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Cherry Creek highlights expanded student supports and SEL screening as district balances budget planning
Summary
District presenters reported expanded Student & Family Resources (about 900 students served under McKinney‑Vento, 34 resource pantries) and second‑year universal SEL screening with fall response rates near 83%; board members asked how data will drive local interventions as budget decisions continue.
The Cherry Creek School District on April 13 outlined expanded student supports and early results from a universal social‑emotional learning (SEL) screener as trustees work toward a balanced 2026–27 budget.
Chief Health Officer Michelle Weinrab introduced the student health team and said the district is focusing work “on whole well‑being” while building better data links between schools and central office. Nicole Marr, assistant director of student family resources, said the program grew out of McKinney‑Vento obligations to students experiencing housing instability and now supports an array of basic needs and services.
"We currently serve about 900 students that qualify for McKinney‑Vento and 30 of them are considered unaccompanied youth," Marr said, describing four McKinney‑Vento coordinators who connect families with immediate enrollment, transportation and other protections under the federal law. She said district resource pantries have expanded from nine to 34 and now serve "over 1,000 people a month."
Presenters also quantified health and basic‑needs services provided through community partnerships: more than 700 vision screenings with about 500 pairs of glasses distributed at no cost, 930 vaccines and 839 dental screenings, and $51,000 in emergency support routed to families when SNAP benefits lapsed.
On SEL screening, Weinrab said this is the district’s second year of universal screening for grades 3–12. She reported fall response rates around 83% and spring participation of roughly 80.7%, and described an internal dashboard that directors and principals use to convert survey results into school‑level success plans and interventions.
"Instead of being siloed in a department, it's really integrated with the literacy plans, our disproportionality plans, and all well‑being," Weinrab said, noting that a reported 62% figure reflects students who selected the highest strength ratings on the measure used for progress reporting.
Board members pressed for evidence that supports translate into attendance or academic gains. Marr and Weinrab described an internal, building‑level dashboard that tracks services, spending, and changes in attendance and engagement; they said many interventions are implemented at the school level and then shared districtwide when successful.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Perry framed the presentation in the budget context, reiterating a commitment to "deliver a balanced budget without pulling from reserves" and saying the district is prioritizing classroom impact while pursuing cost‑savings across contracts and other non‑staff items.
The presentation concluded with board members and staff agreeing to continue translating SEL data into local success plans and to provide ongoing updates to trustees as the budget process proceeds toward adoption in June.
