Vehicle crash kills motorcyclist in Northeast part of Colorado Springs

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One person is dead after a crash between a car and a motorcyclist near the intersection of Hawk Wind Blvd and Peterson Rd.

Colorado Springs Police say their officers responded to calls of a crash just after 5:20 Saturday evening. Police say the motorcyclist had sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital immediately. The motorcyclist later died at the hospital.

Colorado Springs Police say the Major Crash Team is investigating the incident. Tonight, there’s no word if anyone has been arrested or issued a citation in connection with the crash.

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3 rescued from Waterworks Park in Pueblo, none were wearing life jackets, says Pueblo FD

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – One adult is in the hospital after three people were pulled from the water at the Waterworks Park in Pueblo.

The Pueblo Fire Department tells KRDO13 that at 1:37 p.m., three people went over Waterworks Park and were thrown from their tube into the water. None of them were wearing life jackets.

It wasn’t the firefighters who pulled the trio from the water, but rather some surfers who were just downstream at the surf wave.

One adult was taken to the hospital for further treatment, the others were treated on scene. The fire department says this is another example showing why you need to wear a life jacket when you go out on any body of water.

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Fremont County campground & RV resort evacuated due to wildfire

Michael Logerwell

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Campers in Fremont County quickly fled from Cutty’s Resort as a wildfire grew nearby.

Fremont County Emergency Management announced the fire was first reported just before noon on Saturday. Not only was the campground evacuated, but County Road 6 is closed at Highway 50.

The size of the wildfire hasn’t been publicly announced, but the Western Fremont Fire District, which first responded, requested the help of numerous local agencies, including:

Howard Volunteer Fire Department

Fremont County Emergency Management

Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control

DFPC Helitack Cañon City

United States Forest Service

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office

Additional Mutual Aid was requested from Salida and South Arkansas Fire, Deer Mountain Fire Protection District, and Tallahassee Fire Protection District.

However, the weather is creating issues for first responders fighting the fire. Fremont County Emergency Management said air operations have been grounded due to thunderstorms in the area. On the ground, crews working the fire line have also been pulled over lightning and storm conditions.

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UPDATE: Missing boater found dead in Lake Pueblo State Park

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officials announce they found the missing boater dead in Lake Pueblo.

A CPW spokesperson said it was a long search. The first call came in around 8 p.m. Friday, saying that a boat had overturned. The body wasn’t recovered until after 6 p.m. on Saturday.

CPW tells KRDO13 they will not identify the body and will wait for the Pueblo County Coroner’s Office to complete their investigation.

At this time, officials with CPW believe none of the three men aboard the vessel were wearing life jackets.

Original Report:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officials are actively searching for a missing boater on Lake Pueblo.

In a post on social media, the Southeast region of CPW, which covers Pueblo and Colorado Springs, announced a “recovery operation for a missing boater at Lake Pueblo State Park.”

KRDO13 has a crew on the way to Lake Pueblo State Park and will provide updates later in the day.

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El Paso County Sheriff seeks state help as inmate backlog strains local jails, hits taxpayers

Mackenzie Stafford

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The El Paso County Sheriff is calling on the state for help.

Sheriff Joe Roybal says that the number of inmates that have been sentenced to a Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) prison is exponentially growing at the El Paso County Jail. He blames the state for cutting beds at prisons and paying county jails an insufficient amount per inmate.

The Joint Budget Committee has set an amount of $77.16 that will be paid to each county jail per inmate per day, but Sheriff Roybal says that’s not nearly enough. He says it costs the El Paso County jail $143.18 per inmate each day, resulting in a daily shortfall of $66.02 per person.

“I’m simply asking the state to pay their fair share, and if they can’t, then take them off our hands because they belong to the Department of Corrections. They’ve been sentenced to the Department of Corrections,” Roybal said. “Quit using local governments as a cost-saving measure and housing their inmates in our jails.”

On Friday, Roybal said the El Paso County Jail held 137 people who had been sentenced to go to a CDOC facility. He said that the year so far to date has cost El Paso County taxpayers over half a million dollars.

Other sheriffs in southern Colorado say the issue’s not exclusive to the El Paso County Jail.

As of Friday, May 30, the Pueblo County Jail has 26 inmates they are housing who are sentenced to go to a CDOC prison. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) says it costs $85.98 per inmate daily, but the state only provides them the same mandated rate of $77.16, leaving a daily shortfall of $8.82 per inmate.

The Fremont County Sheriff, Allen Cooper, tells KRDO13 that as of Friday, they are holding 4 inmates who have been sentenced. He says this number fluctuates often.

Cooper says it costs them roughly $130 a day to house each inmate who has been sentenced to a CDOC prison, leaving them with around $50 left to pay after the state reimbursement.

On Friday, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell did not have the exact number of inmates who had been sentenced to a CDOC prison that were being held at the Teller County Jail, but he said it has been a growing problem and shared his frustrations with KRDO13. He said it costs roughly $120 a day per inmate, leaving them with $40 to pay after the state reimbursement.

Sheriff Mikesell told KRDO13 that once an inmate is sentenced to state prison, county jails are under a court order to hold them until Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) staff can pick them up. However, if there are no available prison beds, inmates remain in county jails longer.

Mikesell says this results in overcrowding, forcing the jail to release some lower-level offenders, like those charged with DUI, to make space for others.

Fremont County Sheriff Cooper and Sheriff Roybal say this is also a disservice to the inmates themselves. They say the services provided to inmates at the county jails are meant for short-term stays of up to 30 days, whereas when an individual is sentenced to go to a CDOC prison, they’re able to access educational services and others.

The state said that they are taking the information they get from the CDOC and their staffers to make the best informed decisions they can.

“The male prison bed included a decrease of 192 minimum security beds and a decrease of 100 minimum beds at Sterling [Correctional Facility],” explained Senator Judy Amabile, a member of the Joint Budget Committee. “But we also increased the medium security beds at private prisons, so we offset some of that by increasing the number of beds that CDOC told us they need. We are also allowing them to open up this C tower for higher security, inmates temporarily, while they work on some upgrades to other prisons. On balance, CDOC’s budget was increased by a little over 1% overall.”

Specifically, the CDOC budget was increased by 1.5% overall. The Joint Budget Committee says this money went towards raises for CDOC employees.

When it comes to the state-mandated $77.16 that gets paid to each county jail per inmate, we asked where that number comes from.

“The Joint Budget Committee doesn’t just pull numbers out of a hat. We do a very thoughtful analysis, and we get information from DOC, from our staffers, and we use that information to make the best decision we can make,” explained Amabile. “And we did do all of this in the context of we have to cut $1.2 billion from our budget.”

Senator Amabile says that it’s also important to consider taking a step back and looking at ways to get people who may not need to be held in prisons out, potentially elderly inmates. She also says this will be considered in the next legislative session.

CDOC tells KRDO13, as of Thursday, May 29, there are 621 people backlogged awaiting transfers to a CDOC facility. CDOC also says it is collaborating with county sheriffs and local jurisdictions to explore solutions, including improving intake processes and enhancing coordination for timely transfers.

At the legislative level, CDOC says it continues to engage with state officials to advocate for resources and policies that can support capacity challenges and address long-term system needs.

The department also released this statement in response to the concerns raised by EPSO.

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) acknowledges the concerns raised by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office on the growing number of sentenced individuals awaiting transfer to CDOC facilities. CDOC is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people in custody and recognizes the operational and financial challenges.

We value our partnership with El Paso County and all County Sheriffs across Colorado and are actively working to address the systemic factors contributing to inmate backlogs throughout the state. While operating within financial constraints, the CDOC continues to explore opportunities to collaborate with local jurisdictions and state officials to alleviate economic pressures and develop sustainable long-term solutions.

Across the state, the financial cost of housing individuals in custody varies based on location, needs, and resources. CDOC acknowledges the challenges posed by gaps between reimbursement rates and actual expenses, emphasizing the need for collaborative strategies to address these fiscal demands effectively.

Despite recent state budget constraints impacting bed capacity, CDOC continues to explore strategies to manage intake more efficiently and reduce pressures on county facilities. Additionally, we remain committed to working with state officials and the legislature to explore long-term solutions that uphold public safety and fiscal responsibility.

We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with El Paso County and stakeholders across Colorado to address these pressing challenges.

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Judge rejects plea deal, woman accused of stealing from Pueblo Rescue Mission set for trial

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Many victims and community members came to the Dennis Maes Judicial Building expecting a conclusion to the Lorie Arabie saga, as Friday’s hearing was set for plea and sentencing.

But things didn’t go as planned for the defense or the District Attorney’s Office.

The judge swiftly rejected the plea deal and set a trial date in early November. During the late morning hearing, Judge Thomas Flesher said the amount of restitution outlined in the plea deal didn’t match up with the crime Arabie was set to plead guilty to.

The defense council presented the agreement to the court, which would have had Arabie pay back $129,204.50 to an unspecified number of victims while pleading guilty to a count of class 6 felony theft. The judge said that far exceeded the amount associated with the crime Arabie would plead to.

According to Colorado Law, a Class 6 felony theft charge equates to stealing between $2,000 and $5,000.

Judge Flesher cited the massive difference between the charge Arabie was to plead to and the actual amount of restitution she was set to pay back as a reason for denying the plea deal.

Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham attended the hearing and voiced satisfaction with the judge’s decision not to accept the plea.

“The shelter has suffered tremendously from what she did. The victims, the residents, staff, have suffered, and it’s time for her to suffer now,” Graham said.

Dave Tinnell tells KRDO13 he used to work with Arabie at the Pueblo Rescue Mission and still interacts with Arabie’s alleged victims every day.

“I’m just very happy that they put this over to a jury trial, and maybe justice will be served here,” Tinnell said.

To this day, Tinnell says he still works at the rescue mission, even delaying his retirement to keep working with those who say they had money stolen by Arabie and build the rescue mission back up.

KRDO13 Investigates reached out to the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for comment, reacting to the judge’s decision not to accept the plea deal because it was too lenient. A spokesperson said District Attorney Kala Beauvais cannot comment on the case because it is still active.

Court documents show Arabie is charged with Class 5 Felony theft. That crime is outlined as stealing between $5,000 and $20,000. Previously, KRDO13 Investigates had been told by the Pueblo Police Department that Arabie stole more than $15,000.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pueblo shelter manager stole over $15,000 from residents & tried to blame her son, records claim

KRDO13 reached out to Pueblo Police, who said they are not privy to plea negotiations and say the facts of the case have not changed.

We asked Arabie for comment before she went into court this morning, but a member of her entourage said she declined to comment.

Arabie’s trial date is set for November 3. She has entered a not guilty plea.

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Concerns about deer/auto crashes increase along Highway 115 south of Colorado Springs

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Vehicle collisions with deer can often result in injuries, and occasionally deaths, to both drivers and animals.

However, Brandon Hystad has experienced two such crashes since Thanksgiving and although he and his passengers weren’t hurt, the cars he drove at the time didn’t fare well.

“In the first one, last November, I totaled my car when a deer came out of nowhere,” he said, recalling the incident from the driver’s seat of his new car. “All I know was that the air bags deflated and the car automatically braked.”

That was on southbound Highway 115, traveling up a steep hill near the Pawnee Avenue intersection overlooking Fort Carson.

“At the first of May, I was driving my girlfriend’s car when I saw a deer in the left turn lane while I was in the left through lane,” Hystad said. “I slowed down and was just about to pass it when it suddenly ran in front of me and I hit it.”

That impact was on southbound 115 near the intersection of Cheyenne Meadows and Star Ranch roads, just within the city limits.

“It caused $10,000 in damage to the vehicle and it’s still in the shop,” Hystad said.

He wonders why there are so many deer in the area.

“I just moved back here last year after being away for 17 years,” Hystad explained. “Before I left, I rarely saw a deer. After the first crash, a state trooper said it was the sixth deer crash that he had responded to that evening. After that, it was almost a daily occurrence that I saw a dead deer, or somebody who had just hit a deer, and their car was wrecked and they’re on the side of the road.”

He and his mother — who initially contacted KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior about the trend — said that the crashes seem to happen at dusk, along a seven-mile stretch of the highway between Cheyenne Meadows/Star Ranch and Keeton Ranch Road.

“The deer are always moving west from Fort Carson, across the highway to where homes are,” she said. “Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) told me that people may be feeding them. It’s a dangerous situation.”

Gabriel Cosyleon, an environmental manager with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), said that he’s not aware of an unusually high number of deer-related crashes in the area.

But he confesses that vehicle collisions with deer and other animals along highway corridors such as Highway 115 and Interstate 25 are an issue for the agency.

In fact, when CDOT completed a project last year to improve Highway 115 between Rock Creek Canyon Road and the El Paso/Fremont County line, it included the creation of a wildlife passage under the Rock Creek bridge, and the installation of wildlife fencing a half-mile north and south of the bridge.

Cosyleon said that it’s not nearly enough to keep wildlife off the highway.

“We’ve found that a lot of animals are using that passage,” he said. “Not just deer. The key is making it as natural as possible. If it looks too much like a culvert or a man-made concrete structure, some wildlife won’t use it. But with the amount of wildlife that are moving across highways, we need a lot more pathways.”

Wildlife fencing is expensive, Cosyleon said, and obtaining permission to install it on Army or private property is difficult.

However, CDOT is currently building a $15 million overpass for wildlife crossings in I-25, south of the Greenland interchange in Douglas County; it’s part of the “Gap” project that widened the highway between Monument and Castle Rock.

The overpass is a collaboration with CDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, Colorado Parks & Wildlife and other local partners; it’s being constructed specifically for big game animals such as deer and elk, and will complete a system of other wildlife crossings that are part of the “Gap” improvements.

The wildlife passage under the Rock Creek Bridge cost $500,000.

“The number-one priority, I’d say we have right now, is the New Mexico state line near Trinidad,” Cosyleon revealed. “We have animals that are coming up from into Colorado and are being hit on the top of Raton Pass.”

Hystad said that he wasn’t aware of CDOT’s efforts to reduce auto/deer crashes but is glad the agency is doing what it can.

“I understand the challenges but I think more can be done,” he said. “Put up more deer crossing signs. Install more street lights that would make it easier for people to see deer ahead of time.”

The Highway 115 situation is the area’s first widespread concern expressed about deer since officials in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park had serious discussions between 2017 and 2019.

However, those officials couldn’t agree on whether they should reduce the local deer population, or how they’d do it — and the matter became less of a priority when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the spring of 2020.

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Cartoon inspired “Summerween” event making its Pueblo debut

Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colorado (KRDO) – A local haunted house director is hosting the first ever free “Summerween” in Pueblo, with costumes, candy, cosplayers, live DJs, food trucks, a magician, a ventriloquist and more coming to Lake Minnequa Park on Saturday.

Jared Perea is hosting the event as an extension of his fall haunted house, “Jed’s Haunted House.” Last year, he hosted the haunted house at the Pueblo Mall. He said the mall let him use the indoor space for free, as long as he made entry free for all patrons.

The event is inspired by the Disney show Gravity Falls, widely accepted as the first mainstream mention of the holiday, mashing up summer vacation with Halloween traditions. Perea said his kids are a fan of the show and gave him the idea.

Attendees are encouraged to show up in costume, similar to coming to a trunk-or-treat during the Halloween season. Holding to those traditions, the Pueblo Summerween will host a costume contest.

Pueblo Summerween is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Perea said they have rented out the entire park, but you can find parking off of Palmer Avenue, right across the street from the Lake Minnequa Basketball Area.

It’s the second mention of Summerween KRDO13 was able to find in Pueblo. The Pueblo Art Alliance hosted a Summerween-themed First Friday Art Walk last July. The Gravity Falls Summerween episode first aired in 2012.

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Lawsuit alleges CSPD officer used excessive force, claims police chief failed to investigate officer’s lie

Tyler Cunnington

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A new lawsuit claims that a Colorado Springs police officer not only used excessive force during a suspected DUI arrest in 2023, but also alleges that he lied about a key piece of evidence in the case.

The complaint, filed on behalf of 39-year-old Jessica Halling, also names the Chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) as well as the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s office, alleging they failed to act on a judge’s concerns about the officer’s credibility.

The lawsuit includes three separate files containing body camera footage from June 3, 2023, which totals over 1 hour and 16 minutes.

You can view those videos here, along with the lawsuit.

Allegations of excessive force:

The lawsuit stems back to a 2023 case, when 39-year old Jessica Halling was detained by CSPD officer Gregory Campbell on suspicion of DUI.

On June 3, 2023, Halling’s neighbors called police to report “numerous complaints” against her, including allegations that she had been sitting in her car, which had been parked on the street in front of her house for “hours.”

According to the lawsuit, Campbell approached Halling’s parked car and briefly spoke with her before noticing open cans of alcohol on the floor. He then asked her to step out of the car and placed her in handcuffs.

Body camera footage then shows Campbell attempting to search her twice, to which she moves her hips away from his hands and requests a female officer to come evaluate her instead.

From there, the encounter escalates, with Halling repeatedly making the same requests for a female officer, while she remained handcuffed on the ground as Campbell knelt on her.

Attorneys for Halling argue that she was fully compliant during the exchange; however, body camera footage shows Campbell eventually removing her glasses, warning that if she “doesn’t stop resisting” she’d be pepper sprayed.

Campbell then sprays her in the eyes, and just under 30 seconds later, sprays her again as she yells for a female officer.

During Halling’s trial for the DUI, Campbell was asked about his take down of Ms. Halling. The lawsuit writes that the exchange went as follows:

Defense: “Your testimony today is that you did not think you threw her hard to the ground?”

Campbell: “Correct.”

Officer Campbell was then presented with his body camera footage from the incident in which he specifically stated to another officer “…so I threw her hard to the ground.”

That footage, reviewed by KRDO13 on Thursday, confirms the quote from Campbell.

Attorneys allege officer lied about evidence, CSPD & District Attorney failed to investigate:

In addition to alleging excessive force, Halling’s attorneys claim Officer Campbell falsely stated on a state toxicology form that he personally witnessed two samples of blood being taken for Halling’s DUI on June 3, 2023.

During Halling’s trial, Campbell testified that he hadn’t seen blood drawn from Halling, which is reaffirmed by his body camera footage from that day.

However, Campbell had previously signed a P23 form, used in DUI cases, where he falsely stated he had personally observed the blood draw before submitting it as an official record. That form was later used to revoke Halling’s driver’s license for 18 months, her attorneys say.

Halling was charged with a DUI and obstruction of justice. Ultimately, she took a plea deal.

Regina Walter, the judge overseeing the DUI trial in late 2024, stated that the blood draw was not admissible into evidence “because of Campbell’s falsification,” calling him ‘incredible.’

The judge also entered a factual finding that officer Campbell had engaged in “blatant use of excessive force” against Ms. Halling.

Those findings prompted City Attorney Frederick Stein to request a continuance in order to challenge the finding that Campbell was ‘incredible as a matter of law’.

The lawsuit contends that Stein did not challenge Judge Walter’s findings that Campbell had used excessive force against Halling, nor did he challenge her finding that Campbell had lied multiple times on official criminal justice records in the case.

In that same hearing, the judge spoke into court record that she had personally emailed Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez as a result of what she had seen in the trial, informing him that Campbell had lied on the P23 form.

The email according to court transcript reads:

“Dear Chief, I have watched Officer Campbell’s body worn camera footage from June 3rd, 2023, People versus Halling, 23M4128. I would urge you to review the footage for training purposes and to determine whether you want to take any further action. Please be advised that Officer Campbell lied on the CBI toxicology request for laboratory examination. His testimony in court was that he did not observe the blood draw on June 3rd of 2023. He certified that he witnessed the actual withdrawal of blood from Jessica Halling.”

Later in August 2024, Halling made an official request for the Internal Affairs (IA) file investigating Campbell for his conduct, but was told a month later the investigation hadn’t been completed.

On April 30 of this year, Halling was sent a completed copy of the IA investigation, which stated that Campbell was just in his use of pepper spray against her.

Halling’s attorneys now claim that Vasquez, alongside the District Attorney’s Office, did not make an effort to investigate the judge’s credibility concerns in regards to Officer Campbell.

They’re now demanding Campbell be added to the Brady List – a public information resource about officer misconduct – which would also impact any current and future cases involving Officer Campbell, due to credibility issues.

Attorneys are also requesting that these violations be put on Campbell’s POST certification as an officer, which is currently blank.

KRDO13 reviewed CSPD’s Standard Operating Procedure and found that under “Credibility Disclosure Notifications to the DAO,” Internal Affairs is required to notify the District Attorney’s Office in writing if a sworn officer is proven to fit one of several stipulations, including:

Tampered with or fabricated evidence; or

Knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact, knowingly omitteda material fact in an official criminal justice record, or knowingly omitted a material factwhile testifying under oath or during an internal affairs investigation or administrativeinvestigation and disciplinary process

The same Standard Operating Procedure, under “Brady Notifications (Sworn & Civilian),” states that CSPD has a duty to report certain issues to the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with Brady v. Maryland, as they may include evidence relevant to a defendant’s guilt, innocence, or sentencing.

Just two of several stipulations include:

If a department member is found by a judge to have testified falsely under oath; or

If CSPD receives an allegation related to excessive or inappropriate use of force or thefailure to intervene in an excessive or inappropriate use of force; or

When KRDO13 reached out to the CSPD and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office with questions about the allegations, we were told by both entities they would not comment due to ongoing litigation.

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Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy makes final pleas to District 60, hoping to keep doors open

Mackenzie Stafford

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – On Thursday, Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy (CHPA) students, staff, parents and community members gathered outside of the Pueblo County Courthouse to kick off a demonstration. The group marched to the Pueblo School District 60 building, chanting “Let us go, so we can grow.”

The rally comes as the clock is ticking down to keep the charter’s doors open, with the school’s contract with the district set to expire at the end of June. 

Participants urged District 60 to release Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy from the district or to reauthorize their contract for another year, hoping to preserve a school deeply valued by its families.

“Many of us choose CHPA for so many reasons, for the diversity, early college, mariachi, folklórico,” listed parent Anna Casarez Herrera.

Casarez Herrera has three students at the different academy schools, and one more hoping to attend next year. She says she’s speaking out to try and make that a reality.

“We parents and students, we have made CHPA the school of choice. And don’t take that away from us,” Casarez Herrera said.

She says CHPA has always been home to their family; no matter where they move in the city, they have always had CHPA to go back to.

Chavez Huerta says they’ll be sending a formal request for reconsideration to the district on Thursday.

But the district says they already voted on this at the end of April, when the board decided in a 3 to 2 vote to reaffirm their decision not to renew the charter. 

PAST COVERAGE: D60 votes against releasing Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy to get charter status

But the board also won’t release them from the district, so the school can’t operate through any other organization right now. 

Previously, district officials cited low enrollment and poor financial management as reasons for not renewing the school’s charter.

READ MORE: Chavez Huerta Prep faces uncertainty, explores options to keep doors open after charter not renewed

Chavez Huerta disputes those claims, but is offering ways to try to address some of those concerns, including implementing new budget and enrollment strategies.

On Thursday, academy families marched on, calling on the district to reconsider as options for CHPA dwindle.

If the district were to release CHPA, it could contract with an alternative education program or seek charter status with the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI). The only other solution without the district’s permission would be to become a private school. 

“We’d struggle with that because again, we don’t want to charge our kids, our parents’ tuition,” explained Executive Director of CHPA, Fred Segura.

He says they’ll continue to investigate and see what they can do, but ultimately, if the academy’s pleas fall on deaf ears, the school will likely close.

“If we don’t get that authorization, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions as far as closure,” said Segura.

KRDO13 reached out to D60 about the rally held on Thursday and received the following statement from a district spokesperson:

“Following the State Board of Education’s decision to uphold D60’s non-renewal of the CHPA charter agreement, the school’s contract is set to expire at the end of June.

D60 is focused on supporting families through this transition, and we welcome families to explore all of their enrollment options. Several of our schools have welcome nights planned in the coming weeks that we encourage all families interested in those schools to attend. 

Enrollment information can be found on our website at www.pueblod60.0rg or by calling 719-253-6014.”

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