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The Denver school board will hold a special meeting later this month to discuss concerns raised by Superintendent Alex Marrero, who alleged in a June email that the board is overstepping its authority and that “the current trajectory” has become “increasingly untenable.”
In the email, obtained by Chalkbeat in a public records request, Marrero wrote that board members are too involved in administrative matters, that he is caught in the crosshairs of disputes between members, and that the board is failing to hold itself accountable as required.
Policy governance is at the center of the tension between Marrero and the board. The framework is meant to set clear expectations for both sides. Marrero’s contract says the board sets district goals but “will avoid telling the Superintendent or staff what to do or how to do it.”
Board President Xóchitl Gaytán said in a statement that she scheduled a July 27 special board meeting after several board members requested a discussion of Marrero’s concerns.
Gaytán said some board members wanted to meet earlier than July 27. Marrero’s contract says that if the board materially alters its governance policy, he can deem it a termination of his contract. Before doing so, the contract requires him to provide the board president written notice of his concerns and enter into good-faith discussions to resolve them within 30 days.
Gaytán said Marrero “confirmed that his email raising concerns about board overreach was not intended to invoke” that clause in his contract. She said meeting on or before July 8 — 30 days after Marrero sent his email on June 8 — was unnecessary.
If the board terminates Marrero without cause, his contract says he would receive 12 months’ salary. He earned $346,529 during the 2025-26 school year.
Marrero declined to comment for this story. He recently applied for the superintendent job in Florida’s Miami-Dade County Public Schools but was not named a semifinalist.
Board member Amy Klein Molk said she agreed the board should hold a meeting to discuss Marrero’s concerns, and she’s not worried about the clause in his contract.
“For me, it’s really about getting us all in alignment, getting the board working as one, and figuring out our path forward,” she said. “I want to be able to make sure we’re able to get to that place where he feels good about our response to his concerns.”
Board member DJ Torres said he hopes the discussion will address both the superintendent’s concerns “and some that we may have.”
“What I hope we discuss is a shared interpretation of the elements of his contract,” Torres said.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
