In a split vote, the Denver school board extended Superintendent Alex Marrero鈥檚 contract Thursday for an additional two years, a contentious decision at a key time for the school district.
was set to expire on June 30, 2026. It will now be extended until June 2028.
鈥淲e want to have conversations about moving our students forward? That鈥檚 what this man is doing,鈥� board member Scott Esserman said at Thursday鈥檚 meeting. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to like the way he鈥檚 doing it. You don鈥檛 have to like him at all. But he cares about our students and our families and our communities, and he shows it on a daily basis.鈥�
The board also amended Marrero鈥檚 contract Thursday so that he can no longer earn performance bonuses, which have caused friction with the teachers union and others. Marrero earned and for meeting a certain percentage of his performance goals. His base salary this year is $346,529.
Board members also changed the process and timeline for terminating Marrero鈥檚 contract. They raised the number of votes needed to fire Marrero from a simple majority of the seven-member board to a supermajority and extended the timeline for giving him notice from 60 to 90 days.
Esserman was one of five board members to vote to extend Marrero鈥檚 contract. The other four were President Carrie Olson, Vice President Marlene De La Rosa, Michelle Quattlebaum, and X贸chitl 鈥淪ochi鈥� Gayt谩n. Board members Kimberlee Sia and John Youngquist voted no.
Neither Sia nor Youngquist elaborated much on the reason for their vote.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 appropriate at this point to extend the contract,鈥� Youngquist said.
The timing of the board鈥檚 decision to extend Marrero鈥檚 contract has been controversial. Critics have argued that since four seats on the board are up for election in November, the new board members should get to decide on Marrero鈥檚 contract.
Marrero鈥檚 superintendency has been tumultuous at times due to issues that many large urban school districts are facing. Marrero, who was hired to lead Denver Public Schools in 2021, has recommended a slew of school closures due to low enrollment, . In total, the board has agreed to close 10 schools and partially close three more during his tenure.
A spate of gun violence in and around schools reignited a debate about student safety and led to the controversial .
Academically, DPS achieved its highest-ever graduation rate last year. But the district鈥檚 , with the test scores of students of color and those from low-income families lagging behind outcomes for white and wealthier students.
Many teachers are mad that they were while Marrero got a bonus. DPS has also found itself in the crosshairs of the Trump administration , and it has .
鈥淚n the age of President Trump and the target he has put on Denver Public Schools鈥� back, we know that protecting our students and families is of utmost importance,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淎nd stability in leadership is in the best interests of our district and our students.鈥�
Critics have decried the board鈥檚 process of deciding on the contract extension as secretive and rushed. The board previously met in a closed-door session to discuss amending the superintendent鈥檚 contract, but didn鈥檛 have any public discussion until Thursday.
When , some community members questioned whether he was experienced enough to lead the 90,000-student district. But the school board members who hired him lauded his willingness to listen and his personal experiences as a bilingual student and educator in New York.
Five months into Marrero鈥檚 tenure, the board with an automatic one-year extension. Two years later, the board . Under that contract, the board had until Jan. 1, 2026 to decide whether to renew Marrero鈥檚 contract or allow it to expire and search for a new leader.
Newly elected or reelected board members are typically seated in December, which would have left a new board a few weeks to decide on the superintendent鈥檚 contract before Jan. 1.
If a new board were to fire Marrero without cause 鈥� meaning he hadn鈥檛 committed fraud or embezzlement, been convicted of a felony, or intentionally failed at his job 鈥� his contract says the district would owe him a severance payment equal to 12 months of his salary. The district would also be required to provide him with family health insurance benefits for a year.
Several community members spoke at Thursday鈥檚 meeting, some in favor and some against extending Marrero鈥檚 contract.
Longtime DPS educator and leader Darlene LeDoux said Marrero is a rarity as an award-winning, Afro-Latino superintendent and deserves the chance to continue leading the district.
鈥淒r. Alex Marrero is exceptional,鈥� LeDoux said. 鈥淗e leads with courage, clarity, and heart.鈥�
Denver parent Lynne Ly, who co-founded a group that advocated for some board members to resign, said there hadn鈥檛 been enough community input on the contract extension or a new performance evaluation to show the improvements Marrero had made.
鈥淚f you truly believe this extension is deserved, then show us the evidence,鈥� Ly said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 expect the community to quietly sit back while decisions are made in the dark.鈥�
Marrero鈥檚 next performance evaluation, based upon , is scheduled for October.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Her work frequently appears on air at 糖心vlog传媒 91.5 FM and online at 糖心vlog传媒.org. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.