Insights

There is so much to be proud of within the Douglas County School District. We have incredible students, fantastic teachers and staff, and amazing parents/guardians and community members who all work together to make this school district one of the best!

Did You Know?

• For the first time in a decade, DCSD is the TOP scoring district in the Denver/Metro area!

• DCSD is one of the only districts in the country to have met or exceeded our 2019 (pre-pandemic!!) scores in every subject and every grade.

• DCSD is one of the only school districts in the state to increase proficiency levels across all student subgroups.

• DCSD is one of the leaders, nationwide, in “blurring the lines” between PK-12 and higher education through our incredible Concurrent Enrollment/Career & Technical Education offerings (Over 20K seats!) and our partnerships with multiple higher education institutions, providing students additional pathways to success after high school, whether they choose college or go straight to industry.

Finally, DCSD was just rated number 11 on the list of the 250 “most envied” school districts in the country by Test Prep Insight. (DCSD is the only Colorado school district in the top 65).

We are so thankful, again, for the support we received to get 5A over the finish line. Thanks to 5A, we have been able to retain the amazing educators who made all of that happen for our kids and move our starting teacher pay from $45K to $51K. 5A resulted in a net increase of 2.939 mills to the district's tax rate ($194 for a million-dollar home), and yet we still have one of the lowest tax rates in the metro area, so the district's return on investment for our community is amazing!

Read this article from the Douglas-County News Press for more details.

• Find graduation dates
• Learn about new voluntary benefits
• Check out a Science WOW classroom kit

Meet Benjamin Alway, aka Mr. Ben. The students at Iron Horse Elementary have already welcomed him with open arms. Read more. >>

More than thirty teachers embarked on a journey of artistic expression in the Art+Wellness workshop at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS). RCHS art teacher Prema Viswanathan led the group in making mandalas. Everyone made a personal mandala masterpiece. Participants earned two hours of re-licensure /staff development.

Some participants shared their feelings about the activity:

" I feel like these classes help improve the culture of the district. It is so nice sitting with teachers from other schools!."

"I loved this art and wellness class. It's a great way to connect in a fun and meaningful activity."

"Please do more of these great classes. I love them. They are so relaxing and helpful. Thank you!!!"

The Foundation for Douglas County Schools had the pleasure of surprising 27 2024 Opportunity Grant Recipients at their schools! This year, the Foundation awarded almost $75,000 in grant support to eight elementary schools, four middle schools, and seven high schools, impacting nearly 11,500 students across the district. The Foundation's Opportunity Grants support ideas around their three pillars of Innovation and Leadership, Community and STEAM. See all the recipients >>

The Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce recently named DCSD Superintendent Erin Kane as its Advocate of the Year. This award was due to Mrs. Kane's role in educating the community about the need for the Mill Levy Override (5A) to increase teacher and staff pay. Read more. >>

• Ponderosa High helps grant a wish for a big hockey fan
  

• Multiple cities in Douglas County included in ranking of top Colorado suburbs for families.

• STEM School Highlands Ranch Student featured on NBC Nightly News
  

• Colorado School Districts Among The 'Most Envied' Ones In The U.S

Image email signatures may appear aesthetically pleasing, but they lack accessibility because screen readers cannot interpret text within images. However, we've got you covered! We've developed an accessible email signature template that you can easily customize. Here's how:

1. Download the provided template (be sure to click the download icon!)
2. Open the template in your browser.
3. Copy the entire signature (Command/Ctrl+A).
4. In Gmail, navigate to Settings > See all settings.
5. Scroll down to "Signature" and paste the new signature into the box.
6. Replace the placeholders with your name, title, phone number, and email address.
7. Scroll to the bottom and click "Save Changes" to apply your new accessible signature.

There's still time to provide your feedback on our academic calendars for the coming years. The DCSD Calendar Committee has developed four possible academic calendar options for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. Here's how you can weigh in:

1. Review the different calendar options. We have created a Cross Calendar Comparison that compares the key dates within each set of options. We have also created a Calendars at a Glance document for you to see all of the options for that set of calendars.

2. Complete our Calendar Feedback Survey. You will be separately ranking the options for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. Please complete the survey by Sunday, March 31 at 11:59 p.m.

Early Access is designed for “highly advanced gifted” 4 or 5 year old children. It allows early access to kindergarten or first-grade for students who are academically gifted, socially and emotionally mature, in the top 2% or less of the gifted peer group, motivated to learn, ready for advanced placement, and who have exhausted the resources of preschool or home schooling. This is not a process intended for students who miss the October 1 enrollment cut off.

Preschool teachers, if you have questions about your advanced students and are unsure if you should refer a family, please contact Heather Groff at hagroff@dcsdk12.org.

For more information or to refer parents directly, please visit our website. You can also have them email us at gifted.education@dcsdk12.org.

Join us in celebrating National Poetry Month at your school and in your classroom.

• Visit the official National Poetry Month website & Reading Rockets' Poetry Month page for more ideas!
• Book suggestions for Poetry Month
• Poetry Writing Tips
• Check out the Poetry Collection on Sora

• Elementary flier - thank you
• Secondary - thank you card

Become a good sward to the land around you. Choosing native plants and learning about water conservation are crucial steps in promoting environmental sustainability and preserving biodiversity. Below are some useful resources that teach the importance of water conservation, minimizing the need for chemical fertilizers, creating habitats that support local wildlife, and mindful landscaping.

• https://douglasconserves.org/event/front-range-native-plants-workshop-free/
• https://douglasconserves.org/event/upper-south-platte-watershed-meeting/
• https://resourcecentral.org/seminars/
• https://crconserve.com/35/Plant-ColoradoScape

Hosted by Douglas County School District and Sky Ridge Medical Center

Wednesday, April 3 | 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Virtual/Webinar

Register Today!

Join DCSD Child Find Team Members to discuss supporting behaviors associated with sensory regulation in Preschool-aged students. Christina Howery, School Psychologist, and Mary Beth Karr, Occupational Therapist, will lead this webinar. Child Find is part of Douglas County School District’s Early Childhood Education Department. Register to attend this webinar today!

Board of Education Regular Study Session Meeting

Tuesday, April 2 at 5:00 p.m.

Watch live on YouTube or on Comcast Channel 54

See past Board Meeting summaries here.

• Carolina Gonzalez, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
  

• Phillip Hall, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
• Priscilla Hunt, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
• Denine Kysar, Administrative Assistant, Mesa Middle School
• Catherine MacInnes, Assistive Technology Team Assistant, Student Support Services, StateWide Assistive Technology, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, West Support Center
• Jessica Martinez, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
• Rebecca Milne, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
• Dennis O'Hara, Educational Assistant IV, SSN, Castle Rock Middle School
• Drew Phelps, Budget Manager, West Support Center
• Erika Pope, Occupational Therapist, Early Childhood Education, Pioneer Elementary
• Michelle Royer, Educational Assistant, Cloverleaf Enrichment School