St. Vrain superintendent says school year off to 'great start,' points to community partnerships and Mead topping-out

Dr. Jackie Capuchin told the St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J Board of Education on Aug. 27 that the district has had "a great start to the school year," saying she had visited about half of the district’s 60 schools and planned to visit the rest.

Capuchin described visits to classrooms and conversations with staff as opportunities to "connect with students and with staff as much as possible" and to recognize employees who worked through the summer. She said principals have been naming one staff member to receive public recognition for contributions that helped open the year smoothly.

She announced a topping-out ceremony at the district’s new K–8 school in Mead scheduled for "tomorrow evening" and stated the event "starts at 5, 4PM" in the meeting audio; she said the community will be invited to view construction progress and to sign a beam before the building is enclosed. Capuchin also noted an upcoming Lyons community barbecue on Friday and encouraged board participation.

Capuchin outlined growing outreach with local organizations, naming Rotary, the American Heart Association, CU Boulder, the I Have a Dream program and the district education foundation as partners who are engaging with schools on projects and student opportunities.

On operational matters, she said visits are helping the district confirm transportation and nutrition programs are functioning, that classrooms have needed furniture and curriculum, and to surface any early challenges. "Not hearing a lot of challenges," she said, but added that the visits are valuable for identifying and addressing issues early.

The board did not ask follow-up questions during her remarks. Capuchin closed by thanking board members for visiting schools and supporting staff during the opening weeks.

The board next moved to reports and action items on the agenda.