The reopened four of its five campuses Monday after a strike by the local teachers union led officials to cancel classes last week.
Nearly 100 teachers, bus drivers and other employees went on strike last week, a move the said was taken because district officials refused to reinstate the union’s collective bargaining agreement or to recognize classified employees in the union.
The strike is taking place at all five schools in the district, which serves Sheridan and parts of Englewood and Littleton.
The schools that reopened Monday will operate as normal, including with bus transportation and food services, according to a news release.
Sheridan opened the following schools:
- Early Childhood Center
- Alice Terry Elementary
- SOAR Academy
- Fort Logan Northgate
Sheridan High School remained closed Monday.
“Please know that we are working diligently to secure additional temporary staff to allow for the rest of our schools to open as soon as possible,” Superintendent Gionni Thompson said in a statement. “As we receive additional information regarding staffing and coverage, we will continue to update the list of schools we are able to open and will communicate those updates with families as quickly as possible.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how the district was able to staff schools nor how many students showed up for class Monday. Sheridan representatives didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Last week, members of the union texted substitute teachers in metro Denver to inform them of the walkout and discourage the workers from crossing the picket line, said Kailee Stiles, spokesperson for the Colorado Education Association, of which the Sheridan union is an affiliate.
Teachers on the picket lines Monday saw few students arrive at the reopened schools, she said.
Sheridan Educators Association representatives met with district officials and a mediator on Saturday in an effort to resume contract negotiations, which proved unsuccessful in ending the strike.
During Saturday’s meeting, district officials refused to change their position from a previous proposal presented on March 12 before the strike, union President Kate Biester said in statement.
“We’re disappointed the district has made no movement and only brought us the same offer from a month ago,” she said. “They showed no willingness to rescind the recent anti-union policies and no recognition for classified staff; it is clear the district is not taking this moment seriously. Educators have worked under this districtap instability and without a contract all year — we will not back down.”
Sheridan has 997 students as of the 2025-26 academic year, according to state data.
