At March’s rescheduled Montezuma Cortez RE-1 school board meeting on April 4, the Board discussed class sizes, state testing and options for Mesa Elementary after the recent state panel visit, among other items.
Superintendent Tom Burris told the board about his trip to Denver with several district faculty members to discuss topics including student achievement and special education with representatives and senators.
Because of teacher shortages and the district’s low starting pay for teachers, Burris said staff were beginning discussions about increasing class sizes for the next school year.
“Increasing classes is never popular, but we are in a difficult position with starting pay,” he said in the report.
Assistant Superintendent Eddie Ramirez, who is filling in as director of finance until a new one is appointed, informed the board of various capital reserve requests including a couple of vehicles to replace those in need of replacement.
A 2022 Ram Promaster-City cargo van/wagon to transport food to campuses in the district would cost $35,899 through state purchasing. A 2023 Chevrolet Traverse could be acquired through governmental purchasing for $33,808.
The district also has received quotes of $21,033 and $19,745 for a replacement boiler at the high school.
The district also received two donations from the LOR Foundation – one for $9,995 for the purchase of new instruments for the Montezuma-Cortez Middle School music program, and another $9,995 for the middle school’s weight room equipment.
Ramirez noted that they are working to apply for a School Health Professional Grant Program as well. The grant request is for $120,000 and would go toward behavioral and mental health work in the schools.
The LOR donations and School Health Professionals grant were later approved by the board in action items.
Executive Director of Student Academic Services Jim Parr gave an update on state testing that is underway in the district, and how well students need to test for the district to be up to state standards.
The state tests that students will take are Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), Colorado Alternative Assessment for High Needs Students (CoAlt), Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
According to Parr, the expected rate for state accountability is 95%, and low ratings from the district could happen if a low number of students complete the testing. He emphasized that student participation is key achieving state standards.
“This will require a massive effort on all parts to meet this percentage, but it is possible,” he said. “If we fail to have all students participate in testing, then we don’t have the ability to tell our own story, and others in the state will draw their own conclusions about our district. Please encourage everyone to participate in state testing.”
The state testing dates for the county are March 27-April 27 for grades three through eight, April 10-27 for grades five, eight and 11, and April 12 for the SAT and PSAT for grades nine, 10 and 11.
Mesa Elementary is under state review after its fifth year on the accountability clock. Members of the state review panel visited the school on March 15 and 16 to help make recommendations on how the school can improve moving forward, along with possible repercussions if there is no improvement.
Multiple options were given, and the district has been asked to inform the panel of their preferred option for Mesa Elementary.
The pathways offered by the panel are school closure, conversion to a charter school, innovation status, community school, or partial or complete partnership with external management.
The district decided their preferred option for the school moving forward is to partner with external management. Even with this preference, however, there is no guarantee that the state will move forward with that option.
The state panel will let the district know which pathway they officially choose for Mesa toward the end of April.
To proactively move forward with helping schools districtwide improve their performance, the district applied for several Empowering Action for School Improvement grants, many of which they were awarded. Mesa Elementary received $30,000 to go toward its diagnostic review.
The board approved new district accountability committee bylaws that were revised on March 6, along with approving HVAC equipment purchases for the middle school at $729,832 and Beech at $78,623.
The board also approved the SPED Audit Services Proposal for $17,400 from Ventura AZ LLC.
The next school board meeting will take place April 18 at 6 p.m.
