BACK TO SCHOOL: A tale of two Aurora districts

AURORA | If Aurora’s two school districts share any common trait, it’s diversity.

Both the Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek School districts stretch over miles and host students from a wide range of economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Both districts operate buildings across the city’s landscape, from the newer facilities on Aurora’s eastern stretches to the city’s first elementary, middle and high schools in the north. And as the population has boomed in the past decade plus, the face of both districts has changed — new buildings, cutting-edge curriculums and new approaches to curriculum have taken hold at APS and Cherry Creek.

Those trends are set to continue in the 2015-16 school year. Even as both districts deal with difficult budget issues, the coming year will see the opening of new schools and building renovations (funded by successful recent bond elections at both districts), the development of specialized instruction programs and connecting high school students with college-level courses.

At APS, the regular school calendar is set to kick off for grades 6 through 12 on Aug. 11, with students in grades 1 though 5 reporting to class two days later on Aug. 13. Preschool and kindergarten students come to class Aug. 18.

Across the district, important dates for the coming year include the following off days: Labor Day falls on Sept. 7, fall break runs Oct. 12-16, Thanksgiving break falls on Nov. 26 and 27, winter break runs from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, the Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday falls Jan. 18, Presidents Day is Feb. 15, and spring break is March 28 to April 1. Graduation ceremonies for the district’s high schools are on May 24 to 26, and the last day of school is May 26. For a full calendar, log on to www.aurorak12.org.

Aurora Public Schools comprises 61 schools this year with the addition of the Edna and John W. Mosley P-8 school. That breaks down to four preschools, 25 elementary schools, six P-8 and K-8 schools, six middle schools, one academy serving grades six to 12, five comprehensive high schools, one online high school, four pilot schools, one vocational/technical college, one gifted and talented K-8 school, six charter schools and one home school support program.

Last year, the enrollment in the district was about 40,000 students, a number that will be updated with the official student count in October.

The breakdown of the district’s demographics is as follows: 0.8 percent Native American, 4.6 percent Asian, 18.5 percent black, 54.5 percent Hispanic, 18.5 percent white, 0.6 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 4.4 percent two or more races. Seventy-one percent of APS students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

Both the Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek School districts stretch over miles and host students from a wide range of economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Both districts operate buildings across the city’s landscape, from the newer facilities on Aurora’s eastern stretches to the city’s first elementary, middle and high schools in the north. And as the population has boomed in the past decade plus, the face of both districts has changed — new buildings, cutting-edge curriculums and new approaches to curriculum have taken hold at APS and Cherry Creek.

The Cherry Creek district, which includes facilities outside of Aurora, has 61 schools, including 43 K-5 elementary schools, 10 middle schools serving grades six to eight, seven high schools, one magnet school and one charter school.

In Cherry Creek, the first day of the regular calendar is Aug. 13. Important dates for the coming year include the following off days: Labor Day falls on Sept. 7, fall break runs from Oct. 26 to 30, Thanksgiving break falls on Nov. 26 and 27, winter break runs from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday falls on Jan. 18, Presidents Day is Feb. 15 and spring break is March 28 to April 1. The last day of school is May 27. The district’s A, B, C and D tracks revolve around the year. For a full calendar, log on to www.cherrycreekschools.org.

Last year, Cherry Creek served 54,449 students across the 108 square miles of the district, an area that includes portions of Aurora, Cherry Hills Village, Centennial, Foxfield, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Englewood and Denver.

Voters approved a bond issue in November 2013, a $125-million issue that will fund technology improvements, building maintenance and add capacity to Cherokee Trail and Grandview high schools in Aurora.

The breakdown of the district’s demographics is as follows: 0.5 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 8 percent Asian, 0.3 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 12 percent black, 19 percent Hispanic, 55 percent white and 5.5 percent two or more races. Twenty-nine percent of the district’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

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Aurora Public Schools Key Dates:

First day of classes — Aug. 11 (6-12), Aug. 13 (1-5)

Labor Day — Sept. 7

Fall Break — Oct. 12-16

Thanksgiving Break — Nov. 26-27

Winter Break — Dec. 21-Jan. 1

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Jan. 18

Presidents Day — Feb. 15

Spring Break — March 28-April 1

Teacher workdays or inservice (No Classes) — Sept. 18, Oct. 9, Dec. 18, Feb. 4, March 11, Sept. 4 (P-5), Nov. 16 (P-5), Jan. 4 (P-5), April 22 (K-5)

Last day of classes — May 26
District Contact
Phone: 303-344-8060
Website: aurorak12.org

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Cherry Creek School District Key Dates:

First day of classes — Aug. 13

Labor Day — Sept. 7

Fall Break — Oct. 26-30

Thanksgiving Break — Nov. 26-27

Winter Break — Dec. 21-Jan. 1

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Jan. 18

Presidents Day — Feb. 15

Spring Break — March 28-April 1

Last day of classes — May 27

Memorial Day — May 30

Teacher workdays or non-contact days (No Classes) — Sept. 25, Nov. 13, Feb. 16

District Contact
Phone: 303-773-1184
Website: cherrycreekschools.org