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Students and alumni urge Cherry Creek Schools to address resignation of Overland band director Ryan Monarch
Summary
Multiple recent Overland High School students told the Board of Education that band director Ryan Monarch resigned under ambiguous circumstances and that his removal disrupted instruction; callers urged the board and district to review policies and provide clearer protections for students and staff.
Dozens of current and former students of Overland High School told the Cherry Creek School District board on June 9 that the sudden removal or resignation of band director Ryan Monarch disrupted instruction, left students without qualified staff during a key competition period, and harmed students' academic and emotional support.
Multiple speakers said Monarch was a mentor and trusted adult. Samuel Martins, a recent Overland graduate, told the board, "Ryan Monarch is the best teacher I've ever had." Brian Truong, another recent graduate, said, "He was a mentor, not only to a few students, but to everyone who walked through those band room doors." Several speakers described stepping into leadership roles to keep ensembles running after Monarch was removed.
Speakers described a period of frequent substitute assignments and interim staff changes that they said left newer students without instruction in fundamentals. "When he was pulled from the classroom, students were left distraught without a centripetal leader," Martins said. Former student Le Poldo Salcedo said Monarch personally intervened in his life: "He stepped in, believed in me, and helped me turn my life around." Emmanuel Opoku told the board that the program continued to perform because of "Mister Monarch's lasting influence on the community."
One speaker directly asked the board to review district policies that govern investigations and disciplinary actions. Isabella Santana, a recent graduate, said, "Policy number 4534 is clearly not supporting our community in the way it intends to," and called for clearer protections and procedures for impacted students and faculty.
Why this matters: Students and alumni said the personnel change occurred during an active competition season and harmed instruction and student well-being. Speakers requested that the board and district clarify policies and take action to prevent similar disruptions.
District response and next steps: The board listened to public comment during the meeting's audience-comment period. The transcript records the students' remarks and calls for policy review, but it does not record board discussion or a specific action taken on personnel or policy 4534 during the provided excerpt.
Ending: Speakers asked to meet with board members after the meeting and urged the district to provide clearer information and protections for students and staff when staff changes occur.
