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Week of September 22, 2022
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
JeffcoTranscript.com
VOLUME 39 | ISSUE 9
Emory Elementary parents questions CCM writers, possible closure at first community meeting staff net 19
newspaper awards
CPA hosts annual event STAFF REPORT
Lauren LeMarinel, principal of Lasley Elementary, speaking to parents at the Emory Elementary community meeting on September PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI 13. BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Emory Elementary hosted its first community meeting about the possible elementary school consolidations presented to the Jefferson County Board of Education by the Public School District. Parents questioned staff of both Emory and Lasley — the school potentially absorbing Emory — along with District and Board members on Sept. 13 about the methodology of which schools were chosen, how Lasley Elementary would fare with the increase of students and what would happen to the dual language
program. With about 80 people in attendance, Community Superintendent Donetrus Hill began the meeting by speaking on the consolidations in general. He explained that the goal was “equitable opportunities for all students, teachers and families,” and that fewer schools would allow “fewer, more equitable resourceintensive programs.” Anticipating questions parents might have, Hill said that the Affective Needs program at Emory would go to Rose Stein International Elementary, and the dual language program would be added to Lasley. Because Lasley would be the el-
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
ementary school for the area if consolidation occurs, students would be automatically enrolled in Lasley for the next school year, Hill added. He elaborated that parents could also choice out, and that the school would be reaching out individually to help if parents had questions. The estimated student body at Lasley if it does absorb Emory would be 445-559, with no overcrowding expected, and no curriculum changes, according to Hill. There were multiple questions from parents on why Emory was chosen to potentially close when it SEE EMORY, P3
Colorado Community Media reporters and staff received 19 awards in the Colorado Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, which honored the state’s best journalism work for 2021. Leading the honorees named during a Sept. 17 ceremony at Coors Field was west metro reporter Rylee Dunn. Dunn, who primarily covers Arvada, received two first-place honors. Dunn received the top prize in the Best Series or Sustained Coverage in the Class 4 division for the work on the Olde Town Arvada shooting and aftermath, and a firstplace award in the Best Business/ News Feature category for her work on Namiko’s 30-year history spanning two generations. Dunn also took second place for Best News Story for her investigative work on a former political candidate being charged with felony identity theft. Douglas County reporter Elliott Wenzler also took home several awards, including first place for Best Health/Enterprise Story for an interview with Dr. John Douglas, the head of Tri-County Health Department, after one year of the COVID pandemic. Wenzler received two second-place honors for feature (H2O’Brien Pool) and news photography (Homeless issues in Douglas County); in SEE AWARDS, P4
WHEN GRASS ISN’T GREEN
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