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Sheridan parents push to recall school board 3 months after Colorado's longest recent education strike

Denver7's Aurora/Arapahoe County Reporter Adria Iraheta is following up after learning a group of educators and parents are submitting a recall petition targeting the Sheridan Board of Education
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Petition calls for Sheridan superintendent to step down
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SHERIDAN, Colo. — Three months after Colorado's longest education strike in recent history, Sheridan School District parents are now leading an effort to recall the superintendent and board of education.

Denver7 Aurora and Arapahoe County community reporter Adria Iraheta happened to run into the group of Sheridan parents and educators at the county administration building this week while working on a different story. The group was there to submit a petition with the elections division — an effort to recall Sheridan's superintendent and board of education.

Elizabeth Littlepage, the mother of two children in the Sheridan School District, said she wants to run for a seat on the Sheridan Board of Education if the recall effort succeeds.

"We felt like they didn't care during the strike," Littlepage said. "We're still mad."

Littlepage also raised concerns about a lack of transparency from the board.

► Watch Adria Iraheta's report in the video below:

Petition calls for Sheridan superintendent to step down

"From what we understand, the board's already submitted a new calendar for this year, and that wasn't transparent."

The issue began after Sheridan Educators Association (SEA) union contracts expired at the end of 2025, prompting educators to walk out on April 1, 2026.

While on strike, Sheridan educators voiced concerns over several ongoing issues including retaliation in the district.

A former school social worker provided an audio recording to Denver7 they claimed captured the conversation in which their contract was terminated after alerting a parent to safety concerns.

After more than three weeks, the board ratified a deal with the SEA, putting an end to the historic strike. The agreement reinstated educator contracts through the end of the year, recognized classified staff, and ended district-wide retaliatory practices.

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Education

Sheridan district cancels classes as teachers begin official strike

Adria Iraheta

Even as the deal was celebrated, some expressed caution about what came next.

"We still have a lot of work to do moving forward," art teacher Shelby Gahm told Denver7.

Educators and some parents now say that work can only happen under new leadership.

Dennis Montoya, the father of two Sheridan students, also wants to run for a spot on the board.

"We went through a lot last year with the strike and how long it lasted, and we just — it wasn't best for our kids," Montoya said. "[Sheridan educators] deserve to have a good working situation, and right now, it's not really there for them."

The Sheridan School District did not respond to our request for comment.

The last successful school board recall in Colorado was the recall of three Jefferson County school board members in the 2015 general election — Sheridan parents told Denver7 they are confident they can do it again.

"If parents are anywhere still upset, as we are, I think that we have a lot of support in the community," Littlepage said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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