At Escalante Middle School, students aren’t just learning how to grow, preserve, and prepare their own food, they’re getting a taste of a very important sector of the Colorado economy. According to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, our state agriculture industry generates a whopping $40 billion in economic activity each year. It also provides more than 170,000 jobs in the state, enough to employ the entire population of Fort Collins.

In Lu Boren’s Greenhouse class students are actually growing lettuce right in the classroom. Using a hydroponic system, students are able grow luscious heads of lettuce from tiny seedlings throughout the school year. The lettuce is then harvested and served up in the salad bar of the school cafeteria. The lettuce sales to the cafeteria then help fund the greenhouse program.
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The following is a non-emergency message to all parents, staff, and students in Durango School District 9-R. Due to the unforeseen weather conditions in our area, we want to caution parents regarding travel this morning. While our schools will be open today, Monday, November 12, 2018 we encourage parents to make appropriate decisions regarding their students and attendance today. Staff are encouraged to be cautious on their travels in, state and local plows are sparse at this time, and a number of roads appear to be closed. We apologize for the short notice, this weather system caught many by surprise. More updates will be provided if conditions change. For more information on bus routes please contact transportation at (970) 247-5335. Thank you.
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In one of the most idyllic settings in Southwest Colorado, students from Durango High School were able to get a true artist experience during their artist in residency just outside of Mancos. The Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center provided students access to create in a real studio and experience a day in the life of an artist.
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Each week, Durango 9-R recognizes an employee that has gone above and beyond expectations to serve a child, a family, their school/department or their peers. Check out who we recognized in October.
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Dear 9-R Families,

Initial student photos have been completed at all schools, allowing schools to fully implement the use of student IDs for other purposes such as:

School Bus Transportation Services
School Library Use
City Transit Use
Safety and Security
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Each week, Durango 9-R recognizes an employee that has gone above and beyond expectations to serve a child, a family, their school/department or their peers. Check out who we recognized in September.
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The kindergarten students in Suzanne Cash’s class may be some of the newest members of the Park Elementary community, but they’ve learned all about the people in their building in record time. Walk into the classroom and ask them about their interview project, and they’ll excitedly tell you about how Nurse Robin helps kids feel better, Mr. Curmano makes passwords and helps students use computers, and how Chef Lianne makes great food.
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Dear Families and Students,
Please note that we have moved up the pick up time by 10 minutes for all stops, all locations for the morning routes for both AV2 and AV3, effective tomorrow, Friday, September 7, 2018.
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Durango 9-R Shared School is now accepting registrations for the 2018-19 school year. Shared School is a fabulous program for home schooled students in Kindergarten - 8th grade. Elementary programs are two days (Tuesday and Thursday) or one day (Wednesday) and the Middle School program is one day on Wednesday. We offer academic enrichment as well as socialization and field trips. Included specials are Spanish, PE, Drama and Art as well as Music in the elementary program and a Yearbook club for middle school. For more information see www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/Shared_School
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Durango School District 9-R is one of the biggest employers in the La Plata County region. Continuing to strive to support and attract quality staff to the school district, during the 2017-18 academic year the district formed a compensation committee to review the current salary schedules for educational support professionals (ESPs). That team worked to identify a fair and sustainable salary scale based to give employees a living and competitive wage for our region.
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