49 Voices: A D49 Podcast

At School District 49, we like to say wherever you want to go, D49 is a great place to start. In this episode of 49 Voices, we begin a series we’re calling the Super Set. We'll hear directly from seven schools in the D49 portfolio who entered this school year having achieved the Colorado Department of Education's Distinction rating on their overall performance framework. In episode one of the Super Set, we dig into the background of why these campus-level victories are driving D49’s journey t...

In the summer of 2024, the City of Lights called athletes and spectators from around the world for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. As School District 49 geared up for the start of the fall semester in Colorado Springs and eastern El Paso County, a member of the D49 workforce had an overseas assignment: coach a determined wrestler pursuing her dreams of becoming an Olympic champion. In this episode, we welcome U.S. Gold Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, and Vladislav Izzy Izboinikov, from D4...

Among School District 49’s fundamental, strategic priorities or big rocks, are a commitment to offering exceptional choices and launching students to success. The two go hand-in-hand and take center stage at the start of the calendar year, which is widely recognized as a chance to consider school choice… and the time that many school districts encourage students and families to select the school that provides the best educational opportunities.In this episode of 49 Voices, D49 Superintendent ...

Learning opportunities at School District 49 extend well beyond the classroom. Some include a uniform and military title of cadet. It’s the world of the junior reserve officers training corps, or JROTC, which D49 offers in each of its three traditional high schools. In the first episode of season two of 49 Voices, D49 Superintendent Peter Hilts welcomes Sand Creek Zone JROTC Instructor Ryan Pontius, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Brianna Phillips, Sand Creek High senior and J...

The name of the podcast is 49 Voices. We are grateful you are here to listen to our story. Listening is a key component of learning, and in D49’s culture and strategy of continuous improvement we know we must listen to the voice of the student. Student feedback gives us information we can act on to make their experience at school meaningful and enriching, which speaks to our priorities of building firm foundations, offering exceptional choices and launching successful students. In this ...

Their appearance is unmistakable. Their purpose: essential. The yellow school bus is a fixture in traffic patterns as far as the eye can see. Counting a traditional school day, field trips, sporting events… These workhorses of school districts far and wide… along with those who drive them are as fundamental to education as the apple sitting on a teacher’s desk. In this episode, D49 chief executive officer Peter Hilts welcomes Jack Pietraallo, our director of transportation. We’ll dig int...

On the surface, or at first glance, the term digital convergence evokes a melding of electronic media with the everyday… or perhaps stories in pop culture that transport humans into a world of computers, programs and code.In this episode, D49 Chief Executive Officer Peter Hilts visits with Brian Smith, Falcon Zone leader. We'll explore the Falcon Zone, where D49 schools and teachers are using digital convergence to drive performance in the classroom…while climbing to national role-model statu...

In this episode we visit with KXRM FOX 21 Chief Meteorologist Matt Meister, who takes us through why experts like him have to reach far and wide to put together a forecast that best serves southern Colorado. D49 Chief Executive Officer Peter Hilts weighs in on why tracking quickly changing weather patterns matters as we live up to our commitment of delivering top-notch education for all learners. We’ll also talk about what goes in to announcing the two-word combo students (and others) love to...

In this episode of 49 Voices, D49 Superintendent Peter Hilts visits with Mike Wedor, principal of Skyview Middle School Principal. As one of seven schools carrying the distinction rating from the Colorado Department of Education, we’ll learn more about what it means to be a Skyview Eagle, and the Skyview pursuit of excellence.

As the Chief Executive Officer of School District 49, Peter Hilts spends his days serving the students, families and the workforce of the fastest growing district in the state of Colorado. His is a story of passion for educating young learners on their chosen pathway to success. While not deeply engaged with his duties as CEO, you may find Peter skillfully eluding bears while sport-fishing in Alaska (true story) and criss-crossing the country to fulfill another of his passions: Fatherhood. On...