St. Vrain Valley board appoints Jackie Capuchin as superintendent; contract to be negotiated

The St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J Board of Education appointed Dr. Jackie Capuchin as the district's next superintendent on May 27, 2025, subject to board approval of a mutually agreed employment contract.

Capuchin, the district's deputy superintendent for eight years, presented a prepared vision to the board and the public before the vote, emphasizing fiscal stewardship, teacher and staff compensation, and expanded student programming. "When things go well in an organization, a leader should look out the window and credit the team," she said, citing the leadership principle she plans to use. She also said leaders should "take full responsibility when things go wrong."

The appointment followed the board president's call for a motion; a motion to appoint Capuchin was made and seconded and the motion carried with recorded affirmative votes from Mr. Berthold, Mrs. Gilligan, Mr. Lechuga, Mrs. Ragland and Mrs. Weiss. Board member Mrs. Heranek was absent for the vote. The motion text specified the appointment was "subject to board approval of a mutually agreeable employment contract," and the board authorized the president to negotiate contract terms with district counsel.

In a 30-minute presentation to the board and public, Capuchin reviewed her background — a BA in elementary education, a master’s in educational administration and a doctorate in educational leadership — and outlined specific near-term actions she would pursue if confirmed by contract. Key items she emphasized included maintaining the district’s finance and audit transparency; continuing monthly financial study sessions and a finance and audit committee with community members; recruiting and retaining teachers by sustaining competitive salaries and career-ladder opportunities; piloting a 0–3 childcare program for employees; expanding dyslexia screening and instruction; adding programmatic pathways including junior ROTC and construction management; and developing a portrait of a graduate to align experiences with graduation requirements.

Capuchin told the board she would prioritize visibility in schools and community engagement, proposing weekly written updates to the board and school visits each semester for every school. She described staffing and position-control processes as critical levers for budget management and pledged to study specific teacher benefit questions raised by board members, including breaks in service and related longevity or benefit impacts.

Board members asked questions about fiscal transparency, community engagement and teacher compensation. Capuchin reiterated the importance of the finance and audit committee and public-facing financial reporting and said she would continue to meet with community partners and advisory councils, such as a teacher advisory council and a student advisory council, to gather feedback.

The board’s action formally begins a contract negotiation process; no contract text or effective dates were presented or adopted at the May 27 meeting. The board president noted the appointment followed a deliberate selection process and praised Capuchin’s experience and internal continuity.

Capuchin concluded by thanking the board and community; the board then moved to other agenda items.