News Archives 2006-07
State property tax freeze benefits Durango
taxpayers in 2008
Durango
School District 9-R property values have increased
from 22 to 48 percent during the past two years, and
that means property owners will pay more in school
taxes next year. But state legislation that freezes
most school-district tax rates in 2007 will keep local
tax bills lower than they otherwise might have been.
Read more
. . .
Posted:
June 29, 2007
Board seeks consultant to assist with superintendent
search
A
consultant with the Colorado Association of School
Boards said earlier this week that the new school board
elected in November should select the next superintendent
for Durango School District 9-R. Read more
. . .
Posted:
June 29, 2007
Board to resume videotaping meetings:
Video to be available on Web site for residents who don't get cable
The
Board of Education on Tuesday agreed to resume videotaping
board meetings for later broadcast on Durango Community
Access Television and the district's Web site. DCAT
will record the meetings using two cameras and will
broadcast the recording on Durango Cable Television
Channel 22 starting a week after the actual meeting.
District residents who can't or don't subscribe to
Bresnan Cable Services won't be able to watch the videorecordings
but will be able to download them from the district's
Web site. The board agreed to pay DCAT about $6,000
a year to record 21 board meetings.
The
board suspended videotaping about a year ago after
residents complained of poor sound and video quality.
Since then, the board invested more than $6,000 in
a new sound system, and audiotaped recordings have
been placed on the district Web site since December
2006. About 11 percent of district residents watch
DCAT, according to estimates developed from a City
of Durango survey of cable television subscribers.
Videotaping
will begin Aug. 14 and will be broadcast the following
week.
Posted:
June 29, 2007
Community Guide to School District Budgeting:
Durango
School District 9-R hosted its annual public hearing
for the 2007-08 preliminary budget during the regular
Board of Education meeting on June 6. The budget includes
a $1.5 million increase in revenues, almost all of which
will come from state funding. Unfortunately, this year's
budget also comes with a tax increase for property owners
in the district, because residential property, vacant
land, and business property values have increased signficantly
during the past two years.
Read
more about this year's budget and its impact on taxpayers
in the "Community
Guide to Understanding Colorado Public School Finance
and Durango School District 9-R Funding
Practices." This comprehensive guide will introduce you
to the Durango School District
9-R
preliminary budget for 2007-08.
School district
budgeting is different than private business budgeting
or personal budgeting and can be somewhat complex.
This guide will walk you through the basics, covering
the
budget’s main components. You’ll learn
where the money comes from, how the money is used,
and how
you can get involved in school district budget decisions.
For
more detailed information about your school district’s
budget, contact the Office
of Business Services at 247-5411, ext. 1429.
Posted:
June 8, 2007
DHS recognizes top 10 percent of graduating class
More
than 328 Durango High School graduating seniors will
receive their diplomas at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 26,
on the DHS football field, as the DHS graduating Class
of 2007.
The
top 10 percent of the class of 2007 graduates include
Marcy Allen, Scott Beans, Chelsea Borst, Christopher
Brennan, Rebecca Butler-Dines, Travis Campbell, Caitlin
Cassidy, Baxter Cochennet, Katie Garlick, John Gerstenberger,
Katherine Gottlieb, Lauren Hakes, Brittany Honisch,
Hilary Leroux, Sara Linville, Joshua Mallin, Christina
Martin, Zachary McGill, Pauras Memon, Caitlin Morgan,
Blake Morris, Leslie Murray, Ryan O’Block, Catherine
Olson, Arcadia Paine, Angelica Pozo-DesPortes, Breanna
Pritchard, Jennifer Schell, Megan Sebestyen, Irelyn
Shepard, Nisha Tracy, Mickey Wilson, Jane Worrall,
and Renny Young.
Posted:
May 22, 2007
DHS FFA chapter recognized as a top Colorado chapter
Durango
High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA)
was ranked fourth and classified a gold chapter, out
of 113 Colorado FFA programs for the 2007 Colorado
National Chapter Awards. The DHS FFA chapter will be
recognized in front of 49,000 FFA members at the National
FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October, where they
will be re-evaluated for the opportunity to be named
the top FFA chapter in the country. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 22, 2007
Secondary music ensembles perform well at competition
The
Miller Middle School Jazz Band, the Escalante Middle
School Choir, and Durango High School Orchestra recently
came home with awards after competing in the Music
in the Parks Festival held in Denver. The Durango High
School Orchestra received superior ratings and won “Best
in Class” and “Overall Best Orchestra” at
the festival – the second year in a row that
the orchestra took top honors at a competition. The
Escalante Middle School Concert Choir placed first
in its choir division. And the Miller Middle School
Jazz Band placed second in its division. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 22, 2007
FREE reading and writing classes inspire kids who hate
to read and write
If
you’re a parent who’s frustrated with your
student’s’ lack of interest in reading
and writing, you may want to consider the unique classes
offered this summer by the Fort Lewis College Teacher
Education Department in collaboration with Durango
School District 9-R.
FLC
Teacher Education Professor Gene Taylor and a team
of certified teachers and teacher education interns
once again will offer “Feeding Your Reading and
Igniting Your Writing” and “Reading and
Writing for People Who Hate to Read and Write” June
11 to July 5 at Fort Lewis College. Both
classes are free, but enrollment is limited. Enroll
here now
. . .
Classes
run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in
Room 219 of the FLC Education Business Building. Students
will not attend class on Friday during the four-week
course. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 22, 2007
District 9-R to refer unpaid lunch charges to collection
agency
Parents
who fail to pay their students’ delinquent lunch
charges from 2006-07 may be talking to a collection
agency this summer – unless they call the Nutrition
Services Department to set up a payment plan.
Director of Nutrition Services Krista Garand said this year’s outstanding
lunch charges exceed more than $16,500 – the highest amount she’s
seen during her three years with the district. The charges belong to 1,065
elementary and middle school students – or more than 30 percent of
the K-8 student population. Durango High School does not allow students to
charge their lunches, she said.
Deadline to pay outstanding lunch charges is Friday, May 25. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 22, 2007
DFEE honors outstanding employees
at annual recognition reception
Long-time
coach and physical education teacher Steve Thyfault
from Durango High School, sixth-grade teacher Cito
Nuhn from Miller Middle School, and reading specialist
Jane Carman from Park Elementary School were among
six staff members honored as the 2007 DFEE “Outstanding
9-R Employees of the Year” at its annual recognition
reception held Thursday, May 3, at Pat Murphy Motors.
DFEE honors one elementary, middle school, and high
school teacher every year.
The
non-profit organization also honors three staff members
each year, and this year’s award-winners include
Animas Valley Elementary Parent Partner Renae Muller,
District Nurse Jaynee Fontecchio-Spradling, and Sunnyside
Elementary Administrative Assistant Patty Haneman.
Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 11, 2007
District to explore improvements to Gifted-and-Talented
Program
Durango
School District 9-R will establish a new task force
beginning next fall that will study the district’s
gifted-and-talented program and will make recommendations
for enhancing and improving services.
Parents
whose children receive gifted-and-talented services
told the Board of Education last fall they were concerned
that gifted services were inconsistent from school
to school or their students weren’t receiving
the services that parents believed they needed. Superintendent
Mary Barter then pledged to conduct a system-wide analysis
of the district’s gifted-and-talented program
to address their concerns. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 11, 2007
School board hires local consultant to improve team work
The
Durango School District 9-R Board of Education has
hired local leadership consultant Tami Graham to advise
board members on improving their teamwork and leadership
skills. The board said it would seek a consultant earlier
this spring, when controversy arose over the board’s
leadership role in several personnel decisions. Graham
has worked with more than two dozen government agencies,
non-profit organizations, and private businesses on
board and staff training, leadership development, and
planning. Clients have included La Plata County, the
City of Durango, the U.S. Forest Service, the Mancos
and Cortez school districts and others.
She
has a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology
with graduate certificates in both organizational leadership
and conflict resolution from JFK University in California.
She also has served as executive director of the Animas
Conservancy Land Trust, KDUR Community Access Radio,
and the Braided River Mediation Center, all in Durango.
For
more information, contact Board Clerk Kristy Rodri
at 247-5411, ext. 1448.
Posted:
May 11, 2007
District nominates Seattle-area administrator as next
DHS principal
An
assistant principal and former award-winning science
teacher who served as the project director to transform
a large high school in Edmonds, Wash., into five smaller “schools-within-a-school” programs
is expected to become the next principal at Durango
High School.
Diane
Lashinsky, assistant principal and small schools facilitator
at Mountlake Terrace High School in the Edmonds School
District, was the top candidate to emerge from a pool
of 23 applicants. She will succeed Greg Spradling,
who resigned this spring after six years with the district.
Spradling will end the school year at Durango High
School. A committee of 21 district and community representatives
selected Lashinsky. Her appointment is expected to
be confirmed by the Board of Education at its regular
meeting on May 8. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 4, 2007
Former special ed administrator and resource teacher
to head Sunnyside
Longtime
Durango resident Lauri Kloepfer, who served as the
Aztec School District's director of exceptional programs
and who now works as a resource teacher at Riverview
Elementary, will join Sunnyside Elementary School as
its new principal.
Kloepfer's appointment is expected to be approved by the Durango School District
9-R Board of Education on May 8. She succeeds Victor Figueroa, who will become
the district's Director of Student Support Services in July. Read more
. . .
Posted:
May 4, 2007
Riverview parent to fill school board vacancy
A
parent of two Riverview Elementary School students
has been appointed to fill the District E vacancy on
the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education.
Board members selected Tammy Capdevielle to fill the
District E seat at a special session on Monday, April
30. She succeeds Mike Matheson, who resigned in March.
Capdevielle
moved from the Bay Area in California to Durango about
two years ago. She worked in the technology industry
in marketing and communications. She plans to run for
election to the board in November. When director district
vacancies are filled in the middle of the term of office,
the board member must ask voters to retain them at
the next general election. For more information, contact
Board Clerk Kristy Rodri at 247-5411, ext. 1448.
Posted:
May 4, 2007
District, state third-grade CSAP reading scores remain
stable;
advanced scores improve by 55 percent
Durango
School District 9-R third-graders continued to score
higher on the CSAP reading test than their peers statewide
for the seventh year in a row, according to test scores
released today by the Colorado Department of Education.
Of the 319 Durango third-graders who took the test
last February, 84 percent scored proficient or advanced.
Only 71 percent of third-graders statewide scored that
high. In addition, only 17 district students scored
unsatisfactory – about 5 percent of the total
third-grade population and well below the statewide
average of 10 percent unsatisfactory. Both district
and state scores overall have remained relatively stable
during the past seven years.
CSAP
tests are administered to students in third through
10th grades. The third-grade reading test measures
only one standard and is administered nearly a month
earlier than all other CSAP tests. Test scores are
released in spring to give schools an opportunity to
plan for the next school year. While 2007 test scores
are from a different group of students than those tested
in 2006, year-to-year comparisons give the school district
an indication of its instructional programs’ effectiveness.
The district also uses individual student test scores
as part of a “body of evidence” to address
individual student learning needs the following year.
Among
this year’s bright spots are improvements among
advanced students, Native American students, and Fort
Lewis Mesa Elementary students. The percentage of students
scoring advanced jumped from 9 percent in 2006 to 14
percent in 2007. The percentage of students scoring
unsatisfactory or partially proficient remained the
same at 15 percent, indicating that teachers were able
to move more students from proficient to advanced over
the previous year.
Read
the analysis here
. . .
See
test scores here
. . .
Posted:
May 3, 2007
DHS survey indicates respondents satisfied overall
with school, teachers, administrators
More
than 80 percent of respondents to a survey administered
last fall indicated they were satisfied overall with
Durango High School teachers' performance. And while
not as high as those that teachers received, the ratings
for high school administrators, central office administrators,
and the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education
indicate the majority of respondents also are satisfied
with their performance.
Results
from the board-sponsored survey of Durango High School
students, staff, and parents were posted on the district
Web site on Tuesday night following a board work session
during which the board reconfirmed its decision to
release only summaries of the results and the more
than 1,500 comments submitted with the online survey.
Last
fall, the board commissioned Durango consultant David
Kolb with Incite Learning, Inc., to develop an online
survey of Durango High School faculty, staff, students,
and families to better understand the perceptions they
may have about the high school, the high school administration,
central administration, and the school board. The board
selected Durango High School as a pilot site for the
survey, because the high school’s “attendance
area” encompasses the entire district, and therefore,
its enrollment and families are representative of the
district’s economic, vocational, and ethnic diversity.
The board conducted the survey as part of its work
to develop more effective monitoring assessments for
its policies.
The
survey asked respondents to rate various aspects of
the high school, its teachers, and administration and
asked respondents for comments if they rated attributes
on the lower or higher end of the 7-point scale. A
rating of 1 or 2 meant that the respondent disagreed
with a positively state attribute, and a rating of
6 or 7 indicated the respondent agreed. A rating of
4 indicates average. Incite Learning tabulated responses
from 96 DHS faculty and staff members, 402 students,
and 124 family members and summarized more than 1,500
comments. The board declined to release the verbatim
narrative because it contains personally identifiable
information about employees and students protected
as confidential by open records laws.
The
data overall indicate respondents' relative satisfaction
with high school, central office, and school board
performance:
- 83
percent of student, staff, and parent survey respondents
ranked DHS teachers "4" or higher.
- 79
percent of student, staff, and parent survey respondents
ranked the high school overall at "4" or
higher.
- 63
percent of student, staff, and parent survey respondents
ranked high school administration overall at "4" or
higher.
- 63
percent of student, staff, and parent survey respondents
ranked the central office administrationl overall
at "4" or higher.
- And
69 percent of student, staff, and parent survey respondents
ranked school board performance overall at "4" or
higher.
See
a copy of the survey summary here
. . .
Board to interview candidates on Monday
The
Durango School District 9-R Board of Education on Monday
will interview two candidates to fill a vacancy for
the District E seat during a work session beginning
at 5 p.m. in the board room.
Two
women have submitted letters of interest to fill the
District E vacancy on the Durango School District 9-R
Board of Education. They are:
- Tammy
Capdeville, a district parent with two students at
Riverview Elementary.
- Susan
Riess, a retired teacher from Massachusetts who also
served as president of the teachers association in
her school district.
The
Director District E seat was vacated by then-board
president Mike Matheson on March 7. The District E
term ends in November 2007 with the regular biennial
school board election.
Herald files open records request to release DHS survey,
staff, parent, student comments
The
Durango Herald today filed a formal request under the
Colorado Open Records Act for a copy of the results
of the Durango High School survey conducted by the
Board of Education last fall. The request asks the
district to provide copies of all survey summaries
and verbatim comments that respondents submitted. The
district now is required by law either to provide the
documents within three working days or to provide a
written statement of the grounds for denial, citing
the law or regulation that would preclude release.
During
a work session on Tuesday, the school board agreed
to publish a summary of the results and a synthesis
of the comments that teachers, students, staff, and
parents included in their survey responses if they
rated any category of teacher or administrative performance
at the highest or lowest end of a seven-point scale.
The board at this time does not intend to release the
verbatim comments, because the comments may still contain
personally identifiable information protected by state
and federal law.
The
Herald requested the comments "with the exception
of comments that inherently identify the author of
the comment." However, the open records law does
not require the district to edit a protected document
to create a public record. The board at this time does
not plan to edit the narratives to remove the personally
identifiable information, and therefore maintains that
the narratives remain a confidential document that
cannot be released to the public.
The
board will post the survey summaries without the comments
on the district Web site early next week, so that the
district community has access to the survey results
without releasing confidential information.
Two throw hats in ring for board
seat
Two
women have submitted letters of interest to fill the
District E vacancy on the Durango School District 9-R
Board of Education. They are:
- Tammy
Capdeville, a district parent with two students at
Riverview Elementary.
- Susan
Riess, a retired teacher from Massachusetts who also
served as president of the teachers association in
her school district.
The
board hopes to fill the vacancy by its May 8 meeting.
The Director District E seat was vacated by then-board
president Mike Matheson on March 7. The term ends in
November 2007 with the regular biennial school board
election.
Posted:
April 14, 2007
CDE commends school district on closing achievement gap
The
Colorado Department of Education commended Durango
School District 9-R on its progress toward closing
the achievement gap “as demonstrated with the
highest weighted index scores to date for writing and
math” in its annual accreditation report approved
by the Board of Education on Tuesday. The accreditation
report was based on 2005-06 student achievement data.
“Focusing
on closing the achievement gap . . . has served the
district well,” wrote reviewer Judy Check, the
CDE’s Southwest Regional Coordinator. The district
closed the achievement gap between Hispanic and Anglo
students from 2005 to 2006 by 6 weighted index points
on the CSAP reading test, 3 weighted index points in
writing, and 6 weighted index points in math. The CDE
calculates weighted index points in a complex formula
that results in one numerical value for the performance
of all students on the CSAP reading, writing, math,
and science tests. The CDE also calculates weighted
index points for specific groups of students based
on gender, ethnicity, income status, or special education
status. The weighted index points provide a method
of comparing district performance from year to year.
Read more
. . .
See
accreditation report here
. . .
Posted:
April 14, 2007
DAAC hosts accountability workshop
The
Durango School District 9-R Accountability Advisory
Committee will conduct a workshop on school accountability
programs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 23, in the
Durango High School cafeteria. The workshop will address
the roles of school- and district-level accountability
committees, school accountability reports, and state
and federal accountability regulations. The workshop
is open to the public, and parents and community members
interested in serving on an accountability committee
in 2007-08 are especially encouraged to attend. For
more information, contact Charmin Flowers at mcflowers@wildblue.net.
Posted:
April 14, 2007
New after-school program to focus on enrichment activities
Durango
School District 9-R hopes to team up with community
youth-services organizations and volunteers next fall
to provide more enrichment activities for elementary
students enrolled in its after-school programs.
And
if community meetings this spring are any indication,
plenty of non-profit organizations are willing to help.
“We
have a lot of great agencies in our community that
are already out there working with kids and that want
to work with kids in our schools,” said Libby
Culver, the district’s new administrator of special
programs. “We want to do a better job of working
with those agencies to create a quality, after-school
enrichment curriculum for our students." Read more
. . .
Posted:
April 14, 2007
Kindergarten registration
and preschool screening and registration dates
Durango
School District 9-R will hold kindergarten registration
and preschool screening and registration days at each
of the elementary schools from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
the following dates. Parents should bring their students’ birth
certificate and immunization information. Students
entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before
Oct. 1, 2007. Students entering preschool must apply
for enrollment.
•Sunnyside
Elementary School – Monday, April 23; 259-5249
• Park Elementary School – Tuesday, April 24; 247-3718
• Needham Elementary School – Thursday, April 26; 247-4791
• Florida Mesa Elementary School – Monday, April 30; 247-4250
• Riverview Elementary School – Tuesday, May 1; 247-3862
• Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School – Wednesday, May 2; 588-3331
• Animas Valley Elementary – Tuesday, May 8; 247-0124
Pre-registering
kindergartners and preschoolers allows teachers and
schools to better plan for the next school year. For
more information, contact the individual school, or
Libby Culver at 247-5411, ext. 1427.
Posted:
April 14, 2007
Board approves football coach selection
The
Durango School District 9-R Board of Education on Tuesday
approved the recommendation of a Durango High School
selection committee to hire Kyle Davis as the high
school's head football coach.
Davis has more than 36 years of coaching experience, including tenure as
head football coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla.,
from 2004 to 2006. As head coach, he built the NCAA Div. II from a team of
38 to 107 players; redesigned and refurbished all field, video, hard and
soft equipment programs, and increased the scholarship budget to allow all
football players to live on campus. Read
more . . .
Posted:
April 14, 2007
DHS rush night
Durango
High School activities and athletic programs will host “Rush
Night” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 16,
in the DHS commons and cafeteria for students to learn
more about DHS athletics and activities. Rush Night
is open to all eighth- through eleventh-graders from
Miller, Escalante, St. Columba, DHS, and their parents/guardians.
Coaches and sponsors will be available to answer questions.
For more information, contact Deawne Maddox at 259-1630,
ext. 2302
Posted:
April 6, 2007
Poudre School District administrator tapped for Student
Achievement position
Priscilla
Huston, the director of curriculum and instruction
for the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, has
been nominated to become the new Director of Student
Achievement in Durango School District 9-R.
The
Board of Education is expected to approve her appointment
at its April 10 meeting.
Huston
succeeds Donna Deeds, who resigned this month to pursue
work in Mexico. Deeds’ last day was March 28.
Huston will join the district this summer. She will
be responsible for supervising all school principals
and several other programs. Read
more . . .
Posted:
March 30, 2007
DHS science teachers to present proposals for new science
curriculum
Durango High School science teachers will present an overview
of the proposed new high school science curriculum at the
next Parent Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for 7
p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the DHS Media Center. The
meeting is open to the public. Parents and guardians of
current middle school and high school students are especially
encouraged to attend.
Each year, Durango School District 9-R reviews a curriculum
area to update content and teaching methods and
to recommend textbook and materials purchases for the
next year. This
year, teachers and administrators reviewed the
K-12 science curriculum, and Thursday’s meeting
will give the public an opportunity to review and comment
on the high
school science curriculum prior to its adoption
by the Board of Education this spring. More . . .
Posted:
March 27, 2007
Board of Education seeks applications to fill District
E vacancy
The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education seeks
applications from residents interested in filling the
Director District E seat recently vacated by Board President
Mike Matheson on Wednesday, March 7. The term ends in
November 2007 with the regular biennial school board
election.
To be eligible for appointment, a candidate
must have been a registered voter of the district for
at least
12 months prior to the election and must live within
District
E boundaries. District E has Florida Road as
its southeastern boundary and the Animas River and County
Road 250 as the western boundary. The school district
boundary is the eastern line and part of the northern
line of this district. The remaining north boundary is
the southeastern boundary of district A. District maps
are available in the District Clerk’s Office at
201 E. 12th St. in Durango.
Interested candidates should file a letter of interest
with Board Clerk Kristy Rodri by 5 p.m. on Friday, April
13. Board members will interview selected candidates
on Monday, April 30 and will appoint a director at the
May 8 regular board meeting.
The new Director of District E will be eligible for
re-election in November 2007. For more information, contact
Rodri at krodri@durango.k12.co.us or call 247-5411, ext.
1448.
Posted: March 16, 2007
DHS Culinary Team places third at state competition
The Durango High School ProStart Culinary team, comprising
Ace Else, Kayleigh Probst, Trevor LaBonte, and Will McLaughlin
(alternates were James Gonzales and Troy Gulec), placed
third in the Colorado State ProStart Culinary Competition
at the Johnson and Wales University in Denver.
The
team’s winning menu included hand tossed greens
with balsamic vinaigrette accompanied by mushroom-goat
cheese fritters and garnished with red bell pepper confetti
and aged balsamic. The entrée was a seared duck
breast with orange-merlot gastrique topped with wine
soaked dried cherries, accompanied by orzo sautéed
with bell peppers and red onion, paired with sautéed
asparagus and carrots. And for dessert, a mouth-watering
bosc pear was poached in Ruby Port, accompanied by a
dark chocolate pear bowl filled with rum sabayon, resting
on a port wine reduction. Read more . . .
Posted: March 16, 2007
Board to discuss new “Durango Creative Tech” program
A recommendation
to create a new magnet program that would prepare students
to enter college or other post-secondary
career programs by the time they’re juniors in
high school will be presented to the Durango School
District
9-R Board of Education at its regular meeting on Tuesday,
March 13.
If approved,
the brand-new magnet program will open as “Durango
Creative Tech: A 9-R Early College Program” in Fall
2007 with plans to transition fully into its new role by
Fall 2008. The program would be located in the Arts and
Sciences Building adjacent to the district’s Central
Administration Building on 12th Street, where the Excel
Charter School now operates. Excel will close as an independent
charter school at the end of the 2006-07 school year.
Students now enrolled at Excel will be allowed to complete
their
current academic program at Durango Creative Tech.
“We’re
proposing a highly individualized educational experience
that helps kids define their passions and helps
them fulfill the educational requirements needed to turn
their passions into careers. We want the program to make
education meaningful and purposeful for our students,” said
Julé Skoglund, who will serve as an interim administrator
through the transition. Skoglund has worked as a teacher
and principal at Excel for five years. Read more . .
.
Posted:
March 12, 2007
District seeks community, parent representatives
for DHS principal selection committee
Durango
School District 9-R seeks applicants to serve on the
selection committee that will recommend candidates
for the next Durango High School principal.
DHS Principal Greg Spradling resigned Feb. 27 after six years with the
district. The search will begin immediately with an
appointment expected in May. To apply, see story .
. .
District seeks parent input on DHS principal
selection
Durango
School District 9-R invites Durango High School parents
and family members to provide the Durango High School
Principal Selection Committee
with the qualities and experience they would like to see in the new principal.
See story to send us your ideas . . .
Posted:
March 5, 2007
DHS Academic Decathlon heads to Hawaii
for National competition
The
Durango
High School Academic Decathlon team is heading to Hawaii
for the National Academic Decathlon competition
after being named the Colorado State Championship Academic
Decathlon team. The closest and most dramatic finish
in the history of the competition left the DHS team’s
overall score at 37,391 points, and put them ahead of
Boulder with 37,242 points by less than half a percentage
point.
This was the first year that a team had ever crossed
the 37,000-point mark in Colorado. Durango brought
home 38
out of 99 medals. The team will travel to Hawaii the
last week in April to compete against teams across
the nation. Read more . . .
Posted:
March 5, 2007
Sunnyside principal selected
as next Director of Student
Support Services
Sunnyside
Elementary Principal Victor Figueroa has been nominated
to become the next Director of Student Support
Services, and in his new role, he’ll assume the new
responsibility of directing Durango School District 9-R’s
special education programs district-wide.
Figueroa’s
proposed appointment will be forwarded to the Board
of Education for its approval on the consent
agenda at its March 13 meeting. The meeting begins
at 5 p.m. in the board room at 201 E. 12th St. in Durango. Read more . . .
Posted:
March 5, 2007
Riverview community selects successor
to long-time Principal Jean Thweatt
An Eagle County master teacher has been nominated to become
the next principal for Riverview Elementary School.
Diane
Chambers, a master teacher in the Eagle County, Colo.,
Teacher Advancement Program at Eagle Valley and
Red Hill elementary schools, was the top candidate
to emerge from a selection process that involved a
16-member committee
of Riverview parents and staff. Her proposed appointment
will be forwarded to the Board of Education for its
approval on the consent agenda at its March 13 meeting.
The meeting
begins at 5 p.m. in the board room at 201 E. 12th St.
in Durango. Read more . . .
Posted:
March 5, 2007
Durango schools support local farms
during National School Breakfast Week
Locally
produced foods will take “center-tray” during
National School Breakfast Week in Durango School District
9-R cafeterias.
District 9-R, in conjunction with the Farm-to-School
association, will feature locally produced foods on the
breakfast menus
Monday through Friday, March 5-9, at every school in
the district. Menu items include granola from Turtle
Lake Refuge,
shaved ham from Sunnyside Meats, cracked wheat cereal
from Blue Horizon Farm, sausage from Cole Meats and Vegetables,
and tortillas from Tortillas Mas Finas. Read more . .
.
Posted:
March 5, 2007
Analysis of test scores indicates district closing
achievement gap between Anglo and Hispanic students
An analysis
of CSAP test scores, graduation rates, and drop-out
rates indicates that Durango School District
9-R is closing the achievement gap between Anglo and
Hispanic
students, but the performance gap between Anglo and
American Indian students continues to fluctuate. Read
more . . .
See "Closing
the Achievement Gap" section of annual report here
. . .
Posted: January 26, 2007
School board adopts Friday early dismissals for 2007-08;
district calendars now online
The
Durango School District 9-R Board of Education on Tuesday
adopted the 2007-08 academic calendar with an early
dismissal for all students on Fridays. Elementary students
will be released 90 minutes earlier and secondary students
60 minutes earlier on Fridays than the regular dismissal
time for each school.
Teachers
and staff will remain at work and will use that time
to employ “Professional Learning Communities,” a
research-proven school improvement model that requires
teachers to leave the isolation of their classrooms
to work with their peers to improve student performance.
As
a result of the change, Escalante, Miller, and Durango
High School students will start school on Monday, Aug.
20, and elementary students will start school on Wednesday,
Aug. 22, in Fall 2007. Early release will begin the
following week on Friday, Aug. 31. The bus schedule
will be adjusted to provide students transportation
home as soon as they’re dismissed. Read
more . . .
For
more information about Professional Learning Communities
and the Early Release Program, see the Frequently Asked
Questions page online at: http://www.durangoschools.org/pio/calendars.shtml
Posted:
January 19, 2007
New calendars now online
Calendars
for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 are now online at http://www.durangoschools.org/pio/calendars.shtml.
Teachers
will report for work on Wednesday, Aug. 15, in 2007.
Escalante, Miller, and Durango High School students
will begin classes on Monday, Aug. 20. Elementary students
will begin work on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
Early
release on Fridays will begin the following week on
Aug. 31.
Last
day of school will be Thursday, May 22.
Posted:
January 19, 2007
DHS
freshman registration to begin in February
Durango
High School staff and students will welcome Fall 2007
freshmen with an open house in February for the 2007-08
academic year. Students and parents are invited to
attend meetings designed to help parents and students
make good course selections for their first year of
high school.
DHS
counselors will distribute registration materials,
course description booklets, discuss classes available
to ninth-graders and provide instructions on how to
complete the course selection form to eighth-graders
on Thursday, Jan. 25, at Escalante Middle School and
on Thursday, Feb. 1, at Miller Middle School.
A
middle school parent meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Feb. 1, in the DHS cafeteria, where DHS counselors
will explain the registration process and will answer
any questions regarding course selections.
All
Escalante student course selection forms must be turned
into Dona Anderson at Escalante by Monday, Feb. 5.
DHS counselors will meet with all Escalante eighth-graders
to register their course selections on the DHS Student
Online Registration on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
All
Miller student course selection forms must be turned
into Rhonda Zellitti at Miller by Tuesday, Feb. 6.
DHS counselors will meet with all Miller eighth-graders
to register their course selections on the DHS Student
Online Registration on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Excel
Charter School or private school parents are welcome
to attend the parent meeting on Feb. 1. For more information,
contact David Blau at 259-1630, ext. 2308.
Posted:
January 19, 2007
DHS girls and boys basketball tickets for Cortez games
Durango
High School girls and boys basketball teams will play
long-time
rival Montezuma-Cortez High School
at 5
p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in Cortez. Tickets must be
purchased in advance – tickets will not be sold
to Durango fans at the door. DHS has received a total
of 200 tickets
from Cortez that can be purchased for $5 beginning
at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, until 12 p.m. on Thursday,
Jan.
25. Two tickets are reserved for parents of varsity
basketball players that must be purchased before 12 p.m.
on Wednesday,
Jan. 24, after that time the tickets will be sold to
the general public. To purchase tickets or for more information,
contact Deawne Maddox at 259-1630, ext. 2302.
Posted:
January 16, 2007
2006 Annual Report to the Public now online
Durango School District 9-R's Annual Report to
the Public is now online. It includes a summary of district
goals and accomplishments, student and staff demographic
data, district-wide CSAP results, AYP results, a summary
of progress on closing the achievement gap, and more.
The annual report is a useful compendium of information
for anyone who writes grants or who needs detailed information
about student achievement. See the report here . . .
Posted:
January 12, 2007
Internet Safety and cyberbullying presentation at Escalante
Escalante Middle School will host an Internet Safety
and Cyberbullying class for parents and students at
6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, at Escalante. Key
speakers include Officer Jeremiah Lee, Michelle Brown, Amy Kendziorski, and
Tim Arnold. A complimentary dinner will be served at 6 p.m., followed by
the presentation at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are requested;
call Penny Miller at
247-9490, ext. 2858 by Tuesday, Jan. 16 to reserve a spot. For more information,
contact Amy
Kendziorski at 247-9490.
Posted:
January 12, 2007
9-R moves toward opening school-based health center at
high school
Healthy kids
learn better, but many students in Colorado – and
Durango School District 9-R – have limited access
to low-cost, high-quality health services, putting their
learning at risk.
That's why the district hopes to establish a school-based
health center at Durango High School to provide students
with access to health care to improve student health.
The district recently received a $15,000 planning grant
to establish the center from the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment, announced Jaynee Fontecchio-Spradling,
who coordinates the district-wide healthy schools initiative.
The $15,000 grant is the first step in a three-step process
that will start with a thorough assessment of student health.
The planning team will survey parents, community members,
and under-represented segments of the school population.
The team also will form a coalition of area health-care
representatives who will provide services at the center.
Finally, the district will develop a strategic plan to
start the clinic with initial services based on student
health needs and the services coalition partners can provide.
The
district hopes to open the center in Fall 2007, and
with that goal in mind, the planning group will be surveying
parents and students this month about their needs. Read
more . . .
District proposes early dismissal on Fridays for students
in 2007-08 Your questions about early release answere here . . .
Durango
School District 9-R has proposed to end the school
week 60 to 90 minutes early on Fridays next year to
give teachers more time to work together to address
student learning needs. And if the Board of Education
approves the measure, middle school and high school
students will start classes on Monday, Aug. 20, while
elementary students will begin classes two days later
on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
The
Board of Education will consider the proposed academic
calendars for 2007-08 and 2008-09 as a discussion item
during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday,
Dec. 12. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. in the Central
Administration Board Room. See copies of the proposed
2007-08 and 2008-09 calendars here
. . .
Instruction time takes precedent over FLC spring break alignment
Durango
School District 9-R's spring break should remain the
last week of March, giving teachers and students more
time for instruction and learning prior to taking the
high-stakes CSAP tests, district principals and administrators
recommended this week.
The
Administrative Council - the district's management
team that includes school principals, department directors,
and central administrators - agreed with teachers to
schedule spring break the last week of March after
students had completed two weeks of CSAP exams. Spring
breaks will be March 24-28 in 2008 and March 30-April
3, 2009. Read more here
. . .
Nine district schools maintain or improve
academic performance rating on sixth-annual State Accountability Report
Nine
out of 11 Durango School District 9-R schools maintained
or improved their academic performance ratings, with
Sunnyside Elementary School earning its first "excellent" rating
on the sixth-annual State Accountability Reports released
Dec. 5 by Colorado Gov. Bill Owens. The accountability
reports will be mailed to district families in mid-December.
See links to accountability reports here
. . .
District 9-R winter program schedule
Schools throughout Durango School District 9-R will
celebrate the winter season with winter and holiday music
programs during the month of December. Community members
are invited to attend.
• Animas Valley winter program on Dec. 7
Animas Valley Elementary School will host its winter
music program “The Legend of Polar Mountain” at
6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, at Miller Middle School.
For more information, contact Nancy Bray at 247-0124,
ext. 3400.
• Miller
holiday concert Dec. 6
Miller Middle School choirs and advanced orchestra
will present their holiday concert “Carols Around
the World” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in
the Miller auditorium. The concert is free and the
public is invited to attend. The Fort Lewis College
brass ensemble and district music teachers will perform
as guest musicians. For more information, contact Kim
Farrell at 247-1418, ext. 2528.
• Sunnyside
winter program
Sunnyside Elementary School will host its winter music
program “The Big Chill” at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Sunnyside gym. For more information,
contact Evelyn Black at 259-5249, ext. 3772.
For more winter schedules click here More
Concerts
New district regulation limits distribution of non-school
materials
See
new regulation here . . .
Durango
School District 9-R has adopted a new regulation governing
flier and material distributions by outside organizations
in Durango schools, ending a moratorium that started
at the beginning of the school year.
The
new regulation allows limited distribution of non-profit
materials in schools and limits distribution of materials
through students’ take-home folders to school-sponsored
or school-related organizations. Read
more . . .
Durango High School team named southern regional champions
The
Durango High School Academic Decathlon team won the
Southern Colorado Academic Decathlon Regional championship
Nov. 12 at Adams State College in Alamosa. Academic
Decathlon is a nationwide competition in which high
school teams
compete in 10 different events. Teams Durango 1 and
Durango 2 finished first and second with 15,500 and
15,100 points
respectively; the third-place team had 11,500 points
by comparison. The students competed in mathematics,
economics,
history of modern China, climatology, interview, and
decathlon (overall score), winning eight out of nine
medals in climatology
and economics and all nine medals in History. Durango
also won all nine medals for the overall top Decathletes.
In
April DHS will compete against Boulder High School
for the state title and opportunity to represent Colorado
at
the National Academic Decathlon in Honolulu. Read more
...
Enrollment grows by 2.6 percent; schools back to pre-fire
populations See
individual school enrollments 2001 to 2006
Durango
School District 9-R’s enrollment grew by more
than 127 students this fall, returning enrollment to
the same numbers that existed prior to the 2001 terrorists
attacks and Missionary Ridge fires that devastated
the local economy.
The
official census submitted to the Colorado Department
of Education this week indicates that the district’s
total population grew from 4,820 students in Fall 2005
to 4,947 students this year. Enrollment in Fall 2001
was 4,930. The totals include students enrolled in
all district programs.
Enrollment
in the district’s regular pre-kindergarten through
12th-grade schools increased by 103 students – or
2.6 percent – over the previous year.
“This
is the second year in a row that we’ve seen an
enrollment increase, and it’s an indicator that
our economy is finally recovering from the fall terrorist
attacks and summer fires from 2001-02. Families with
school-aged children are moving back into the district,” said
Director of Business Services Diane Doney.
Enrollment
in elementary schools grew by 73 students – more
than two full classrooms, said Doney. Secondary enrollment
grew by 30 students. Total enrollment has grown by
3.2 percent since 2004. Read
more . . .
Colorado Department of Education
to deliver $10,000 to Sunnyside on Wednesday
The
Colorado Department of Education will deliver a $10,000
check to Sunnyside Elementary School during a special
ceremony on Wednesday to recognize the school’s
designation as the Title I 2006 Colorado Title I Distinguished
School for Exceptional Academic Performance.
The
ceremony starts at 3 p.m. at the school’s Outdoor
Learning Center. A reception will follow in the gymnasium.
The event is open to the public.
Sunnyside
Principal Victor Figueroa credited his staff’s
willingness to “look at every child’s learning
needs. We use professional learning communities and
intervention strategies to provide individual attention
to every child every day,” he said. Read
more . . .
District encourages smokers to go “Cold Turkey” on
Thursday
Durango
School District 9-R’s Healthy Schools initiative
and the Lasso Tobacco Coalition hope to encourage tobacco
smokers and chewers to go “Cold Turkey” by
offering a free cold turkey sandwich, a quitting kit,
and tobacco cessation workshops on Thursday – the
American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke-Out
Day.
In
addition, the district will install new, colorful – and
quite noticeable – signs at all school entryways,
indicating that all campuses are tobacco-free zones.
State law prohibits the use of tobacco on school grounds.
Students
and staff members who wish to kick the tobacco habit
will be encouraged to sign up at the high school health
office. And on Thursday, volunteers will deliver the
sandwiches and quit kits, said district health education
coordinator Jenny Pritchard.
The
effort is part of a district-wide initiative to address
health eating, exercise, and lifestyle habits among
students and staff, said district health coordinator
Jaynee Fontecchio-Spradling. “Healthy students
learn better, and health staff teach better. Good health
is the foundation of academic achievement,” she
said. Read
more . . .
High School vocational classes build dream castle for
kids
Every year,
Big Brothers Big Sisters, together with local architects
and builders, raffle off a child’s dream
playhouse for its annual “Homes with Heart” fund-raiser.
This year, Durango High School students are lending their
hands and hearts to build the dream playhouse.
This
year’s home is actually a castle. Standing
14 feet tall, with more than 80 square feet to roam
in, this castle will surpass any child’s dream
playhouse. “It’s
going to make one kid a real nice playhouse,” said
Shaun Smith, Durango High School’s wood works
teacher, who is overseeing the project. “It’s
built really stout.” Read more...
Sunnyside recognized as top Title I elementary school
in Colorado
The
Colorado Department of Education has nominated Sunnyside
Elementary School to represent the state as a contender
for the 2006 National Title I Distinguished Schools
Award. It's one of only two schools statewide to receive
the distinction for outstanding student performance
on the CSAP math and reading tests. Sunnyside will
receive a $10,000 cash award as the 2006 Colorado Title
I Distinguished School for Exceptional Academic Performance;
in addition, two staff members will attend the National
Title I Conference in January to be recognized as the
state's nominee -- and possibly to bring home the national
honor. Read more at http://www.durangoschools.org/pio/news/news2006_07/sunnysideaward2006.htm
Student performance on state and national assessments
demonstrates strength of academic rigor at Durango High School
Durango
High School students passed more college-level Advanced
Placement Exams in Spring 2006 than any previous year,
according to data released this week by the College
Board. And it’s just one example of the academic
rigor found at Durango High School to ensure that graduates
can compete academically with students nationwide.
Students
took 236 exams and passed 186, eclipsing the school
record of 160 set in 2000. The College Board named
33 students as “AP Scholars.” Only 18 percent
of the 1.3 million high school students who take the
exam earn the distinction. In addition, James Dudley
earned the highest honor, the “National AP Scholar
Award” by scoring 4 or 5 on all eight exams he
took. Dudley is enrolled at Stanford University this
fall.
Five
students earned the “AP Scholar with Distinction
Award” by earning an average grade of at least
3.5 on all the exams they took. And six students earned
the “AP Scholar with Honor Award” by earning
an average grade of 3.25 on all exams. A score of three
or higher is considered passing. Depending upon the
institution, colleges will grant class credit for passing
an AP exam; highly selective institutions usually don’t
accept AP scores for credit, but do consider scores
for admission.
The
district offers Advanced Placement classes in 11 subject
areas. Enrollment increased 10 percent from 2004-05
to 2005-06 to 248 students. (That includes duplicate
enrollments.) See other examples of advanced students'
successes here
. . .
District seeks comment on proposed academic calendars
for 2007-08 and 2008-09
See proposed calendar options here
. . .
Durango
School District 9-R seeks comment o | 
