News Reports
Colorado News
Denver Post: DPS extends Kaiser Permanente contract for one year following union outcry In a significant reversal late Thursday, Denver Public Schools officials announced they will extend the district’s contract with Kaiser Permanente for one additional year through June 2027. The move comes after intense pressure from the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and a formal grievance alleging the district bypassed the collaborative Financial Oversight Committee; the extension is intended to provide a “glide path” for the 5,800 impacted employees and allow more time to evaluate the transition to UnitedHealthcare and MotivHealth. https://www.denverpost.com/2026/02/19/denver-public-schools-kaiser-permanente-colorado-extension/
Chalkbeat Colorado: Where’s Riverstone? New site of ‘public Christian school’ unclear as old location draws scrutiny Updated Feb 19/20: The location of Riverstone Academy, Colorado’s controversial “public Christian school,” is currently unknown after its original industrial building was closed for safety violations. While the school continues to receive state funding and is suing the state to allow religious public charters, local planning commissioners recently voted 5-4 against a permit that would have allowed them to return to their original site, citing safety risks for young children in an industrial zone. https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/02/20/mystery-location-public-christian-school-riverstone-academy/
CPR News: Judge orders Woodland Park to pay $148k after “vague” agenda lawsuit In a decision finalized this week, a judge ordered the Woodland Park School District to pay $148,822 in legal fees following a transparency lawsuit. The ruling centers on the board’s 2022 use of the term “Board Housekeeping” to approve a memorandum with a charter school, which the court deemed a “willful” violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Act. https://www.cpr.org/2026/02/18/woodland-park-school-board-transparency-lawsuit/
Commentary & Opinion
Colorado Perspectives
Colorado Sun: The high cost of “avoidable” school safety failures A new commentary on school safety legislation argues that current policy focuses too much on hardware and not enough on the “human failures” that allow threats to escalate. It discusses the legal and moral liability school districts face when safety protocols are bypassed. https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/20/whatd-i-miss-gun-tragedy-avoidable/