The president of Board of Education acknowledged Monday that the district’s freeze on employee travel and contracts is related to the “decisions and actions” of former Superintendent Christopher and his wife, Brenda Smith, the district’s chief human resources officer.
Board President Anne Egan also announced that interim Superintendent Jennifer Perry will launch an external audit to review the district’s organizational systems, including internal controls and fiscal responsibilities.
“The decision to review district policies and freeze certain travel and contracts is a result of concerns being raised about the decisions and actions of former Superintendent Smith and Brenda Smith,” Egan said in a statement. “Immediate action was necessary to maintain the public’s confidence.”
Her comments came ahead of a scheduled Monday evening school board meeting at Sky Vista Middle School, where directors approved what Egan called “reforms” to Cherry Creek Schools’ procurement and expenditure approval policies, contracts and guidelines related to employee travel.
The school board voted unanimously Monday to confirm Perry as Cherry Creek Schools’ interim superintendent.
Former Superintendent Christopher Smith unexpectedly resigned during a school board meeting on Jan. 27. District officials placed Brenda Smith on administrative leave last week and launched an internal investigation into her actions, as well as into nepotism and conflicts of interest at the district.
The Board of Education also froze employee travel and district contracts, pending an internal investigation. District officials had repeatedly declined to say why the board was conducting the investigation, other than to say “there were some questions.”
‘These issues will be taken seriously and investigated’
The school board approved several resolutions Monday evening as part of its consent agenda, which is normally approved in a single vote and often without debate.
One will require employees to get approval for purchases above $5,000. Who within the district — executive director, deputy chief of operations or another administrator — approves a purchase depends on the amount.
The resolution also lowers the threshold — from $400,000 to $250,001 — of when district administrators must seek school board approval before agreeing to a contract for goods or services.
The legal department will have to review and approve all contracts, and an employee’s failure to get the approval will result in disciplinary action, including possible termination, Egan said.
She said the board will also finalize guidelines on employee travel.
Christopher Smith and Brenda Smith spent $23,499.31 and $38,492.48, respectively, on travel — including airfare, food, hotels and parking — during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years, according to expenditures obtained by The Denver Post through a public records request.
Brenda Smith’s spending was higher than the $13,385 spent by the chief human resources officer at Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest district, during the same period.
Cherry Creek Schools has 51,844 students and a $840 million budget. The district is projected to have a $15.4 million deficit this year, in large part because of declining enrollment.
Director Terry Bates said during the meeting that he has “dug into” the financial operations of Cherry Creek Schools and is working with district staff to balance the budget, hopefully without using reserves, by reducing central administrative costs.
He said the district is creating an audit committee, which Bates will chair, to look into Cherry Creek Schools’ finances. Bates was stopped by Egan when he was discussing the audit committee and reports. It wasn’t immediately clear why, but Perry later said the board has not yet decided to create an audit committee.
Director John-Claude Futrell said any allegations of improper use of funds, misogyny and racial biases “will be taken seriously and investigated.”
An ‘HR matter’
Monday’s meeting was the first time the school board had held a public comment session since Christopher Smith resigned. Parents and other community members said that they were met with a “wall” by district officials when seeking more information.
“We are not asking for PR-scripted responses,” said Shadhaa Ramadan, one of the commenters.
Directors cast the situation at Cherry Creek Schools as an “HR matter” and defended themselves against community members’ criticism that district officials have not been open enough about the travel and contract freeze and how it relates to the Smiths’ employment with the district.
“At its core, itap a HR matter,” said board Vice President Angela Garland, adding that she wants an inclusive and thoughtful search for a new superintendent.
“We are listening,” added director Mike Hamrick. “We are moving forward with many things. It doesn’t happen overnight and we are dealing with things that are personnel issues that we can’t go out there and blast.”
Last week, directors met in an executive session — which is not open to the public — for about four hours to receive legal advice regarding their search for a new superintendent and the districtap budget as it relates to travel expenses and contract requirements.
“Several items still under review, such as personnel matters, require legal advice and counsel, which compels the board to meet in executive session more often than we’d like,” Egan said in a statement. “As these matters come to resolution, we will return to a more normal cadence of board meetings and the community will continue to see the board review district policies and make adjustments as necessary.”
Decision-making by school board members is prohibited during executive sessions under the Colorado Open Meetings Law, said Jeff Roberts, executive director of the .
“The open meetings law allows closed-door conferences with the school board’s attorney to get legal advice on specific legal questions, but policy discussions are supposed to happen in public,” he said. “Thatap the whole point of the law — that the formation of public policy may not be conducted in secret.”
The board’s focus on potential financial mismanagement drew support from former board president Aagje Barber, who said during the meeting’s public comment session that Egan and other directors were “facing daunting challenges.”
“It is the responsibility of the Board of Education to ensure that every dollar is directed toward what matters most: student achievement,” she said.
But others, including parents, criticized Cherry Creek Schools leaders for not doing enough to address the culture in the district.
“The inner circle that enabled (Christopher Smith) remains in power,” said parent Molly Lamar. “This isn’t a communication department. It’s a PR shield for the inner circle.”
The Smiths were married before they began working at Cherry Creek Schools. The district hired Brenda Smith in 2019, before her husband became superintendent.
Brenda Smith reported to Perry to comply with the districtap staff conduct policy, which says employees can not engage in a supervisory relationship with an immediate family member.
Christopher Smith earned a $332,601.15 salary and his contract wasn’t set to expire until June 2027. Brenda Smith earns a $232,142.40 salary.
