Who is the CPAC?

Members of the 2016 Community Planning and Advisory Committee:

  • 75 community members from across Denver
  • At least 7 members from six geographic regions of Denver (Northwest, Northeast, Far Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Central)
  • More than 50% are parents with students in Denver Public Schools
  • Nearly 60% are people of color, representing our district’s ethnic and racial diversity

What did CPAC members recommend to the Denver Board of Education?

CPAC Co-Chairs

Christine Benero

Christine BeneroBenero is president and CEO of Mile High United Way, which works to advance the common good of the community by investing and focusing on the issues of school readiness, youth success and adult self-sufficiency. Last year, Mile High United Way invested more than $30 million in the Denver metro area. Benero’s long history of public service includes leading as the former CEO of the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter in Denver and working in the presidential administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. She is a member of the DPS Foundation board.

Bruce Hoyt

Bruce HoytCurrently senior vice president for investments at Gary Community Investments, which includes the Gary Community Investment Company and The Piton Foundation, Hoyt brings a mix of education experience and business acumen to the CPAC. Formerly managing director at KPMG corporate finance, Hoyt is a DPS dad and Manual High School graduate who was twice elected to the serve on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education representing southeast Denver. He also has served as a member of the DPS Foundation Board and was a member of Gov. Hickenloopers transition team on education.

Eddie Koen

Eddie KoenEddie Koen is regional executive director of College Track Colorado, a non-profit dedicated to ensuring students from underserved communities graduate from college. The 10-year program works with students from the summer before ninth-grade through college graduation, providing academic support, leadership training, financial and college advising, and scholarships. He is a former high school drop-out who became a first-generation college student and went on to complete his law degree. Prior to College Track, Koen worked for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. He is a Denver Foundation board member.

Ruben Valdez

Ruben ValdezColorados first Hispanic Speaker of the House, Valdez was recently honored by the DPS Board of Education as a role model for students in all walks of life. Valdez, the youngest of nine siblings, dropped out of high school in Trinidad and moved north to seek work, returning to school to earn a college degree and raising three kids who graduated from DPS. His long history of public service including serving in the state legislature, where he shepherded passage of the first bilingual education law, and appointments by former President Jimmy Carter and former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm.

Final CPAC Recommendation to Board

See the full recommendations of the citizens’ committee to Denver Board of Education members, encouraging board members to place a bond and mill proposal on the November ballot to support Denver students and schools. Board members approved the committee recommendations on June 16.

Full-Committee Materials:

Sub-Committee Materials

New Capacity and Quality Learning Environments (new facilities, expansions at existing facilities, investments to upgrade and improve learning environments): March 7th Meeting #1 document; March 21 Meeting #2 document; April 4 Meeting #3 document; April 20th Meeting #4; May 2 Meeting #5

Maintenance (addressing deficiencies in existing assets such as heating, cooling, roofing, electrical, addressing ADA or code issues, and addressing facility life safety concerns): March 7th Meeting #1 document; April 4 Meeting #2 document; April 18th Meeting #3; May 2 Meeting #4

Technology (classroom technology, district infrastructure and systems, investments in safety such as cameras and door access): March 7th Meeting #1 document; April 6th Meeting #2 document; April 20th Meeting #3 document; April 25 Meeting #4; May 2 Meeting #5; Technology Project List

Mill Levy Override (annual, operational investments such as Early Literacy, Ready for College and Career and Support for the Whole Child): March 7th Meeting #1 document; April 7th Meeting #2 document; April 25 Meeting #3; May 4 Mill Levy

Public Comment Policy:

Many citizens are very interested in the CPAC recommendations and the potential impact the recommendations may have on their school communities. We have developed this approach to promote equity of access to and engagement with this planning process:

  1. Public comment will be held at all sub-committee meetings
  2. The first 20 minutes of each sub-committee will be reserved for public comment, subject to demand.
  3. Comment sign-up will be at CPAC@dpsk12.org or by calling 720-423-3991and will close at 5pm the business day prior to the sub-committee meeting
  4. Speakers are allotted a time period up to 3 minutes
  5. During the CPAC process, each school or group will be allowed one speaking advocate per subcommittee to ensure that all school communities have an opportunity to share their voice
  6. Written comment is also accepted at CPAC@dpsk12.org and will be shared with the committee

Where is the CPAC in its exploration process?

Our 75-member Community Planning and Advisory Committee kicked off its work in February and reached the halfway mark in early April. In June, CPAC members presented their full recommendations to the Denver Board of Education, urging board members to place a ballot proposal before voters in November. The board approved the CPAC recommendations on June 16.

In preparing their recommendations, CPAC members learned about our students’ needs and explored potential investments to best support them. For example, during the week of April 4-8, the Mill Levy sub-committee met at Place Bridge Academy to discuss more support for students’ social-emotional health and an expansion in summer learning and enrichment opportunities. The Quality Learning Environments sub-committee toured George Washington High School and discussed potential improvements such as new furniture, improved resources for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and lighting improvements.

Thank you for your interest in Denver Public Schools. We will be posting updates on this page so please check back frequently!