On a Tuesday in Kelly Walter’s Business classes at Broomfield High School, students collaborate in scavenger hunts relating to cognitive bias, open surprise miniature products to create marketing campaigns, pay simulated bills and balance mock bank accounts. You would never guess that these classes are only one week into a new semester.

Students and staff at BVSD's Career and Technical Education Center, Apex (formerly Boulder TEC) returned from Winter Break to some more completed updates to their learning spaces, thanks to renovations provided by the Building for Student Success program. 

The Biomedical Sciences, Sports Medicine, Emergency Medical Technician, Criminal Justice and Teacher Academy programs are starting the second semester in larger, updated, professional-feeling new labs and classrooms. The renovated spaces feature settings for hands-on experiences and are designed to emulate the professional work environments that students will encounter when they move into careers.

For Deann Bucher, joining the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education is not a departure from her life’s work—it is a continuation of it. After more than 30 years as an educator, Bucher brings deep institutional knowledge, a classroom-centered perspective, and a strong commitment to equity to her new role as one of BVSD’s newest board members.

As one of BVSD’s newest Board of Education members, Ana Temu Otting brings a lifetime of advocacy, organizing, and lived experience to the role—along with a clear belief that schools are not just places of learning, but powerful engines of opportunity and community transformation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding this week as our community experienced unusually high winds that impacted our schools. I know this disruption—especially so close to Winter Break—was not how anyone hoped to begin the holiday season.

While this is the first time BVSD has been forced to close schools due to a high wind event of this nature, we recognize that similar challenges may arise again. We are committed to continuous improvement and will use the lessons learned this week to strengthen our plans moving forward.

It has been an unusual start to Winter Break. We hope this message finds you safe and well, as we, together, endure these high wind events and the resulting school closures.

Already the holiday season can be very stressful for adults and children alike, which is why we always reach out at the beginning of Winter Break to provide everyone with helpful resources to navigate the social-emotional challenges posed this time of the year. 

BVSD’s overall enrollment continued to decline this year, but at a greater rate than expected, BVSD Senior Planner Glen Segrue told the Board in an update earlier this month. The student count dropped 525 students, or 1.9% from last year—1% more than projected. Over the past five years, the downward trend is less steep at 1.3%. This is BVSD’s second biggest drop in enrollment since the pandemic. The district’s enrollment has declined by nearly 3,600 students since 2015.

As winter break approaches, many families look forward to time together, holiday celebrations, and a well-earned rest before the new year. This season also brings more social gatherings for teens—school events, celebrations with friends, and increased independence as schedules shift. While these experiences can be positive, they also come with risks that are important for parents and caregivers to keep in mind. Our district’s Health Services Team is sharing information and resources to help families support safe, healthy choices during this time.

Coral Barnett and Carolyn Menees are identical twins, can you tell? And both are kitchen satellite leads at schools in BVSD. Coral has run the kitchen at Sanchez for two years, and Carolyn has done the same at Horizons K-8 for 8 years. Their younger sister Kelli Quimby is also a Food Services Assistant Floater who occasionally helps in both of her sister’s kitchens.

What brought this family to BVSD? A love for serving kids, a pride in their work, and most importantly the feeling of support and camaraderie they feel with the BVSD food services staff

Last month, parents, students, and community members gathered at Louisville Middle School for a community conversation on e-bike safety hosted by the Louisville Police Department. The event brought together experts from the Louisville Police and Fire Departments, Intermountain Health, and BVSD’s Safe Routes to School program to help families better understand the fast-changing world of e-bikes, e-motos, and youth riding behaviors.

BVSD’s nontraditional schools offer courses, programs, schedules, and options for students that are different from a traditional high school experience. This can include CTE courses in specialties like criminal justice and construction trades, it can look like New Vista, offering more independent thesis-based learning with models that differ from larger traditional high school courses, or alternative schools that support students who also work or have other situations or needs that require increased support and flexibility. 

The BVSD community was proud to come together on Nov. 13 at New Vista High School to officially celebrate the grand opening of the new building with students, staff, families and alumni. New Vista is just one of many nontraditional education options that BVSD offers, with a goal of providing different learning experiences, structures and support for each student to best support their learning goals and needs.

One of the wonderful things about living in Colorado is the ability for families to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs and interests. Learn about the many transportation options available to make getting to school easier and more sustainable, even when attending a school outside of your neighborhood.