At their Dec. 6 meeting, the Dolores County School District RE-2J swore in new board members and shared details about new curriculum, the elementary school construction, and redistricting.
Newly elected board members took the oath of office and were given roles on the board.
Director Kimberly Alexander was chosen as board president and Chase Davis will continue as vice president. Crystal Jarmon is the board secretary and Donella Fury, the treasurer.
Stacy Hankins was appointed board secretary. She also is in charge of human resources for the district and works as district administrative assistant.
A report shows that construction of the new elementary school was on schedule, and the steel frame was nearly complete.
Walls and going up and other aspects, such as plumbing, are beginning to take shape.
“Procurement and ordering is on schedule to account for the many different lead times for different products or materials,” the report said.
The stucco has been applied to the Memorial Hall Gymnasium, which the board said is “looking good with a new face-lift.”
Other updates and renovations to be done outside of Memorial Hall will be completed in spring.
The board also began discussing needed updates for the secondary school, including a new phone system, codes for door locks, a fire alarm panel and new security features.
“The phone system we currently have will not work with any new systems, so updating the phone system will ensure that communication across the district is possible,” they said.
District technology director Dealila Huskey reported that she has been busy working on all the low-voltage needs of the new school along with her regular duties.
She reported that the district will change Internet companies once the new elementary school building is completed, which “will provide a significant cost savings” and improved service, according to Huskey and the board.
In his superintendent report, Superintendent Ty Gray addressed the mill levy certification, saying they will have a special meeting to approve our certification soon.
“We will let you know and try to get it done as soon as possible,” he said.
The board approved moving forward with Studer Education, which is a new curriculum the district will begin utilizing in January. The board said the plan’s scope of services aligns with their strategic plan and with other initiatives in the district, such as perception surveys.
Their report also pointed out that it encompasses the education scope of work with its integrated leadership development, strategic plan scorecards, action planning, surveys for students, teachers, family/community and board development.
The cost of the program is $51,400 annually for three years. The board noted that Roxie Guynes has been working on getting the Stronger Connections Grant for the district, and if awarded, the grant will help pay for the Studer Education curriculum as well as other needed safety and security measures.
The board is beginning the process of redistricting district boundaries to accommodate the detachment of Rico to Telluride for the next school year.
According to the board, the boundaries will have to be adjusted to account for Rico’s move.
“Once the boundaries are redone, if multiple directors are residing in a new district they will continue serving as a board member through their term,” they said.
A vacancy was also declared for Director District E. The board will be taking letters of interest from anyone in District E who is interested in joining the board.
The board approved the meeting dates for 2024 with three adjustments from the third Wednesday of each month. The three months changed are March 13, April 24 and Dec. 11.
