The Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school board on Tuesday approved its mill levy override disbursement plan and its second application to withdraw from the San Juan BOCES, and discussed teacher housing and adding an additional school resource officer to the district.
The monthly meeting began with an executive session to discuss legal advice about funds received from the recently passed mill levy override.
After the executive session and a presentation about English language arts, reading and math intervention, the board briefly celebrated the wrestling teams’ recent successes.
Superintendent Tom Burris shared that the district has a contract with Kwame Spearman for services in an attempt to turn Manaugh Elementary School into housing for teachers. The contract was discussed later during action items.
Burris added that they have sent out a survey to gauge interest and thoughts about potential teacher housing. The Gates Foundation has awarded the district a $10,000 planning grant as they consider turning the school into teacher apartments.
Burris’s report included an update on the allocation of mill levy funds. Though he said that the plan is “solid,” he added that the difficult part of creating the plan was the drastic fluctuations of property values in Montezuma County.
The district’s desire to pull out of BOCES was brought up again later in action items.
After a report about the science of reading and STAR assessments by Jim Parr, executive director of student academic services, principals from Kemper, Mesa and Lewis-Arriola elementary schools updated the board on their goals, which include developing a love of reading and emphasizing reading comprehension.
High school Principal Jennifer Boniface said the school is focusing on areas where students are struggling. She said she was happy with the “positive growth.”
One of the target areas Boniface mentioned was “complicated vocabulary terms” that hinder students from completing their homework, and tackling grades that come in as a zero.
Middle school Principal Drew Pearson echoed the elementary school presentations, sharing the middle school’s goal of improving writing and reading comprehension, as well as focusing on vocabulary.
In discussion items, the board was provided information about potentially adding an additional school resource officer to the district. Right now, the memorandum of understanding between the district and the Cortez Police Department, which provides the SRO, says that the district and the police department will each cover 50% of the SRO’s position.
PD Assistant Chief Andy Brock told The Journal on Monday that the SRO’s wage changes each year that the officer qualifies for a wage increase.
The SRO’s 2024 salary was $30,253, and this year, after the city’s wage increase, the salary will be $33,183.
Assistant Superintendent Eddie Ramirez noted that he has made an appointment with Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin to discuss a second SRO, as the Cortez PD is not able to reallocate a second officer to a SRO position at this time. The current SRO is Karla Ross.
The Southwest Open School charter renewal was approved, with all board members except for Rhonda Tracy voting in favor of the renewal.
The board unanimously approved its second application to withdraw from the San Juan BOCES and approved the contract with Kwame Spearman, a housing consultant in Denver, to work as a consultant for potential teacher housing.
The board also approved the mill levy override revenues that will be used to increase teacher and paraprofessional base pay for the 2025-26 school year. The increase was noted as $7,000 for teachers and $2,100 for paraprofessionals per year.
The funds will be paid in “equal monthly installments” from September to August.
For the 2024-25 school year, disbursements will be provided March to August in “equal monthly installments” that total $3,500 for teachers and $1,050 for paraprofessionals.
This will be reviewed annually by the board.
The next Montezuma-Cortez board meeting is Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
