Accountability and Communication

In February 2026, the District initiated a School District Operational Review (also referred to as an "Internal Control Audit") to evaluate organizational systems and structures, including internal controls, operational processes, and fiscal responsibilities. While this has been referred to as the "audit" by the Board, it is important not to conflate this scope of work with the District's annual financial statement audit.

On June 8th, the CCSD Board of Education selected Plante Moran to conduct the review. As Plante Moran's work formally begins, there will be multiple ways to collect feedback anonymously from staff, families, and community members. Feedback will be confidential, anonymous, and available 24/7 from any device. The information will be collected by Ethics Suite, a partner of Plante Moran's, which provides a web-based and confidential internal reporting platform in 12 languages.

Hotline
Through the three options below, you can report any workplace misconduct, board policy violations, or general concerns:

• Online: ethicssuite.com/cherrycreekschools
• Email: cherrycreekschools@ethicssuite.com
• Phone: (844) 469-6399

Please note that the hotline will be monitored and analyzed independently of the Operational Review Process Committee. In addition, the hotline should be used only for CCSD-related issues and should not be used to report emergencies of any kind, as it will not be monitored daily. The hotline is currently live and will collect anonymous feedback through August 31, 2026.

Focus Groups
In addition, there will be focus groups aimed at gathering feedback from community members and staff. There will be one focus group dedicated to community members and a second focus group dedicated to Cherry Creek employees. Click here if you are interested in participating in a focus group and click the "Operational Review Focus Group" tab. The focus groups are intended to gather candid community perspectives on the District’s governance, reporting processes, HR practices, and transparency to inform the independent Operational Review. Individuals interested in participating in the community or staff focus groups should sign up by Friday, August 14th. Please note, applying to be part of a focus group does not guarantee participation, as space may be limited.

The Operational Review Committee is not a Board Advisory Committee under Policy BDF which does not make it subject to Open Meetings Laws. The members of the Committee are as follows:

Mike Hamrick, Board Director
JC Futrell, Board Director
Scott Smith, CFO
Jordan Lubeck, Associate Legal Counsel
Jodi Rose, Parent DAC
Ariela Vianu, Parent DAC
Phil Spare, Independent Facilitator

Dr. Jennifer Perry is currently serving as the Interim Superintendent. Dr. Perry’s contract is approved through June 30, 2026, with the option for the Board to extend into the 2026-27 school year.

Update 6/5/2026 - the Cherry Creek School District Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve McPherson & Jacobson as the firm to run the search process for a permanent Superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools. The vote follows an RFP process which was initiated on May 20, 2026. The search process will formally begin in Fall 2026.

Update 6/9/2026 - A balanced budget for FY 2026-27 was presented and approved by the Board on June 8, 2026.

PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR 2026-27 SY
(as of 4/7/26 - subject to change)

As part of our efforts to remain transparent and communicate actions we are taking to address the current budget shortfall, we are sharing the following memo on preliminary budget reductions for the 2026-2027 school year. This information is subject to change. 

• Like many school districts across the state, we are facing a significant budget shortfall and are making difficult reductions across the district, with a focus on minimizing impacts to classrooms and student learning.
• The majority of reductions for 26-27 SY are coming from central administration (non-student-facing) positions and budgets. These reductions are in addition to several cost-saving measures already in place for the 25-26 SY. We are working to manage the reduction in positions through attrition as much as possible.
  • In the current year (25-26 SY), on a one-time basis, we have pulled back $5 million from administrative departments and $1 million in discretionary budgets at schools. 
• The District prides itself on running a lean central office, with the majority of our money going to schools. 
  • Nearly 90% of CCSD’s budget goes to people (salaries and benefits)
  • Only 3.8% is spent on central office staff
• School staffing ratios remain the same. If a school is changing staffing, it is due to enrollment changes, not budget reductions. 

While the state isn’t reducing K-12 education next year, they are not investing either. CCSD is expected to receive approximately $5.3M additional funding as compared to the current school year. State funding continues to fall well below the increasing costs of delivering a high-quality K12 education. The final state budget won’t be finalized until May 2026.

PRELIMINARY BUDGET REDUCTIONS FOR 2026-27 SY

(as of 4/7/26 - subject to change)

Central Personnel (36 FTE and $3.7M):

• 21 District Operations Positions (i.e. transportation, maintenance)
• 12 District Support Positions (i.e. fiscal services, IT, communications, HR)
• 3 Central Office Leadership Positions

Central Non-Personnel Budget ($8.9M):

• $2M in reduced district property and liability insurance claims and premiums
• $850K for Education Accelerated contract
• $850K for professional development (across districtwide budgets)
• $840K for overtime and extra pay (across districtwide budgets)
• $800K for Renaissance Education contract
• $350K for FLGA contract
• $332K for Learning by Design contract
• $300K for renegotiated mobile leases
• $200K for renegotiated wellness platform 
• $200K reduction in communication services
• $135K for Hanover contracts
• $2M for miscellaneous (supplies, equipment, food, technology, materials, consultants etc.) (across districtwide budgets)

School Support (123 FTE, $10.3M):

• 51 Special Education FTE - $4.2M 
• 37 Gifted and Talented FTE - $3.7M
• 4 Language Supports and Services FTE - $800K
• 18 FTE Elementary Administrative Health Liaisons - $850K
• 13 FTE High School Administrative Support - $760K 

School Investments Maintained:

• Staffing Ratio
• Declining Enrollment Averaging
• Weighted Student Funding (SELF Factor) 
• Backfill of EARRS partners and addiction counselors

Following the Board’s announcement to review all District contracts, the Board made specific changes to the procurement and expenditure approval policies across the District. Specifically, they:

• Changed the threshold for board-approved contracts from $400,000 to $250,000
• Required an additional approval from the Chief Financial and Operating Officer or the Superintendent on any contract between $150,001 and $250,000
• Required an additional approval from a member of the District Leadership Team on any contract between $25,001 and $150,000
• Changed approval authorities for all contracts between $5,001 and $25,000
• Mandated all contracts be reviewed and approved by the Legal Department with failure to do so resulting in disciplinary action, up to and including termination
• Accounts Payable now has an indicator showing whether a contract has been reviewed by the Legal Department, improving communication and ensuring the appropriate requirements are followed regarding contract approval in the District

As part of efforts to address concerns about district travel and to rebuild trust with the community, the Board has directed Dr. Perry to clarify guidelines regarding District employee travel to prioritize the following:

1. Trips are approved for adults traveling to chaperone students
2. Existing travel is approved if it is: 
   • In-state
   • Supporting a student trip
   • Booked and paid for and cannot be refunded
3. New travel is not allowed until further notice

In addition, the District will review existing practices and protocols for approving travel, with a focus on: 

1. Alignment with district goals and priorities
2. Strengthening educational experiences and outcomes for students 

The $950 million bond passed in November 2024 can only support capital expenses, such as rebuilding aging schools, building repairs and maintenance, technology upgrades, and other physical infrastructure improvements. These projects are well underway and can be tracked here.

The Mill Levy passed in November 2024 provides 5% in additional funding and supports inflationary cost increases as well as additional staff at buildings like the expanded CCIC and Pathways at Overland.

CCSD board meetings are currently live-streamed. Board meetings are held monthly, usually on the second Monday of the month at 7pm at a school in the District.

District members are invited to speak during the time specified for Public Comment. Speakers must complete the Public Comment Form and submit it electronically prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of a regularly scheduled Board meeting. If written testimony or a handout is submitted, speakers are asked to supply one (1) copy to the Board Secretary. Each speaker is required to present in-person at the Board meeting and may only speak once during public comment. This is your opportunity to make comments; it is not a question and answer session.

Each individual speaker will be afforded three (3) minutes to make comments on matters that are germane to the business of the District. The first twenty (20) speakers will receive three minutes each. If more than twenty (20) speakers sign up for Public Comment, all registered speakers will be notified via the email address provided at registration that speaking time has been reduced to two (2) minutes per speaker. Audience Comments are limited to a total of two (2) hours. We encourage speakers to make their presentation clear and concise. At the end of a speaker’s allotted time, when the buzzer sounds, the microphone and audio will be muted.

By law, the Board is allowed to take action only on items on the agenda. The Board may, at their discretion, refer any matter to district staff or calendar the issue for future discussion.

View upcoming board meetings or sign up to speak. Members of the public can email the Board at ccsdboard@cherrycreekschools.org.