Dear Members of the Board of Education,
As Cherry Creek School District enters a critical period of transition, the undersigned members of this community, made up of parents, educators, staff and taxpayers, demand a fundamental shift in how this district operates. To restore the trust that has been eroded by recent investigations into "toxic culture" and fiscal mismanagement, we formally submit the following demands for immediate action:
I. Total Transparency & Ethics Reform
The community demands an end to the "closed-door" culture that has allowed conflicts of interest and nepotism to persist. We request:
• Conflicts & Nepotism: A comprehensive public disclosure of all familial and financial relationships among senior district leadership. We demand an immediate update to Policy 403 to explicitly ban "reporting loops" where relatives or business associates oversee one another.
• Personnel Accountability: A transparent accounting of the spike in staff resignations and terminations within the Special Populations and Transportation departments. We demand a stay on all pending terminations based on recently revised physical requirements until an independent equity review is completed.
II. Financial Accountability: The Forensic Audit
Standard annual audits are no longer sufficient. We demand an independent Forensic Audit with a $10,000 threshold for vendor review. This audit must specifically investigate:
• Vendor-Executive Links: Any payments or consulting fees from district vendors (e.g., Solution Tree, Compete Digital) to district employees.
• Capital Projects: A full accounting of the cost overruns for Traverse Academy and the financial commitments made toward the professional soccer stadium project.
• Check Register Transparency: Immediate publication of the district’s Live Check Register online, searchable by the public, as is standard practice in transparent government entities.
III. Modernized Board Governance
The Board must move from "managed information" to "public accessibility." We demand:
• Live Streaming: Every Board meeting, including work sessions, must be livestreamed and archived on YouTube and the district website.
• BoardDocs Integration: All meeting agendas, supporting documents, and historical minutes must be fully integrated into BoardDocs to allow for public keyword searching and document tracking.
IV. A Community-Led Superintendent Search
We will not accept an "internal-only" appointment to replace Superintendent Smith. We demand a national search led by a committee that includes a voting majority of parents and teachers. The search criteria must prioritize a leader with a proven track record of dismantling toxic work environments and enforcing strict ethical boundaries.
The "Cherry Creek Way" must once again stand for excellence and integrity, not secrecy and self-dealing. We look forward to your public response regarding these demands at the upcoming meeting at Sky Vista Middle School.
Respectfully,
CCSD parents, educators, staff and stakeholders
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 3, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
February 2, 2026
54 Comments
This is not a new issue because they only hire Superintendents from within. The School Board needs to actually keep an eye on the district instead of rubber stamping everything.
Now retired, but as a 25 year employee of the district… the Chris Smith reign should NEVER have happened! Transparency should have been have been the norm! Make this happen CHERRY CREEK BOARD OF EDUCATION
Additional conflicts with Terry Bates being VP of Accounting/Finance with RK Industries (expanding to Aurora) and $900+M in construction contracts to award for infrastructure overhaul. Not a good look if he doesn't consistently recuse himself, and even if he does, the plausibility of BOE fellow members ending up with greasy palms is valid.
I think it’s fair to request full transparency on selection of academics plans, why it’s been covered that after COVID-19 middle school program has been severely downgraded. Achieving blue ribbon status for school should not be achieved at the expense of downgraded curriculums. residence pay higher homeowner taxes in the blue ribbon school districts for a reason.
Nepotism extends deeply into cherry creek and includes principals, assistant principals and spouses they oversee. The neuro diverse and special ed department also needs to be investigated with the two top people overseeing each other and in a relationship
This has gone on far too long in CCSD. I noticed it when I started working for them back in 1999!
Our son was abused at school and we had to complain to OCR because the lack of transparency is beyond comprehension.
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Dear Members of the Board of Education,
As Cherry Creek School District enters a critical period of transition, the undersigned members of this community, made up of parents, educators, staff and taxpayers, demand a fundamental shift in how this district operates. To restore the trust that has been eroded by recent investigations into "toxic culture" and fiscal mismanagement, we formally submit the following demands for immediate action:
I. Total Transparency & Ethics Reform
The community demands an end to the "closed-door" culture that has allowed conflicts of interest and nepotism to persist. We request:
• Conflicts & Nepotism: A comprehensive public disclosure of all familial and financial relationships among senior district leadership. We demand an immediate update to Policy 403 to explicitly ban "reporting loops" where relatives or business associates oversee one another.
• Personnel Accountability: A transparent accounting of the spike in staff resignations and terminations within the Special Populations and Transportation departments. We demand a stay on all pending terminations based on recently revised physical requirements until an independent equity review is completed.
II. Financial Accountability: The Forensic Audit
Standard annual audits are no longer sufficient. We demand an independent Forensic Audit with a $10,000 threshold for vendor review. This audit must specifically investigate:
• Vendor-Executive Links: Any payments or consulting fees from district vendors (e.g., Solution Tree, Compete Digital) to district employees.
• Capital Projects: A full accounting of the cost overruns for Traverse Academy and the financial commitments made toward the professional soccer stadium project.
• Check Register Transparency: Immediate publication of the district’s Live Check Register online, searchable by the public, as is standard practice in transparent government entities.
III. Modernized Board Governance
The Board must move from "managed information" to "public accessibility." We demand:
• Live Streaming: Every Board meeting, including work sessions, must be livestreamed and archived on YouTube and the district website.
• BoardDocs Integration: All meeting agendas, supporting documents, and historical minutes must be fully integrated into BoardDocs to allow for public keyword searching and document tracking.
IV. A Community-Led Superintendent Search
We will not accept an "internal-only" appointment to replace Superintendent Smith. We demand a national search led by a committee that includes a voting majority of parents and teachers. The search criteria must prioritize a leader with a proven track record of dismantling toxic work environments and enforcing strict ethical boundaries.
The "Cherry Creek Way" must once again stand for excellence and integrity, not secrecy and self-dealing. We look forward to your public response regarding these demands at the upcoming meeting at Sky Vista Middle School.
Respectfully,
CCSD parents, educators, staff and stakeholders
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 3, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
February 2, 2026
54 Comments
As a former school board member you are derelict in your performance to allow this toxic environment to manifest. Do your jobs!
This is not a new issue because they only hire Superintendents from within. The School Board needs to actually keep an eye on the district instead of rubber stamping everything.
Now retired, but as a 25 year employee of the district… the Chris Smith reign should NEVER have happened! Transparency should have been have been the norm! Make this happen CHERRY CREEK BOARD OF EDUCATION
Additional conflicts with Terry Bates being VP of Accounting/Finance with RK Industries (expanding to Aurora) and $900+M in construction contracts to award for infrastructure overhaul. Not a good look if he doesn't consistently recuse himself, and even if he does, the plausibility of BOE fellow members ending up with greasy palms is valid.
I think it’s fair to request full transparency on selection of academics plans, why it’s been covered that after COVID-19 middle school program has been severely downgraded. Achieving blue ribbon status for school should not be achieved at the expense of downgraded curriculums. residence pay higher homeowner taxes in the blue ribbon school districts for a reason.
Nepotism extends deeply into cherry creek and includes principals, assistant principals and spouses they oversee. The neuro diverse and special ed department also needs to be investigated with the two top people overseeing each other and in a relationship
This has gone on far too long in CCSD. I noticed it when I started working for them back in 1999!
Our son was abused at school and we had to complain to OCR because the lack of transparency is beyond comprehension.
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As a former school board member you are derelict in your performance to allow this toxic environment to manifest. Do your jobs!