Kelly Bates, President
Director, District D
Kelly Bates, who began her first term as a CCSD board member in the fall of 2017, brings a great deal of experience volunteering and serving in the district. Bates has served in leadership and volunteer roles at Creekside Elementary, Liberty Middle School and Cherokee Trail High School for more than a decade, serving as PTCO President and Vice President and chairing a wide variety of events and fundraisers.
Bates earned the Wendy DeBell Exceptional Volunteer Award in 2012 and 2014, garnering recognition for her consummate work for students, teachers and the wider community.
At the district level, Bates has been active in CCSD's bond and budget campaigns, as well as consistent participant in events and organizations ranging from Leadership Cherry Creek to the Parent Information Network and the Special Education Advisory Council. Bates boasts a background in education, having served as a child care director and preschool teacher at facilities in Michigan and Ohio.
Bates and her fellow board members are dedicated public servants – unpaid volunteers – who work diligently to ensure that the children of Cherry Creek receive the best education possible – one that helps them discover their pathway of purpose and prepares them for success in college, the military, or the workplace.They are responsible for the academic success of more than 53,000 students, as well as the efficient management of a district with nearly 9,000 full and part-time employees and an annual general fund budget of over $670 million. They spend countless hours studying student achievement and school finance, working with lawmakers and educational experts, meeting with district administrators, teachers, staff members, parents, and students, and attending school and district events.
Each board member represents one of the district’s five director districts, but they are elected ‘at-large’ to four-year terms by registered voters via a non-partisan ballot. Bates represents Director District D, which includes the following schools:
Altitude Elementary
Antelope Ridge Elementary
Aspen Crossing Elementary
Black Forest Hills Elementary
Buffalo Trail Elementary
Canyon Creek Elementary
Coyote Hills Elementary
Mountain Vista Elementary
Timberline Elementary
Pine Ridge Elementary
Fox Ridge Middle School
Infinity Middle School
Sky Vista Middle School
Thunder Ridge Middle School
Cherokee Trail High School
Eaglecrest High School
Learn more about the Cherry Creek Schools Board of Education here.
Posted 1/17/2023.
