jeffco school board

Jeffco superintendent finalist faces tricky road ahead

When Ron Cabrera was hired as superintendent of the Thompson School District in 2008, he took the helm of the 16,000-student district without the full support of the board. The vote to give him the top post was 4-3. But former board member Marcia Venzke, who was one of those opposed to Cabrera’s hiring, said once the new leader had been chosen, the board got behind him. “We made the decision as a board to support him because a successful superintendent makes for a successful district,” she said. Whether the same goes for Daniel McMinimee, who emerged as the sole finalist for superintendent of bitterly divided Jefferson County Schools, remains to be seen. The board voted 3-2 on Saturday to name him the only contender for the job. The board still needs to officially approve...

Do you think what the Jeffco School Board is doing is shameful?

We are graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools. We are parents of Jefferson County Public Schools students. We are business owners and members of the community. We’ve been room moms. We’ve volunteered at Field Day and music performances. We’ve sat in the stands to cheer our students for their academic and athletic accomplishments. We’ve participated on accountability committees and are veterans of PTA and bond/mill levy campaigns. We believe in the district’s ability to offer a quality education to our children. And yet what we’ve seen going on in Jefferson County Schools over the past several months is deeply troubling. School boards have traditionally been nonpartisan, but that no longer is the case in Jeffco. The result is a school board that app...

Jefferson County schools superintendent to leave post early after drama-filled board meeting

A tenuous relationship between Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson and a new conservative board hit its breaking point Saturday when the district’s longtime leader announced that she would leave earlier than expected. Stevenson, who has been at the helm of the district for more than 12 years, told a crowded room, filled mostly with supporters, that her work was being impeded by a newly elected board majority. “I can’t lead and manage because I am not trusted or respected by this board of education,” Stevenson said. “If I can’t lead and if I can’t manage, I don’t serve you well. And my issue is serving you, serving our community and, most importantly, serving our kids.” Stevenson announced her retirement in Nov...