At its January meeting, the Dolores County 2J School District in Dove Creek celebrated Board Appreciation Month, discussed their open board seat and gave an update on the progress of the new elementary school.
Because January is Board Appreciation Month, the board was presented with a cake as a thank-you for their service in the Dolores County School District.
After the celebration, board President Kimberly Alexander informed the board that they have received one letter of interest for the open seat in District E.
The seat has been empty since former board President Jenny Smith termed out in November. After discussing the letter, the board approved Denny Beanland to fill the vacant District E seat.
Next, the board gave an update on the new elementary school building, built with funds from the BEST grant.
Most of the exterior wall studs are in place, and sheeting is going up around the new elementary school building. The roof is also partially complete, and construction crews hope dry the building by the end of the month.
Utility installation is nearly complete, and conversations surrounding moving the current elementary school into the new building at the end of the school year to be ready for the fall 2024 semester also took place.
The board also discussed their 2024-2025 school year calendar, but there were little to no changes from the 2023-2024 school calendar.
The district revised budget was presented, and the board approved to meet the Jan. 31 deadline on that budget.
The revenues for the new budget are higher than originally expected, the board said.
The board also approved the change in their substitute teacher pay scale to ensure it aligns with state minimum wage requirements.
Toward the end of the meeting, the board submitted two sealed bids for a new tractor for the district’s maintenance department. The tractor will be used for snow removal and other maintenance needs, according to the board.
In action items at the end of the meeting, the board voted to approve the purchase of the tractor from Stotz Equipment in Cortez, as well as some other action item decisions.
