Media Coverage
2025-2026
November 2025
- Education Week: The Wacky Thanksgiving Traditions Bringing School Communities Together - Mountain Vista CS
- KKTV: Coats, baby formula on wish lists for Colorado Springs families up for adoption this holiday season
- KOAA: More than 50 Harrison School District 2 families available for holiday 'adoption'
- Fox21: Adopt Harrison families for the holidays
- KOAA: 'Adopt a Family' program underway to help families during the holidays
October 2025
- KRDO: Federal government says food aid will halt, local food banks pick up slack
- Gazette: Harrison boys soccer overcomes adversity, longtime foe in Coronado to capture third straight league title
- Fox21: Marching Band competition held at Harrison High School
- Gazette: October giveaway at Venetucci Farm carries on legacy of a beloved teacher and her ‘Pumpkin Man’ - Stratton Meadows ES
- CDE: Why Bilingual Teachers Matter: Dr. Angela Valdez’s Journey Comes Full Circle
September 2025
- Gazette: How do local schools ‘turn around’ after years of poor performance?
- WHQR: Columbus County native has education building in Colorado Springs named after her - Dr. Pamela Robinson
- La Voz: Why I chose education—and why it still inspires me every day - former Sierra High School Teacher
- CASE: Harrison District 2 Superintendent recognized with 2025 Colbert Cushing Award
- KOAA: Centennial Elementary teacher amongst top 8 finalist for '2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year.'
- Gazette: Colorado Springs teacher, veteran named finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year - Centennial ES
- KRDO: Cañon City and Colorado Springs teachers named as finalists for 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year - Centennial ES
- CDE: Colorado Department of Education announces 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year finalists in Cañon City and Colorado Springs - Centennial ES
August 2025
- Gazette: Promise kept: D-2 taxpayers make scholarship program permanent for Harrison grads
- KKTV: 50 college students getting free tuition at Pikes Peak State College
- Fox21: Students attend PPSC tuition-free with new program
- KRDO: Harrison D2 students continue to higher education, tuition-free
- KOAA: D2 Promise Program offers free college tuition to Harrison School District 2 graduates
- Fox21: CSPD and D2 team up for Back to School Bash Thursday
- Gazette: Elijah Smith ‘confident’ ahead of UFC Fight Night bout against Toshiomi Kazama - Sierra High School Alum
- Gazette: Boston Celtics star Derrick White, Hillside Connection partner for youth camp at Sierra High School
July 2025
- Gazette: Colorado Springs-area superintendent tapped to lead Colorado Association of School Executives
- KOAA: First home completed at Wendy’s Village, a new era of affordable housing for teachers in D2
- Gazette: State financial aid program fills needed teacher gaps with incoming educators
- KOAA: Free & low-cost physicals across southern Colorado
- Colorado Sun: Teacher apprenticeships are taking off in Colorado. Could they help schools chip away at the educator shortage?
- Gazette: Pilot program gives high school students an up-close look at health care careers
2024-2025
June 2025
- District Administration: How these 3 leaders approach creative staffing
- KOAA: Colorado Department of Education announces semifinalists for Teacher of the Year - Centennial Elementary
- Gazette: Colorado Springs nonprofit Peak Education expands programming, moves to new location
- KDVR: Semifinalists for 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year revealed - Centennial Elementary
- Chalkbeat: Meet the 22 semifinalists for Colorado Teacher of the Year - Centennial Elementary
May 2025
- KOAA: Harrison School District 2 students lead the fight against vaping - Sierra High School
- K-12 Dive: How can school leaders smooth student transitions to middle, high school? - Mountain Vista CS
- GoodGoodGood: Rent and teacher shortages are on the rise, so this school district is building a tiny home village
- KOAA: Land secured, will bring in second low income housing community for teachers
- KKTV: ‘It could be a model for other areas’: A school district in Colorado Springs announces two affordable housing complexes for their staff
- Fox21: Celebrate National School Principals’ Day with elementary school leaders - Bricker and Monterey Elementary
April 2025
- AASA: AASA Announces New Governance Members - Superintendent Dr. Birhanzel
- Fox21: New library card designs and renovated spaces at PPLD - Centennial Elementary
- KRDO: Chevy Visits Monterey Elementary School
- KOAA: Colorado Springs school districts hosting special education conference
March 2025
- Gazette: Beyond the budget: where federal funds actually land | Tatiana Bailey
- Gazette: How Colorado Springs, El Paso County spent their share of Colorado’s $3.8B in COVID relief funds
- Gazette: Colorado Springs superintendent receives 2025 Women in School Leadership Award
- Colorado Springs Business Journal: Harrison School District 2 Superintendent presented with 2025 Women in School Leadership Award
- KCCR: Former Riggs Graduate Recognized As 2025 Woman In School Leadership From The American Association Of School Administrators
- Fox21: D2 superintendent given Women in School Leadership Award
- KOAA: How school districts in El Paso County use Title I funds for students
February 2025
- KOAA: Harrison School District 2 held a cooking class for school staff members
- Fox21: Class helps teachers with cooking and meal prep in D2
- Gazette: Former Sierra Stallion Elijah Smith ready to impress in UFC debut
- Gazette: Harrison D-2 addressing learning losses with high-impact tutoring program
January 2025
- Colorado Springs Business Journal: Women of Influence Recipient, Superintendent Dr. Wendy Birhanzel
December 2024
- Fox21: D2 families pick up donated gifts for the holidays
- Gazette: Harrison D-2 Assistant Principal named Colorado's middle school principal of the year
- Fox21: Pikes Peak area families in need of holiday gift donations
November 2024
- KRDO: Close to 100 local families could be without Christmas gifts this year, but here’s how you can help
- KOAA: Nearly a third of D2 families still need to get 'adopted' for Christmas
- KKTV: School district in Colorado Springs is going beyond U.S. borders to address a teacher shortage
- KJCT8: Colorado school district hires teachers internationally
- Gazette: Colorado schools utilize visa program to fill teacher gaps, add diversity
- KOAA: Circle bridge project 'major milestone' reached - Mayor Mobolade, Harrison band and cheer team celebrate
- Gazette: 'A safe way to cross:' First of new Circle Drive bridges set to open in Colorado Springs - Harrison High School
- Fox21: City celebrates milestone for Circle Drive Bridges Project - Harrison High School
- Fox21: United Way, D2 seek holiday Adopt-a-Family partners
October 2024
- KOAA: WATCH: Sierra High School Choir sings 'America the Beautiful' on top of Pikes Peak
- KOAA: Centennial Elementary School students preparing to launch rockets they built
- Fox21: Students build rockets as part of STEAM initiative - Centennial Elementary
September 2024
- Denver7: Meet the seven finalists for Colorado’s 2025 Teacher of the Year - Wildflower Elementary
- Fox21: D2 grads, UFC fighters attend game as honorary captains - Harrison & Sierra High School Alum
- Gazette: Colorado Springs high school group helps keep traditional Mexican folklorico dance alive - Harrison High School
- KRDO: Ent Credit Union, Denver Broncos bring financial education to Colorado high schools
- DenverBroncos: Denver Broncos Foundation, Ent Credit Union partner for Adventures in Reality financial education program for students
- Fox21: Sierra HS graduate Elijah Smith signs UFC contract
- Gazette: Sierra High School grad Elijah Smith earns UFC contract after win on DWCS
- Fox21: Finalists for Mayor’s Young Leader Awards announced - Sierra High School & District Admin
- Gazette: Harrison D-2 teacher among finalists for 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year - Wildflower Elementary
- Gazette: Former Sierra Stallion Elijah Smith could earn competitive UFC contract - Sierra High School Alum
- Fox21: Elijah “Swift” Smith fighting for UFC contract - Sierra High School Alum
August 2024
- Gazette: Harrison D-2 celebrates 150th anniversary with a look back at its history
- Fox21: Harrison School D2 celebrates 150th anniversary
- KOAA: Harrison School District 2 celebrates 150 years Tuesday
- Gazette: Colorado Springs native Raquel Pennington set to defend bantamweight title against Julianna Peña at UFC 307 - Harrison High School Alum
- Greeley Tribune: Former Northern Colorado football player Aaron Smith ‘humbled’ by upcoming Hall of Fame induction - Sierra High School Alum
- KKTV: Colorado Springs School District 2 gearing up to celebrate 150th anniversary
July 2024
2023-2024
June 2024
- Pueblo Chieftain: High school students can now be accepted to CSU Pueblo without applying - D2 non-charter high schools
- Gazette: Harrison District 2 advances property tax vote for November ballot
- MSN: Teacher-based, tiny home villages will be built on District 2 school sites to help combat Colorado Springs housing crisis
May 2024
- Fox21: Harrison School District 2: Free summer meals for kids
- KOAA: Fighting Food Insecurity - School Feeding Kids Over The Summer
April 2024
- Gazette: BEST & BRIGHTEST: A journey from homeless to excellence - Harrison High School
- KRDO: District 2 kids chat with astronauts on the International Space Station
- Fox21: Harrison students get a glimpse of space on Earth Day
- KKTV: Qualifying families will get $40 a month per child for groceries during summer months with new Summer EBT program
- KOAA: Grandmother of Juneteenth' shares history, perspective with Colorado Springs students - Giberson Elementary
- KRDO: Harrison School District 2 says they are feeling strain due to influx of immigrant students
- Colorado Sun: What does the future of Colorado school funding look like? Here are the questions hanging over the districts
March 2024
- Gazette: Buddhist Ball: How 'mudita' led Harrison baseball to its best record in nearly two decades - Harrison High School
- KOAA: Colorado Springs school district applying for state grant to stop kids from vaping
- Colorado Sun: As most high schoolers head home for the day, these Colorado Springs students are just starting class - CRA
- Fox21: Colorado Springs school district to provide affordable housing to teachers
- Colorado Sun: Many wondered if remote learning would kill snow days. To Colorado students’ relief, they were wrong.
- Gazette: Tatiana Bailey: For some teachers, their pay is not a living wage
- KKTV: Colorado Springs school district teams up with non-profit to give teachers affordable housing
- Fox21: America the Beautiful: student choir sings atop Pikes Peak - Sierra High School
February 2024
- KOAA: Bold Innovation - Colorado Springs school district takes on affordable housing for teachers
- KOAA: Only three out of ten foster kids will get their diploma, this local organization looks to change that - Sierra High School
- Gazette: Children's Hospital to bring workforce development program to Colorado Springs area
- KRDO: The School Buzz: D2 elementary principal called ‘super human, ’honored with state award - Wildflower Elementary
- Campus Safety: Colorado Springs School District to Build On-Campus Teacher Housing
- KRDO: Two high schools in El Paso County raise money for a little girl with a big wish - Harrison High School
- KOAA: CASE honoring Assistant Principal with award for her outstanding work - Wildflower Elementary
- KRCC: New affordable housing units coming to southeast Colorado Springs
- Gazette: Homes for teachers: District 2 planning $6 million duplex complex for employees
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Colorado Springs school district plans teacher housing on district property
- Gazette: First affordable teacher housing village launches
- Colorado Public Radio: New affordable housing units coming to southeast Colorado Springs
- Gazette: Superintendents share what makes their districts special
January 2024
- Fox21: Breaking ground on nearly 200 affordable housing units
- KOAA Video: Ceremonial groundbreaking for Bentley Commons affordable housing
- KRDO: Housing advocates break ground on affordable housing expansion in southeast Colorado Springs
- KRDO: The School Buzz: D-2 elementary school’s read-along gets students excited about books - Giberson Elementary
- Gazette: ROTC popular in Colorado Springs area - Harrison HS listed
- KOAA: Colorado Springs teacher honored for her work with special needs students - Oak Creek Elementary
- Fox21: Teacher surprised with community award - Oak Creek Elementary
- Gazette: Free afterschool sports program in Colorado Springs expands
- Yahoo News: D2 students to chat with the International Space Station - Stratton Meadows Elementary & Thrive Home School Academy
- KRDO: Astronauts visit Colorado Springs elementary schools ahead of ISS contact event - Stratton Meadows Elementary & Thrive Home School Academy
- Fox21: D2 students to chat with the International Space Station - Stratton Meadows Elementary & Thrive Home School Academy
- Gazette: Wildflower Elementary School leader recognized as Colorado Assistant Principal of the Year
- Gazette: Colorado Springs area mirrors public school trend of declining enrollment
- Gazette: Colorado Springs-based nonprofit holds 17th annual educational summit - staff and students quoted
- Gazette: Several Harrison School District 2 bond projects completed, with more on the way
December 2023
November 2023