WEEK OF MAY 22, 2025
VOLUME 24 | ISSUE 12
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Three charter schools pitch Castle Rock campuses With proposals for same region, board members doubt demand exists BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly swears in Guster as the Douglas County School District’s first school resource officer K9, who will serve alongPHOTO BY HALEY LENA side Deputy Brian Corbin.
Not your average school resource officer Deputy Guster, a yellow Labrador retriever, becomes the first K9 SRO in Douglas County
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When Douglas County Deputy Brian Corbin, who is the school resource officer at Cresthill Middle School in Highlands Ranch, first met who he was going to be working with next school year, he knew it was going to be a hit. Standing side-by-side with his new partner, Corbin watched as Deputy Guster, a yellow Labrador retriever, became the first school resource officer K9 to be sworn in at the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office in Castle Rock. “It gives the kids an opportunity to have a furry friend during the school day,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly. “Guster is going to be there to help foster that love and that support that these kids need.” For the past five years, Corbin has walked the hallways of Cresthill Middle School as its only school resource officer, building strong ties with the students.
“His presence, his connection with our kids is incredible,” said Principal Francesca Papalardo. “They trust him, they use him as a resource and go to him for advice.” While Corbin has enjoyed this role in law enforcement and getting to connect with younger students, he is excited for this new chapter of his career. “He’s going to be a great asset to Cresthill and the community,” Corbin said about Guster. “It just adds another layer of what we do as an SRO unit.” Although he began his work near the end of the school year, Guster has been welcomed with open arms as he gets a feel for the school. Staff hopes that the introduction of Guster will excite the students for when they come back for the next school year. Corbin said Guster will be there for students who need him or if they just want to stop and say hello. The two were introduced to one another in April through a nonprofit organization in Centennial, Freedom Service Dogs.
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Founded in 1987, the organization breeds, trains and matches dogs with individuals who have specific needs and disabilities. As part of the dogs’ training, they are assessed to see where they would fit best. About a year ago, the organization began matching dogs with first responders, and with Guster, it is the first time they are placing a dog with a school resource officer. However, Chris Nelson, president and CEO of the organization, said they had been speaking with the sheriff ’s office about the idea for the past few months. As with any handler, Corbin was introduced to multiple dogs to see which would “vibe” with him the best. It was also a chance for Freedom Service Dogs to get to know more about the school and the community. Nelson said it was clear that Guster was SEE SRO DOG, P8
Three new charter school applications currently under review by the Douglas County School District share something in common: they all want to open in Castle Rock. Renaissance Secondary Charter School, Leman Academy of Excellence and STEM School Castle Rock each presented proposals to expand or replicate to the school board during a May 6 meeting. All three are targeting the same general area of Castle Rock, along with similar grade configurations and timelines for opening. That overlap raised immediate questions about the long-term sustainability of adding multiple new schools to one geographic area. “I’m looking at three new charters for Castle Rock,” said Board Member Brad Geiger. “Each model is different, but I worry there’s not enough student demand to fill them all. It’s not that Castle Rock doesn’t need more options — it’s whether the student population is large enough to support three new schools in the same area.” According to their applications, Leman projects an eventual enrollment of more than 1,000 students, while Renaissance Secondary and STEM also propose serving hundreds across multiple grades. What the schools propose
Renaissance, an arts-integrated model that currently operates a secondary program in Castle Rock, is seeking to unify and expand those campuses into a comprehensive PK-12 charter school. Renaissance Elementary is a magnet school and is separate from the charter. Leman Academy, which is based in Arizona, wants to replicate its classical K-8 model that emphasizes “a rigorous, back-to-basics curriculum rooted in the classical tradition of education,” according to its application. The network currently operates two schools in the district: one SEE CHARTER, P9
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