Pueblo's Chavez Huerta seeks new leader after school's second CEO in 16 months resigns

Chavez Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy is again searching for a new president and CEO following the resignation of Christian De La Oliva.

De La Oliva, whose resignation becomes official on Jan. 19, declined to comment on his departure to the Chieftain. He will be the second Chavez Huerta president and CEO to resign since September 2022. His decision to resign was confirmed by school attorney Richard Orona in a statement shared with the Chieftain.

"The CHPA family wishes Mr. De La Oliva and his family the best in their future endeavors," according to the statement. "The CHPA Board of Directors is committed to ensuring that our institution continues to be a beacon of academic excellence and community engagement."

De La Oliva took over as Chavez Huerta president and CEO on July 1, 2023, after a national search to replace Hal Stevens. Stevens had served as president and CEO for four months before resigning in September 2022.

Prior to his hiring, De La Oliva's resume included over two decades of experience in Denver Public Schools as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. He also helped start two private schools in Peru and was an executive leadership coach at the San Diego County Office of Education.

In July 2023, De La Oliva told the Chieftain that his priorities for Chavez Huerta included improving student achievement, increasing teacher resources, addressing declining enrollment and increasing financial transparency.

Concerns about student achievement and a lack of financial transparency at Chavez Huerta were mentioned by Pueblo School District 60 charter school liaison Tom Weston in his annual report in February 2023, five months before De La Oliva joined the Chavez Huerta team.

Chavez Huerta did see slight academic growth in its School Performance Framework scores between 2022 and 2023, jumping from an "improvement" rating of 46.3% to an "improvement" rating of 51.3%, according to scores finalized in December 2023.

What's next for Chavez Huerta?

The search for a new Chavez Huerta CEO will be initiated by the school's board of directors. The individual selected through the search process is to meet "high standards" determined by the school, be passionate about education and bring a "fresh perspective," according to Orona's statement.

"The Board and CHPA staff are fully committed to maintaining the continuity of our educational programs and the overall well-being of our students during this period of change," the statement said. "As CHPA embarks on this new chapter, we are confident that, together, we will continue to provide a nurturing and enriching educational experience for all our students."

Chavez Huerta is a kindergarten through 12th grade charter academy consisting of Cesar Chavez Academy, Ersilia Cruz Middle School and Dolores Huerta Preparatory High. The academy is known for it's early college program that graduated 42 seniors with college credit in 2023.

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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Chavez Huerta school CEO De La Oliva resigns after 6 months