April 7, 2016
VOLUME 32 | ISSU E 41 | 50 ¢
WheatRidgeTranscript.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
A DAY FOR ENGINEERS TIME TO CELEBRATE The Seder dinner, which includes songs and stories, is an important part of Passover celebrations. PAGE 14
Teacher turnover figures see increase Jeffco has new board, new climate, after growth in number of teachers leaving By Crystal Anderson Canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Colorado School of Mines students proudly wave an American flag and their Mines Activities Council flag in Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. Thousands of students participated in the Ore Cart Pull, a 7.5-mile walk along Colfax which is part of the Colorado School of Mines’ Engineer’s Days, in the morning of April 1. Find more pictures from the event on PAGE 5. Photo courtesy of Colorado School of Mines
2015 was strong year for Jeffco Open Space
By Christy Steadman csteadman@colorado communitymedia.com While a person’s goal may be to bike or hike a trail they had never been on before, or perhaps photograph an animal they have never documented before, Jefferson County Open Space is always working on goals to help people enjoy the parks. Open Space, which was founded 1972 as a land conservation organization, released its 2015 achievements and progress on goals documented in the organization’s 2014-19 Master Plan. Open continues on Page 6
At the end of 2015, the Jefferson County School district welcomed in a completely new board of education, and a culture shift. But recent stats from the Colorado Department of Education shows, while change might be in the air, the number of teachers leaving the district is still on an upwards trend, with 789 teachers leaving the district in 2015. “Jefferson County School District reported a 16.3 percent teacher turnover rate in 2015-16,” said Jeremy Meyer, the assistant director of communications for the department, reporting on the 2015 numbers. “While that percentage is still below the state average of 17.05 percent, Jeffco — over the past three years — has seen that gap narrow each year.” In 2014, Jeffco had 710 teachers or Turnover continues on Page 9
Jefferson County Open Space volunteers dig a new section of the Rawhide Trail at White Ranch Park on National Trails Day 2015, which took place on June 6. In 2015, 2,734 people volunteered with Open Space. Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Open Space
BIG DECISIONS AT COUNCIL
Million dollar Wadsworth work, the combining of dispatch centers, and the end of the city’s ambulance contract, on PAGE 7.
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