By Erin Kane, Superintendent, Douglas County School District
Schools are an integral part of our neighborhoods, our economies, and our lives. As Douglas County residents, we want our amazing community to always be an attractive place to live, work and play. But, believe it or not, approximately 70 percent of Douglas County residents do not currently have school-aged children in their household. Yet our schools continue to play an important role in many ways.
High-Quality Education
First and foremost,our schools provide Douglas County children with a high-quality education as well as post-secondary readiness so that each student is prepared for life after high school whether that be college, military or career.
Employment
The Douglas County School Districtis the largest employer in our county with 8,600 staff – and 72% of those employees live right here in Douglas County.
Home Values
A high-quality school system, which requires high-quality teachers and staff, attracts businesses and residents to our thriving community. And this helps keep our home values strong.An analysis by the National Association of REALTORS® confirms a positive correlation between thriving school districts with strong enrollment and increased home values.
Future Workforce
High-quality education provides a pipeline of future skilled employees for our community’s workforce. DCSD schools currently offer a variety of career and technical education opportunities that provide our students with real-world experience and certifications in industries such as culinary, healthcare, robotics, construction, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, culinary, automotive, welding, cosmetology, fire sciences, biotechnology, and more. These offerings continue to grow and evolve with high-demand careers.
College Savings
DCSD offers concurrent enrollment opportunities; students can earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. In the 2021-2022 school year this saved Douglas County families nearly $3.7 million in college tuition!
Attract Businesses
High-quality schools attract businesses to relocate to our community, providing jobs and economic growth for our county.
Community Eventsand Gatherings
Our schools serve as a hub for many importantcommunity events and gatherings.
As you can see, our schools benefit our communities in so many ways. And, this is why here in DCSD we are continuously engaging with our community to learn more about how we can meet the needs of each of our 64,000 students. Coming in the 2023-2024 school year, we will be opening a new Alternative Education Campus (VALE - Venture Academy of Leadership and Entrepreneurship) next to Chaparral High School in Parker. In addition, we will be offering expanded Career and Technical education opportunities at the new Legacy Campus (former Wildlife Experience building) in Lone Tree. The new CTE programs at the Legacy Campus will not replace or relocate any of the current CTE courses offered at DCSD high schools, but will expand and complement them.
The future is bright here in DCSD and we are proudto be an important part of our community! To learn more about how DCSD schools are funded visit www.dcsdk12.org/funding.