Superintendent Update: Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Celebrating our “STARS”, Job Fair, and other Updates

Superintendent Update: Classroom Instruction, Superintendent Forum Rescheduled, and Legal Update

Superintendent Update:  Parent Survey & more!

Superintendent Update: Snow days moving forward

Superintendent Update: Reading, Testing, and Legal Update

Superintendent Update: Weather Delay and Closure Information

December 20, 2025 - Superintendent Update: Happy Holidays; Amazing Performances; and pending legal matter

Superintendent Update: Thank you Veterans, Snow Day Information, & Upcoming Events

Superintendent Update - Budget Savings Recommendations & Further Explanations

Superintendent Update: FInancial Update, Student Behavior & Homecoming Week

Superintendent Update: Forums, School Safety, Discipline, & Video Updates

Superintendent Update: Back to School BBQ & Staff Appreciation at Football Game

Superintendent Update: Welcome Back to School

Dear parents and members of the Elizabeth community,

Our year is quickly drawing to a close, and I want to once again thank you for your trust and support as parents in the district.  Congratulations to our staff and students who have participated in the many performances and competitions that have taken place these last several weeks of the school year.  We have amazing students and staff here in Elizabeth!

A special thank-you to the parents who responded to our District Accountability Survey last month providing important feedback to both our district and our schools.  Our school advisory councils and district advisory council will process your feedback and develop action plans to address important areas where we can improve. Those results will be shared along with planned actions to address them at the start of next school year.  

We are fortunate to have an amazing staff in Elizabeth.  Yes, we do lose teachers each year to neighboring districts based on the significant difference in pay between our districts.  While we still have a ways to go, we are glad we’ve been able to increase salaries this year not only for teachers, but for our support staff as well.  We also recognize that as we implement new expectations, there are some departures that result.  With the change in compensation plan, we are excited at the quality of applicants we see in our hiring pools this year.  We begin the summer with more of our vacant positions filled than in past years.  If you have questions, do reach out to your principals.  

Our school calendar for next year can be found at this link.  During this summer, our district office shifts to a four-day week with offices open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at 303-646-1836.  Other than some planned vacation time, I work throughout the summer and am always available to answer any questions you may have as well.  If I am out, my auto-reply will be on my email or a message will be recorded on my voicemail.  

Next weekend, we celebrate our graduating class at Elizabeth High School.  While this year's ceremony will be marked by sadness with the death of senior Jake Burdick last weekend, we are proud of our students and their accomplishments. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burdick family.  A loss such as this reminds us of how important it is to cherish our children and the joy they bring us each and every day.  

I wish you all a safe summer break!  See you next August!

Dan Snowberger
Superintendent

Dear parents and members of the Elizabeth community,

CMAS Assessments:  Next week, our students begin the annual Colorado Measures of Academic Success Assessment in elementary and middle school grades.  This is a chance for our students to demonstrate on the state assessment what they have learned.  We ask that parents ensure students are at school on time so there is no interruption to the testing environment.  Although this is not a high-stress environment, we know some students find such events more stressful than others. We simply ask students to show us what they know through this assessment.  Please help students recognize this is just another assignment and opportunity to show what they have learned this year.  

Increase in Bullying Behavior:  This week, I dealt with a number of situations both in schools and on buses where students were engaged in concerning behavior toward other students.  In most cases, this involves groups of students picking on a single student in a pretty serious fashion, which deeply saddens me.  After reviewing their records, it is apparent many of these students have not been involved in prior disciplinary situations. This leads me to ask all parents to take a moment to engage their children in critical conversations and reminders of your expectations with your children.  Some parents who have come in to watch videos from buses have been shocked at what they see their children doing.  I know all of us as parents raise our children with expectations, but in our world with so many external influences we must continue to reinforce how we expect them to be kind and treat others at all times.

STARS Celebration:  On a positive note, this Saturday we celebrate 50 students in grades 5 through 12 who have been recognized by their teachers for outstanding character. This recognition, sponsored by the Elizabeth Education Foundation (EEF), is an annual event that has become a tradition in Elizabeth School District. I am so proud of these students and look forward to celebrating with them and their families on Saturday night.  We appreciate EEF for its efforts throughout the year in supporting our district not only through this STARS program but through our teacher grant programs and other financial contributions. Please continue to support this important organization in any way you can.  More information can be found on their website.

School Bus Safety & Staff Celebration: I want to take a moment to celebrate the amazing job our transportation department does each and every day in getting children to and from school. April 23 is Bus Driver Appreciation Day!  Please join me in celebrating the amazing team that serves our children here in the Elizabeth School District!!!  Sadly, however, we’ve seen an increase in cars passing buses that are stopped. This puts children in danger when we are loading and unloading buses.  In partnership with local law enforcement, we are increasing enforcement at our bus stops to further ensure the safety of our students.  Violating those laws carries pretty hefty fines.  Our school buses do a great job in video recording license plates of those individuals who run those stop arms, and our local law enforcement officials will certainly use such footage to issue citations!  Please remember the inconvenience of waiting for a bus is well worth the safety of our children!  

Finally, I continue to watch the conflicts within pockets of our community. I’ve seen teachers and administrators be cursed at or degraded in front of students or other parents.  I’ve seen teachers walk away from the profession after being blasted for making a mistake, and not being given a chance to correct it.  When a mistake is made, please know that we want to hear from you, but also would like a chance to correct it.  

I continue to seek decisions that make our district a little better each day.  When I make a decision you disagree with, I encourage you to reach out and schedule time to meet or speak with me on the phone.  We may not always agree on everything, but I do think we can always find common ground.  

As always, I thank you for your continued trust in our district and our schools.  We have an amazing team of teachers, administrators, and most importantly - students!  

Sincerely,

Dan Snowberger
Superintendent