigned after allegations he made racists remarks. PUBLISHED: June 4, 2026 at 6:00 AM MDT The Cherry Creek Schools' Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint parent Keith Frazier to a vacant seat on the five-member board. The new director replaces Terry Bates, who resigned in April after being accused of making racist remarks. He was one of five candidates considered by the school board for the position. "We had a great set of applicants and we appreciate members of ou... RevContent feed.

Cherry Creek cuts more teachers as state funding rises, parent watchdog says. State funding to Cherry Creek is set to climb $5.3 million next year even as the district eliminates 159 positions and trims $23 million from its budget. The cuts come as the district's $250,000 internal audit draws scrutiny over the chief financial officer who helps oversee it. Kim Monson Newsroom May 15, 2026 0:00 / 6:17 GREENWOOD VILLAGE - The Cherry Creek School District is expected to receive a $5.3 million increase in state funding next school year even as it cuts $23 million from its budget and eliminates 159 positions, according to 9News. Parent advocate Molly Lamar told listeners of The Kim Monson Show on Friday that the reductions include nearly 100 probationary teachers, and the cuts come as the district's $250,000 audit has drawn fresh scrutiny over who is overseeing it. "These are the newer faces in the classroom, the ones without tenure who work, you know, on the front lines every day, and now they're gone," Lamar said of the probationary teachers. A surplus from the state, cuts at the district. The $23 million reduction and the 159 eliminated positions for the 2026-27 school year have been reported since April and previously covered by The Kim Monson Show, including an analysis of the district's central-office contracts and an account of Lamar being barred from addressing the board. Interim Superintendent Jennifer Perry announced the cuts in a letter to parents, attributing the shortfall to "ongoing uncertainty in state and federal funding," according to Denver7. Lamar said the district's chief financial officer, Scott Smith, presented the proposed budget to the board. "We're getting increased funding from the state, yet the Board of Education is moving forward with cutting 159 staff members," Lamar said. When guest host Marshall Dawson asked how large the state increase was, Lamar said: "It's $5.3 million. We're getting a $5.3 million increase in state funding, yet we're cutting $23 million from the budget. The question is, where is that money really going?" What Lamar says is in the contracts. Lamar returned to a theme from her earlier appearances: that the district's top administrators carry contract perks its classroom employees do not. "We're reimbursing their PERA," Lamar said. "Taxpayers are reimbursing them for the contributions that they're making to their PERA. So they make an 11% contribution and then we reimburse them for that. And that's only our district leadership team. That is not what our teachers and staff members are getting." The PERA reimbursement and the broader contract structure were detailed in prior Kim Monson Show coverage. Lamar also said the publicized superintendent salary understates the true cost. "We're told here's the salary for the superintendent. It's $330,000. But then when you go and add up all of the perks that they're being given, this is far greater. It adds roughly $60,000 to the salary. But taxpayers aren't being told," she said. Prior reporting documents the superintendent base salary at $332,601 under former Superintendent Chris Smith. Lamar said the full picture surfaces only through public-records requests under the Colorado Open Records Act, which she referred to by its acronym, CORA. The $250,000 audit and who oversees it. The district has set aside $250,000 for an external audit of its organizational systems and structures, including its fiscal responsibilities, according to the Denver Post. Lamar questioned that spending while the district cuts staff. "The average teacher's salary is $76,000 in Cherry Creek. That's three teacher jobs," she said. The audit's oversight has become contested. Scott Smith, the chief financial officer whose department the review will examine, sits on the committee that will oversee the audit and select the firm that conducts it, according to the Denver Post. In a March email obtained through CORA, Smith accused former board member Terry Bates, who also served on that committee, of wanting the audit's findings to "place blame" on him. Bates denied it, telling the Denver Post "Absolutely not" and saying he had pushed for the independent audit "so we could put all the chips on the table and have full transparency." A district spokeswoman said the integrity of the audit process "remains intact." A district under scrutiny. The week's developments add to a months-long crisis at the fourth-largest school district in Colorado, which serves roughly 52,000 students. Former Superintendent Chris Smith, who is not related to Scott Smith, resigned in January after a Denver7 report on a "toxic" workplace culture; Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole is set to retire in June under a separation agreement that pays him more than $190,000, obtained under CORA, according to the Denver Gazette. The Kim Monson Show has reported that Bates resigned in April after the board cited "racialized remarks," and that Lamar was barred from addressing a May board meeting because education was not on the agenda. Lamar linked the district's spending choices to its academic results. On the 2025 CMAS tests, 44.8% of Colorado students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded expectations in literacy and 35.9% did so in math, according to Sentinel Colorado; Cherry Creek's literacy scores were essentially flat and still below pre-pandemic levels while its math scores recovered toward pre-pandemic marks. The district did not address Lamar's specific claims on the broadcast.