In her September newsletter, acting Dolores Superintendent Alesa Reed provided an update on the start of the school year, attendance, mill levy and BEST grant progress.
Reed started by welcoming students, staff and parents back to school, saying that the start of school reminded her of when her children were students in the Dolores school district.
She spoke of the district’s pursuit of excellence with the goal of positively impacting students who attend and the community in which the school is part of. Reed added that they will continue on working to see growth in areas that need improvement.
“To attain excellence, we will continue establishing high behavioral, academic and personal standards at all levels. We excel now in some areas, and we will put more time and effort into others,” Reed said. “I appreciate the standards and expectations our staff and building administrators set to continue building pride in our school district and campus.”
Attendance improved during the last school year, something Reed credited to the support of the entire school community.
“We are deeply grateful for everyone's efforts in ensuring our students are in school, participating with their peers and engaging in academics and activities that enrich their school experience,” Reed said.
Reed also pointed to the many teams that are working “for the betterment of our school,” speaking to the projects they are working on this school year and thanking them for their work.
The District Accountability Committee was mentioned first, and Reed noted that the group is made up of people who want to see public education succeed and thrive in Dolores.
“They receive charges from our board of education and then work to accomplish those charges meaningfully,” Reed said.
The mill levy override task force is supporting the district by helping retain student supplies, equipment and teacher salaries through a tax renewal that will amount to $360,000, if passed by voters.
The proposed mill levy override will not increase taxes, according to the district. Instead, it would reduce the current tax rate by $30,000 while still helping provide for “the district’s most important needs.”
If passed, the mill levy would be used for staff recruitment and retention, most notably salary increases, as the district has shared that the average Dolores teacher salary is about $45,000, which is lower than the three neighboring school districts.
Instructional materials, classroom technology and supplies to “provide the best learning resources for students and teachers,” according to the district.
A page dedicated to mill levy override information and frequently asked questions can be found online on the Dolores school district’s website at https://doloresschools.org/2024-mill-levy-faq/.
The building committee, which consists of parents, members of the community and staff, has also been meeting in hopeful preparation for receiving the BEST grant in November.
Currently, the committee is working on a timeline for the state that will help determine the work to be accomplished before the election in November and what will happen after the election, should the district be awarded the BEST grant.
“We are choosing to move forward aggressively as we are determined we will prevail this November,” Reed finished.
The Dolores school board meeting is set to take place Monday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
