The Montezuma-Cortez school district recently confirmed it would not be renewing its contract with the Southwest Education Collaborative.
The collaborative exists to provide resources, support and educational opportunities to local students. Districts that partner with the collaborative are able to access exclusive services and benefits, according to the collaborative’s executive director, Clara Raley.
Though the district will not be continuing its membership, Raley said district students will still have access to some of the offerings the collaborative provides.
“While we respect and understand their decision, we remain committed to fostering opportunities for career-connected learning across the region in ways that enhance the benefits provided to our member districts,” Raley told The Journal. “Students and educators in MCSD still have access to resources and opportunities available through statewide and regional initiatives, as well as ongoing support from the collaborative’s broader efforts to strengthen career pathways across Southwest Colorado.”
One example Raley gave was that the collaborative will continue to engage with students in the Montezuma-Cortez school district through their Student Leadership Academy, which aligns with their “existing commitments.”
The collaborative has been the entity in charge of putting on the Future’s Fair for the past few times it has taken place. Raley shared that they are speaking with several organizations, including MCSD, about doing a Montelores Hire Me Fair in the spring.
“Since one of the collaborative’s core goals is to avoid duplicating efforts, we aim to coordinate opportunities that complement and enhance local initiatives while ensuring the greatest impact for our member districts,” Raley said.
Raley added that they are looking at ways the collaborative could potentially work with non-partner schools in other ways.
“While we are in the early stages of exploring the possibility of offering limited ways for nonmember districts to engage with specific services, such as regional fairs, these efforts would be carefully designed to support broader regional goals without compromising the depth of collaboration and resources available exclusively to our members,” Raley said.
When asked about the district’s contract, Superintendent Tom Burris stated that not renewing the contract made the most sense at this point in time, as they do not have staff who are trained to operate the equipment the collaborative offers, making it difficult to utilize the collaborative as it is intended.
“MCSD had not utilized the equipment that had been offered by the collaborative because we do not have the personnel trained to operate the equipment,” Burris said. “Until we are able to build out that capacity, it is not in the financial scope to fund the collaborative.”
MCSD could eventually partner with the collaborative again in the future, however.
“We value the partnerships we’ve built and are hopeful that our discussions with MCSD in March will lead to a renewed collaboration that strengthens opportunities for their students while continuing to prioritize the value we provide to our member districts,” Raley said. “We welcome the Montezuma-Cortez School District back into SWCEC at any time, as collaboration across the southwestern corner of rural Colorado is vital to our common goal, working toward the best opportunities for all of our children and youth.”
“We are still in conversation, and when the need arises, we will consider reentry into the collaborative,” Burris said.
The collaborative specifically engages in career and college pathways in the realm of health sciences, building trades, environmental, educator and more.
Along with offering hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment for partner districts to utilize, they also help students find the career they are interested in through job shadow opportunities, summer camps and internships.
