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District honors ThesCon winners and expands Unified Theater; Board accepts city proclamation for School Board Appreciation Month
Summary
Students from Coronado, Doherty and Mitchell high schools and Unified Theater performers were recognized for ThesCon achievements and district arts programming. The city read a proclamation declaring January 2025 School Board Appreciation Month for District 11.
Board members recognized multiple student groups and district arts programs during the Jan. 8 meeting, honoring ThesCon participants and Unified Theater ensembles and accepting a city proclamation declaring January 2025 as School Board Appreciation Month.
Lynette Kriverson, president pro tem of the Colorado Springs City Council, read a proclamation from the city praising the board's service and formally proclaiming Jan. 8, 2025 as Colorado Springs School District 11 School Board Appreciation Month.
District 11's ThesCon delegation drew attention: the district sent about 75 high school and 45 middle school students to the Colorado State ThesCon event in Denver, and staff reported $169,500 in scholarship offers for Mitchell High School students from college contacts secured at the convention. Student Jacob Meiler, a lighting-design specialist who has received superior honors and a critics' choice award, described the value of the experience and the district's goal of supporting qualifying students to attend national-level events. Meiler and several ThesCon students asked the board for assistance with fundraising support to attend nationals.
The board also spotlighted a districtwide expansion of Unified Theater and Unified Athletics programs. Ryan Reed, who leads Unified Theater programming, described a model in which students select stories, adapt scripts to students' abilities, rehearse and perform for school communities; parents and teachers at the meeting said the programs boosted student confidence and peer inclusion. Board members encouraged continued support and highlighted a growing roster of paraeducators and staff who assist productions behind the scenes.
Why it matters: The recognitions underscore district investment in arts and inclusive programs that district leaders and families said build college and career pathways, social-emotional skills and student agency.
What's next: Students seeking national-level ThesCon travel support asked the board and superintendent to consider fundraising help or district support for qualified students.
