Tag: harrison d-2
-
How El Paso County schools show support for military students and families
By Laura Fitzgerald, Special to The Gazette Near the end of her sophomore year, Haven Cain enrolled in Widefield High School without knowing a soul. Cain is used to being the new kid at school. The daughter of two military-involved parents, she has attended more than 10 schools since kindergarten. While she’s used to the…
-
Despite growing pains, universal preschool program expands access for thousands of El Paso County families
By Laura Fitzgerald, Special to The Gazette When Samuel Clark and his wife welcomed their second child into their family, Clark’s mother-in-law moved in to take care of her grandchild. Despite their professional, full-time jobs, the cost of two kids in child care would have been unaffordable for Clark and his wife. Then, Clark’s mother-in-law…
-
Return to normalcy? Colorado Springs-area educators reflect on lessons learned since pandemic years
Dana Bottolfson knew she wanted to be a teacher since she was little. Like most people who pursue the profession, she felt an innate desire to help others in a way she believed would be the most meaningful and impactful. “Whether it was teaching swimming lessons or Sunday school or volunteering in my mom’s classroom,…
-
Local teacher surprised with cash prize, national honor at assembly
When Mountain Vista Community School learned that one of its teachers was the recipient of nationwide recognition and a $25,000 cash prize during a morning assembly, the teacher in question seemed among the least enthused by the news on Thursday. While her students and colleagues erupted in cheers around her in the packed gymnasium, the…
-
The Vanguard School celebrates 30th year, school choice legacy
In 1993, Colorado made public charter schools the law of the land. In 1995, Colorado Springs opened its first options for this kind of school choice. Offering a classical liberal arts education, Vanguard is the culmination of parents searching for more rigorous and structured instruction that was typically found in private schools. Dress codes to…
-
How do local schools ‘turn around’ after years of poor performance?
To ensure success for every student in Colorado schools, the state’s accountability system gives underperforming schools the chance to address their shortcomings before intervention. How exactly a school achieves this transformation can depend on a myriad of conditions. In Harrison D-2, El Paso County’s most racially and economically diverse school district, the road to school…
-
Colorado Springs teacher, veteran named finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Centennial Elementary School was brimming with excitement on Thursday afternoon. Like last year, a teacher from Harrison School District 2 has been selected as one of eight finalists for Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Unlike last year’s recipient, first-grade teacher Emily Gaytan was surprised…
-
Preliminary test results show Colorado Springs D-11 losing ground, Manitou Springs D-14 gaining distinction
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save While some school districts in the Pikes Peak Region have reason to cheer this fall, others face new concerns to address. The Colorado Department of Education released its preliminary school and district accountability frameworks based on 2024-25 data, showing trends largely consistent across the state…
-
Promise kept: D-2 taxpayers make scholarship program permanent for Harrison grads
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save When Pikes Peak State College welcomed its latest cohort of graduates from Harrison School District 2 last Wednesday, it also marked the beginning of a new era of higher education. While the D-2 Promise Program has covered tuition costs for all graduates from the local…
-
2025 Election preview: A look at open school board seats in El Paso and Teller County
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save November will see a number of local board of education seats up for this year’s coordinated election in the Pikes Peak region. School board elections in Colorado are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on odd-numbered years. Board members are…