Our teachers and staff continue to create exceptional learning opportunities for our students. From innovative project-based learning experiences to the inspiring work showcased in our students' Portrait of a Graduate portfolios, we're seeing remarkable growth and achievement across our schools. The recent student-perception survey results affirm that our students feel engaged and supported in their learning journey. We are also seeing some huge gains on our midyear assessments in reading and math, and will share those results soon.
I'm particularly excited to invite you to be part of two initiatives that will help shape our district's future: advisory councils and work-based learning opportunities.
Parent/Guardian and Student Advisory Councils
The Superintendent's Parent/Guardian Advisory Council and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council provide opportunities to share perspectives and to contribute to district initiatives, including the development of our Durango Education Foundation's MakerBus/Ignite program. These initiatives will bring hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning experiences directly to our students and communities.
- If you're interested in joining the Superintendent's Parent/Guardian Advisory Council, please click here to complete the interest form.
- Students may express their interest in joining the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council by completing this form.
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
We are expanding our work-based learning opportunities for students. If you own a business or know of businesses that might be interested in providing internships, apprenticeships, or other work-based learning experiences for our students, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete our brief survey to help us create meaningful career exploration opportunities for our students.
I also want to update you on important developments in our district:
- Miller Middle School: The school staff, students, families, and community have shown incredible flexibility during their transition to a new building, managing ongoing construction while maintaining an excellent learning environment.
- Bond-funded projects: We are moving forward with the following:
- Construction of a new school at Three Springs to replace Florida Mesa Elementary
- Implementation of needed maintenance projects across the district
- Installation of new furniture in all schools
- Development of affordable rental housing solutions for our employees
- While these bond funds may only be used for construction and capital projects, they represent significant improvements to our educational facilities.
- District funding challenges: The state is currently experiencing a budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion due to TABOR constraints and increased program costs. Governor Polis’ proposed budget could potentially reduce our district's funding by approximately $1 million for the coming year. We are actively advocating against these cuts to ensure we maintain the resources needed to provide your children with the best possible education.
Your engagement in our school community is vital to our success. Whether through participating in the Advisory Council, offering work-based learning opportunities, or simply staying informed and engaged with your child's education, your involvement makes a difference. We will continue to keep you updated on both our progress and challenges as we move forward.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools and your partnership in educating our students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Karen Cheser
Superintendent
P.S. Remember to:
- Consider joining the Superintendent's Parent/Guardian Advisory Council.
- Encourage your student to join the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council.
- Complete the work-based learning opportunities survey.