With a growing community comes the growing responsibility to nurture the growing minds of our  young learners. In Brighton Crossings, we take pride in what’s made right here in our community, including our next generation of leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and community members.

That’s why we’ve been teeming with excitement to welcome Padilla Elementary to Brighton Crossings! On the other side of Venture Park from Venture Center & Water Park is our very own elementary school.

To kickstart the school year, we did a fun question & answer with Padilla’s very own Principal Kevin Purfurst:

Q:  Hey Kevin! Great to meet you. Let’s get started with learning a little about you… Where are you from?

A: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me! I was born and raised in Colorado, and have never found a reason to leave. I grew up in Westminster but spent a good deal of time during my childhood in Brighton as my grandparents lived here. My father is a product of 27J Schools himself. I’ve been in 27J for 9 years, with time at Prairie View High School, Prairie View Middle School, and North Elementary School. 

Q:  You probably have plenty of interesting stories, but what we really want to know is, what sparked your passion for education?

A:  Growing up, both of my parents were teachers, so I’m sure some of the interest in education came from them. But, the distinct moment I remember real-izing that education was what I wanted to put my life’s work into was when reading an article many years ago. The general concept of the article was that the zip code that a student grows up in has an incredibly strong correlation with their lifetime earnings. It went on to say that zip codes are also a strong indicator of the quality of school a student will attend. This made me realize that something beyond the control of most children, the zip code they grew up in, was at least in part determinative of the quality of their lives. That realization made me want to help impact at least part of that equation, the quality of education students received. I wanted to help make sure that as many kids got a quality education as possible. 

Q:  We’re so excited for the opening of our brand-new elementary school. Tell us, what makes Padilla Elementary unique?

A:  One of the first commitments we made when opening Padilla was to hire the very best teachers and staff. I believe that we have done that, and that those adults that we will put in front of students beginning in August are what will make Padilla a special school. In addition to the people, Padilla will be the first el-ementary school in 27J to offer Project Lead the Way, a STEM-based program. Finally, we are committed to high expectations for our students. We believe that with a rigorous learning environment with the right academic and social-emotional supports provided by caring adults, all of our students will leave Padilla with the ability to be whatever they want in life. 

Q: We’re sure you’re excited, too. What do you look forward to the most in the upcoming school year?

A: Meeting all of our students! Having students walk through the hallways of our beautiful new school, getting to know each and every one of them, and learning about what makes each student unique is the single most exciting thing for me. 

Q: What would you like students and parents to know going into the upcoming school year?

A: We are committed to creating a community school for your child and our community that empowers students to open the doors to their future.