A career-training campus in Centennial that once had to turn away hundreds of eager students has thrown open its doors this school year, nearly doubling its footprint and adding nine new career pathways for Cherry Creek School District teenagers. The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, which sits on 40 acres in the Dove Valley area, is now built to serve about 3,300 students as newer offerings come fully online, up from the 1,800 students enrolled before the expansion began.
The growth follows years of demand that outpaced the original building. According to Denver7, the campus carried an 850-student waitlist before the expansion, and CCIC Principal Steve Day had reported ahead of the November 2024 bond vote that roughly 300 applicants for fall 2024 alone had to be turned away simply because there wasn't room for them, as CBS News Colorado reported at the time. That crunch is a big part of why district voters were asked to weigh in on a massive facilities package the following month.
Cherry Creek School District voters approved Ballot Measure 4B in November 2024, a $950 million capital construction bond that, per The Villager, financed the roughly $100 million CCIC expansion alongside major building replacements across the district. As part of that same ballot measure, voters supported adding 10 new pathways and 130,000 additional square feet at the campus, the district's reporting notes. Construction broke ground in January 2025, intending to nearly double the campus footprint in time for the 2026–2027 school year, according to the same source.
Nine New Pathways, From Welding to Film
The original Cherry Creek Innovation Campus opened in 2019 as a standalone 117,000-square-foot career and technical education facility, according to reporting cited in the district's own coverage. It now occupies 18 acres of its 40-acre site and offers 25 total career pathways to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders across the district. The expansion added nine additional pathways: welding, emergency medical technician, motion design, film, veterinary assistant, baking and pastry, automation, robotics and mechatronics, aerospace technician, and heating and air conditioning.
David Henderson, chief operating officer of Cherry Creek School District, identified welding and HVAC as among the most interesting new pathways, per Denver7's reporting. The campus outfits students with industry-grade tools, software, uniforms, and equipment as part of its career exploration model, and program alumni have reportedly gone on to work directly on the district's own construction projects, including the campus expansion itself.
An Alumnus Comes Full Circle
RJ Alameini, a CCIC alumnus who signed up for the manufacturing pathway in 2024, earned hands-on Haas certifications and industry certifications using SolidWorks during his time at the campus, Denver7 reports. Cherry Creek School District says that about 75% of participating students continue to college, while the district also may place graduating students directly into district workforce positions.
Admission to CCIC runs through a lottery after applications close, and the school does not factor attendance, behavior, or GPA into eligibility decisions. Students can apply beginning in December, with applications remaining open until February. Because pathway coursework happens alongside a full slate of classes at students' home high schools, the district runs direct bus transportation between CCIC and home campuses, with morning sessions arriving at 8:50 a.m. and afternoon sessions arriving at 12:05 p.m., according to Cherry Creek Innovation Campus.
Part of a Bigger District-Wide Push
CCIC's growth isn't happening in isolation. The same November 2024 bond measure funded a groundbreaking in May 2025 on renovations to the IST Building at Overland High School, expanding that campus's own “Pathways at Overland” technical education offerings, according to the district. CCIC has also built partnerships beyond its own walls — in summer 2025, the campus teamed up with Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight at Centennial Airport to deliver hands-on instruction to 57 students pursuing FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant technician credentials.
The expansion also arrives amid strong statewide appetite for this kind of programming. A statewide survey of registered Colorado voters conducted in October 2025 by Magellan Strategies found that 83% view their local school district more favorably when it offers career and technical education programs, with 72% supporting equal emphasis on CTE and college preparation. Cherry Creek School District serves roughly 53,000 to 54,000 students across Arapahoe County, making it one of Colorado's largest districts, and CCIC's instructional staff has drawn outside recognition as well — Construction Trades teacher Jim Dosky was named a national finalist for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2024.
Cherry Creek School District's investment in hands-on career training in Centennial echoes a broader pattern of district facility upgrades this year, including a new joint stadium debut tied to the same bond-funded building push, as per Hoodline.
