16 01 07 rfsd state of our schools report

T H E R O A R I N G F O R K S C H O O L D I S T R I C T

Roaring Fork Schools will ensure that every student develops

the enduring knowledge, skills and character to thrive

in a changing world.

2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 5 R E P O R T T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y

W W W. R F S C H O O L S . C O M 1

I N S I D E :

District Snapshot & Graduation Rates .............................. 2

Strategic Plan &New Technologies ............................. 3

A Well Balanced EducationProgram for All ............................. 4, 5

Points of Pride .................................. 6

2011 Mill Levy andBudget Overview .............................. 7

The Future ........................................ 8

FROM LEFT

President — Daniel Biggs

Vice President — Bob Johnson

Board Member — Karl Hanlon

Secretary — Matthew Hamilton

Board Member — Mary Elizabeth Geiger

2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 5 B O A R D O F E D U C AT I O N

THIS REPORT IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AT WWW.RFSCHOOLS.COM

We are more than excited to share this 2014-2015 State of the Schools Report. We invite

you to view the district’s highlights and results over the past year. This is the fi rst of what will be an annual report to share the accomplishments of the previous school year, as well as what our goals are for the current school year.

We graciously accept the challenge and responsibility to develop in all of our students the ability to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our commitment is for each child to graduate on time, college and/or career-ready, with the necessary skills to be successful.

As homeowners, employers, community members and parents, you know that school quality is

essential to the health and prosperity of our communities. We note with pride that our achievements with graduation rates, early literacy and AP courses and closing the achievement gap continue to rise above the state average.

There is much to celebrate, as I look back at the 2014-15 school year. We began the year working on our strategic plan by further refi ning the goalsand outcomes that the

community, staff, parents, and students told us they valued in our visioning and strategic planning sessions held during the 2013-14 school year. This report highlights the key outcomes we put in place to pave our road to success for all students. We take our responsibilities very seriously and know the work that we do every day, makes a tremendous difference in our students’ lives and future.

Each of our high schools set a goal to increase the number of Advanced Placement courses offered. We saw that goal realized in each of our high schools and celebrated when Glenwood Springs High School was recognized for the outstanding number of students who received college credit for the courses they took.

We continued our Growth Mindset work that is in place at our middle schools and Basalt Middle School was again recognized nationally as a Middle School to Watch. The work on character and the habits of a scholar, that originally began at our middle schools, has now been put in place at all of our schools. Our community members in all three communities told us very specifi cally that this was an important value and that it should be one of our top priorities. We are proud to show that these important values and skills are promoted and reinforced in each and every one of our schools.

Last year was the second year of new instructional programming for reading and writing instruction at the elementary schools. We experienced great success with the number of students who are profi cient readers, reading at or above grade level, continuing to increase dramatically.

Please enjoy this report and the sharing of both our accomplishments and future challenges. We deeply appreciate the partnership we have with our community and look forward to our continued work together to ensure students learn today so they can lead tomorrow.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Diana SirkoSuperintendent of Schools

A M E S S A G E F R O M S U P E R I N T E N D E N T O F S C H O O L S D I A N A S I R K O

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE IS OUR COMMITMENT

Dr. Diana Sirko shares a moment with 5th grade students at Glenwood Springs Elementary School.


2 2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 5 R F S D S TAT E O F O U R S C H O O L S

DISTRICT SNAPSHOT

2012 2013 2014 2015

Roaring Fork School District Colorado

GRADUATION RATES — ALL STUDENTS

75% 79% 77% 77%84% 83%

77%83%

77%77%

GRADUATION RATES

The Roaring Fork School District consistently outperforms Colorado in on-time four-year

graduation rates. Roaring Fork Schools also consistently see higher graduation rates for “economically disadvantaged students”— students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

This second indicator is important because economically disadvantaged students face more obstacles to school success, so this number is a more accurate refl ection of how effectively school districts are able to help all students reach high school graduation.

Roaring Fork Schools are committed to seeing that all students graduate high school ready for future educational and career opportunities.

12 Schools 5,709 Diverse Students 1,282* Staff

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Elementary

Schools

3 Middle Schools

3 High

Schools1

Alternative Learning Center

1 Public

Charter School

Communities Served: Glenwood SpringsBasalt • Carbondale

Counties: Garfield • Eagle • Pitkin

43%Qualify for Freeor Reduced Lunch

A+

422Pre-K—12

Licensed Staff

Highest level of education achieved by our teachers

Percentage of District Student Enrollment in each Community

Special EducationStudents

8%

EnglishLanguage Learners

32%

AverageTurnover Rate

15%

Doctoral Degree or Higher1%

Master‘s Degree or Higher57%

Bachelor‘s Degree100%

Q Q

*Includes full time, part time, coaches, guest teachers and seasonal staff.

47%Glenwood

Springs

26%Carbondale

27%Basalt



STRATEGIC PLAN

Following a year-long process of community visioning and planning meetings during the

2013-2014 school year, Roaring Fork Schools adopted a new mission statement and strategic plan. At our communities’ request, the district increased its commitment to ensure all students

have the knowledge, skills and character to thrive in a changing world; that schools be more welcome and engaging for students, teachers, and parents, that students have a broader range of supports for their academic and social-emotional learning, and that students engage in

more real-world learning than can be measured by traditional tests. Over the past year, a lot of work has been accomplished in all fi ve strategic pillars — academic excellence, character development, talent development, community partnership, and strategic use of resources — of the plan.

THE 5 PILLARS

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Technology in the Roaring Fork School District is in the midst of exciting times!

CHROMEBOOKS are available to 75 percent of 4th-12th grade students and the infrastructure to support the increased number of devices and usage is constantly growing and evolving.

SCHOOLOGY was introduced this year so staff could have a centralized tool for common

formative assessments, curriculum development and collaboration, a student hub for classroom resources and eventually parent communication.

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AND INTEGRATION are topics developed and supported through numerous means across the district. From teacher leader groups to professional development delivered by the district’s technology integration facilitator, technology use in the classroom is an area where

supports are needed and those supports are being delivered. The results of these combined efforts has shown that students can take learning to new levels.

THE DISTRICT 1:1 CHROMEBOOK INITIATIVE continues to be integrated, widely used and supported with the ultimate goals to:

Foster Creativity & Innovation

Improve Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Increase Communication, Collaboration & Productivity

Expand Content Access

Increase Access to Differentiated Instructional Resources

Expand Learning Time

TALENTDEVELOPMENT

• Hired 60 teachers, counselors and special providers:

– Four principals – Assistant principals– 40+ support staff

• Launched a fi ve-day new teacher orientation program

• 87% of teachers agree that their school is a good place to work and learn

ACADEMICEXCELLENCE

• Initiated a district-wide instructional model

• Improved English Language Development Programming

• Enhanced college counseling and college readiness support

• Increased access and availability of professional development

COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIP

• Convened a Facility Master Plan group of staff from each school and community members to evaluate facility needs

• Held community meetings for input and feedback in all three communities

• Conducted parent survey in Spring 2015 on quality of education and effectiveness ofdistrict-wide communication

• 75% agreed and strongly agreed the quality of education and communication was good

STRATEGICUSE OF RESOURCES

• Developed a budget that aligns strategic plan priorities with available resources

• Facilitated a community master plan process which served as the basis for the November 2015 bond election

• Began phase-in of 1:1 chromebook initiative which will provide a computer device for all students grades 4–12

CHARACTERDEVELOPMENT

• Identifi ed fi ve common Habits of a Scholar for all students

• Initiated Crew, a dedicated time of the day to focus on Habits of Scholar, social emotional learning and academic goal setting

T H E R O A R I N G F O R K S C H O O L D I S T R I C T T H E R O A R I N G F O R K S C H O O L D I S T R I C T

W W W. R F S C H O O L S . C O M 5 4 2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 5 R F S D S TAT E O F O U R S C H O O L S

NEW TEACHER SUPPORT IN ROARING FORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

W hether new to the profession or just new to Roaring Fork School District, we

have supports in place to help our staff have a successful launch for their fi rst year. Starting in 2014, RFSD committed to extending our new teacher orientation from three days to fi ve days and increased the involved staff from just the elementary and secondary instructional facilitators to the entire curriculum and instruction team. With the extended time, there is an increased focus on the collegial and cooperative skills essential to managing a demanding, high-stress position.

The new staff quickly develops into a cohort and most have at least one go-to colleague by the end of that week. From there, staff receive differentiated support throughout their buildings and from the instructional team. At each building, experienced mentors help check in on a regular basis, set and monitor action plans, and provide the beta on logistics at their particular site. Instructional facilitators provide observations and coaching for each new staff member and additional support such as co-planning and co-teaching as requested or indicated.

For our very new staff, there is a comprehensive induction program that runs every other month during the year and provides a safe space for problem-solving, refi ning philosophies and beliefs about education and gaining social and emotional support. Four times a year all new to the district teachers are provided a best practices course centered upon the RFSD Instructional Model. This course is differentiated to help staff meet their goals, but still works to develop the common language and focus on instruction necessary to be the highly effective teachers our students deserve.

E A R LY L I T E R A C Y

YOUNG STUDENTS MAKING GREAT GAINS IN READING

T he work of teachers ensuring solid classroom literacy instruction along with early literacy

intervention have combined to benefi t K-3 students in Roaring Fork School District as shown in the chart below.

From beginning of the year (BOY) to end of the year (EOY) in 2014-15, the number of students reading well below grade level was reduced by 62% (shown in red). During this same time period, the number of students reading at or above grade level increased by 31% (shown in green). In other words, there were approximately 450 more students reading at or above grade level by the end of the year than there were at the beginning of the year.

Kindergarten through third grade teachers continue to receive a third year of support and professional development provided by the Colorado Early Literacy Grant at each of the elementary schools. Achieving reading competency for all students by the end of third grade is the goal of the grant. The Early Literacy Grant (ELG) and its Supplemental Funds have provided over $1.5 million dollars to help these schools embed the essential components of reading instruction (phonics, phonemic awareness, fl uency, vocabulary, and comprehension) into each and every classroom.

Each year of grant funding is contingent upon successfully meeting goals set by the state. The incredible hard work, willingness to learn, and determination put forth by students, teachers, and coaches has reaped great benefi ts for RFSD students, who make above average to well above average growth during the 2014-15 school year in a nationwide comparison.

The Roaring Fork School District is proud of the rich and well-balanced educational program

we offer that is designed to meet the needs of the whole child. During the strategic planning process two years ago, we heard a strong desire from our community, staff, and students for high academic achievement preparing students who are college and career-ready when they graduate. At the high

school level, we offer Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses, allowing students to experience college-level courses while in high school. The number of available college-level options is increasing every year.

Parents also asked that their child’s educationinclude character skills, active engagement of

students in their own learning, and education in music and performing arts, visual arts, and health and wellness. In addition, our schools offer the types of clubs and co-curricular activities that contribute to the development of the whole child.

This section will acquaint you with many examples of this plan in action in our schools on a daily basis.

E A R LY L A N G U A G E L E A R N E R S

ASSESSING COMPREHENSION AND COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH STATE-TO-STATE ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) is a secure large-scale English language profi ciency assessment given to Kindergarten through 12th graders who have been identifi ed as English Language Learners (ELLs).

In 2013, Roaring Fork School District was tied for second to last in access median growth percentiles among all colorado school districts with more than 1,000 ELLs. English Language Development (ELD) teachers and school administrators worked tirelessly to change that.

In 2014 and 2015, Roaring Fork School District’s ranking jumped to first and second respectively. The District ELD Team’s goal is to continue to collaborate and communicate with colleagues and parents in order to provide high quality instruction and programming for emerging bilingual students. The ELD Team’s goal for the ACCESS growth for ELLs is to remain at or above the 55th percentile, and to improve performance and growth in all academic subject areas.

72%

1205

14%

240

14%

244

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0# Students BOY EOY [Beginning of Year] [End of Year] Total Students: Total Students: 1722 1689

Well Below Benchmark Below Benchmark Benchmark

RFSD LITERACY GROWTH

K–3

37%

637

15%

253

48%

832

A Well-Balanced Education Program for all

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROARING FORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

One of the challenges of accepting a position in a small mountain area is limited

access to universities and other institutes of educational expertise. Roaring Fork School District is committed to providing a wide range of professional development opportunities at low cost to our employees so they can continue to challenge themselves, collaborate with like-minded colleagues, and grow in their profession.

We know that high quality professional development is an important factor in developing teacher quality. Research also tells us that utilizing resources to improve teacher quality, does

more for student achievement and results than any other use of school resources. One of the most important resources is time. We changed our calendar beginning in the 2014-15 school year from Late Start Mondays to Early Release Wednesdays. This change created an opportunity for ongoing professional development that was extremely successful. According to the 2015 Colorado TELL survey of our teachers, 76% of teachers agreed that the amount of time dedicated to professional development was adequate as compared to 55% in 2013. In addition, 76% of teachers felt the professional development that was provided created ongoing

opportunities to refi ne teaching practices and provided them with the skills and knowledge most needed to teach effectively.

Currently, the district offers Summer Academy options every June and August where teachers can be deeply immersed in a topic. We also offer professional development throughout the year during a Thursday Academy. These varied sessions offer job-embedded and applied professional development as teachers meet every other week during a quarter and take their learning directly back to their classrooms between sessions.

ADVANCE PLACEMENT & CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT OFFERINGS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS

A s part of our strategic plan, we have recently raised the rigor for high school students to

ensure that all students graduate ready for future learning and work by increasing the number of core academic courses required for graduation. In addition, we offer Advance Placement (AP) and Concurrent Enrollment courses, allowing students to experience college-level courses in high school. Scoring well on an AP Exam or passing a concurrent enrollment course can earn students

college credit.

All three district high schools combined offer more than 25 AP and concurrent enrollment courses. It is possible for a student to graduate from any of our district schools with a full year of college already completed. In fact, students are limited more by their own time than by the available choices. The number of available college-level options is increasing every year.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS

T he early childhood programs in the Roaring Fork School District had a lot to celebrate in

2014-15, serving 29 toddlers and 232 preschool students in 14 early childhood classrooms.

Student achievement was strongest in the areas of math, cognitive and social-emotional development where 91% of our four-year-olds were meeting or exceeding the national averages for same age students.

The early childhood team also selected a list of core beliefs and values to guide our work.

WE BELIEVE IN:

Facilitating learning through play

Building relationships

Family partnerships

Nurturing every child

Maintaining safe learning environment

Developing character skills

Being refl ective of our communities

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AT ALL SCHOOLS

A ll students have the opportunity to experience music and the performing arts

on a regular basis as a staple in our curriculum. The photo above shows an example of the types of projects that students produce as part of the visual arts standards. Here, third grade students from Glenwood Springs Elementary School perform their holiday program, while their art show is held at the same time. Visit any of our schools, at any of the grade levels to see and hear their high quality work.

THE AIR FORCE JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS

T he Air Force Junior Reserve Offi cers Training Corps (AFJROTC) program, offered at

Glenwood Springs High School, consists of 67 cadets. The program launched in 2013-14, and has tripled in enrollment. The objective is to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship, promote community service, instill responsibility, character, and self-discipline, and provide instruction in air and space fundamentals.



2014–2015 POINTS OF PRIDEROARING FORK SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HONORED BY THE COLLEGE BOARDRFSD is one of 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. The honor is for increased access to Advance Placement course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams over the last three years. Reaching these goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP.

TWO DANIELS FUND SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO ROARING FORK SCHOOL STUDENTS IN 2015Two students from the Roaring Fork School District out of 239 winners in four western states have been selected for what is arguably the best scholarship in Colorado. JOSHUA RAYNE of Glenwood Springs High School and RUBY LANG of Roaring Fork High School, both received Daniels Fund Scholarships, a full ride to any accredited nonprofi t college or university in the United States.

BASALT HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER NAMED 2016 COLORADO TEACHER OF THE YEAR

LETICIA INGRAM, an English Language Development coordinator, history and math teacher at Basalt High School was selected for the honor based on her experience, passion and expertise with English learners and their families.

As the new Teacher of the Year, Ingram will get many professional development opportunities through the National Teacher of the Year program and will get to attend a special ceremony at the White House and go to Space Camp in Huntsville, AL for a week.

BASALT HIGH SCHOOLThe 67-member graduating class of 2015 was 82 percent college bound and has earned more than $300,000 in local scholarships.

BASALT MIDDLE SCHOOLIn January of 2015, Basalt Middle School debuted a new makerspace, where students can learn through hands-on projects via tinkering, building, “making” and exploring technology and STEM topics. They explore everything from how to use hand tools to Lego and Minecraft challenges to experimenting with robotics, 3-D printers, and 21st century technologies like conductive paint. The space is a hub for lunchtime, after school, and evening programming.

BASALT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLIn April of 2014, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Guptah and Goldie Hawn visited Basalt Elementary School to fi lm the successful efforts to implement the MIndUp program, a research-based training program for educators and children. Students learn to self-regulate behavior and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. The segment aired in May 2014.

BRIDGES HIGH SCHOOLThe 26-member graduating class of 2015 received $136,350 in local scholarships.

Bridges High School continues to provide community service to our town and local institutions. The senior class and staff have given 500 hours in 2015.

ROARING FORK HIGH SCHOOL The 57-member class of 2015 was 84 percent college bound and has been awarded approximately $2 million dollars in Institutional scholarships from the schools that they applied to and more than $100,000 in local, Roaring Fork

Valley scholarship awards.

Acting on an idea from students, Roaring Fork High School is building a solar array, made possible by a power purchase agreement with Sunsense Sola. The array is anticipated to cover 100 percent of the annual electricity usage.

CARBONDALE MIDDLE SCHOOLCarbondale Middle School was the highest-ranking Garfi eld County middle school in the 2014 ranking by Colorado School Grades — an online tool put together by a coalition of nonprofi ts intended to help parents, students, educators and community members better understand how their schools are performing. CMS earned a B and ranked 83rd out of 505 in the state.

CARBONDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOLCarbondale Community School is in its third year of a school-wide wellness initiative. Year one focused on physical health, year two on nutritional health, and this year the focus is on social and emotional health. Our desire is to create a common language, promote practices for improving inclusion, and cultivate a community of care. In all classrooms, students are presented a weekly experiential mindfulness activity to promote these goals. Concurrently, staff is engaged in their own mindfulness practice through the local Mindful Life Program.

CRYSTAL RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLThroughout the summer of 2015, a group of parent volunteers and valley professionals designed and constructed the Crystal River Elementary School’s new 750-square-foot outdoor learning space. The amphitheater-style space can seat 30-40 children.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL NAMED COLORADO LEGACY SCHOOL Glenwood Springs High School is one of 11 schools that began the three-year Colorado Legacy School program in 2014-2015. In year one, 69 students enrolled in the 2013-2014 school year. In year 2, enrollment jumped to 234 students and 312 students have already enrolled in the 2016-2017 school year.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AWARDED BOETTCHER FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP IN 2015 SARAH FLEMING, a senior at Glenwood Springs High School received a 2015 Boettcher Foundation Scholarship out of more than 1,600 applicants. Just 40 Colorado high school seniors received this scholarship. Boettcher Scholars are awarded virtually full-ride, merit- based scholarships to attend a four-year college or university within the State of Colorado. The 200+-member class of 2015 has been awarded more than $1.7 million in institutional and local scholarships.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOLGlenwood Springs Middle School is transforming its library into a 21st century media center complete with a creative space/makerspace. With help from district technology staff the school is introducing robotics, Minecraft for schools, Lego tables, Keva blocks and a craft

table for students to engage in self-directed enrichment in the STEM fi elds.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL In 2014-15, Glenwood Springs Elementary School entered its second year as an Expeditionary Learning school, an approach to education that makes information and skills come alive for students by connecting learning to authentic real world experiences.

SOPRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLThe school kicked off Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), where fathers and father fi gures spend meaningful time with their students in the school setting and gain greater awareness of the positive impact they can have on their student’s life.

AP

$$



STRATEGIC USE OF RESOURCES

We would not be where we are today without our extended family of staff, parents,

students and community members. Last fall, we asked community members to participate in our facility master planning process. Over 40 steering committee members committed more than 60 hours of their time and expertise to this effort, and many more community members participated in community input sessions. The facility master plan served as the basis for the successful November bond election.

Two years ago, more than 1,400 community members came out to express their views on the future of our schools, which resulted in a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide our teaching and learning for the future. And just over four years ago, a majority of your neighbors committed to providing an additional $4.8 million annually to support our schools through the passage of a mill levy override.

GENERAL FUND BUDGET RECAP

The majority of Roaring Fork School District’s operating funds are generated through the Colorado School Finance Act (SFA). Under the SFA, funding varies by district based on student count, size, cost-of-living, number of at-risk students, and other factors. For 2014/15, RFSD’s per pupil SFA funding was $7,254. SFA funding is

comprised of both state and local property taxes. In addition to SFA funding, Colorado allows voters to approve up to 25% of additional local property taxes for district operations. RFSD voters have approved an additional 18%, or $8.8 million per year. The most recent approval was a 2011 mill levy override (see right) for $4.8 million annually.

2011 MILL LEVY OVERRIDE RECAP

Funds from the $4.8 million mill levy override passed by Roaring Fork School District voters in 2011 are included in the General Fund budget.

2014/2015 ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES

Roaring Fork School District’s strategic plan guides spending priorities in the development of the General Fund Budget.

AS A RESULT OF THE MILL LEVY PASSED IN 2011,

THE DISTRICT WAS ABLE TO:

• Fund Chromebooks — computers for all 4th–12th grade student use in the classroom

• Purchase new curriculum and reinstate 50% of reduction in school materials/ supplies budget

• Eliminate furlough days and address salary and benefit inequities

• Reinstate the Employee Assistance Program

• Reinstate and permanently fund additional classroom teaching positions

• Reinstate custodians and grounds maintenance staff

• Increase bandwidth throughout schools to meet technology needs

• Reserve funds to mitigate possible future state budget cuts

2014/2015 General Fund Expenditures* — $49.9 Million

$43.6M Schools

$2.5M Central Support

$1.8M Facility Maintenance

$1.4M Transportation

$.6M Risk Management/Insurance

2014/2015 General Fund Revenues — $53.9 Million

$29.4M Local Taxes

$21.9M State Taxes

$1.5M Other Local Revenues

$1.1M Federal Taxes

45% Attract and Retain Quality Staff

23% Materials and Technology

13% Preserve Small Class Size

10% Mitigate Future Budget Cuts

6% Safe Learning Environment

3% Charter School

*EXCLUDES TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDS


FROM LEFT

Board Member — Jen Rupert

Secretary/Treasurer — Daniel Biggs

Board Member — Matt Hamilton

President — Mary Elizabeth Geiger

Vice President — Bob Johnson

2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6B O A R D O F E D U C AT I O N

C O N TA C T U S

Roaring Fork Schools District Offi ce

1405 Grand Avenue

Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

970.384.6000 | www.rfschools.com

S TAY I N F O R M E D

Follow us on:

facebook.com/RoaringForkSchoolDistrict

youtube.com/watch?v=19C-JTga0xs


THE FUTURE OF OUR DISTRICT IS BRIGHTWe are grateful to be part of such an engaged, passionate and generous community

that has challenged us to think creatively about how to achieve our mission

to ensure that every student develops the enduring knowledge, skills

and character to thrive in a changing world.

EAST BANK — Here is a view from the site of the proposed East Bank School. Further design and planning will begin later this year as one of the 19 projects slated for the bond

GLENWOOD SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL was awarded the Building Excellent Schools Today — or BEST grant from the State of Colorado. The grant will provide $9.1 million of the $28 million needed to renovate and build an addition to the historic school while removing two ancillary buildings on the campus. The BEST grant was contingent upon the passage of a bond issue.

T H E F U T U R E

WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT THE BOND HAS PASSED?

The district is developing a plan of action to implement 19 projects that will be funded by

the 2015 bond election. The fi rst step was to hire NV5 as the district’s owner’s representative. They will work with the district to develop a master schedule for all projects and oversee the work on each project that is not housing related.

On the rental housing front, research is being conducted in each of the three communities and a Roaring Fork School District Housing Advisory Committee will be created to guide decision-making, policies and procedures. We are also developing a plan of action regarding the purchase or construction of properties.

In January, a section of the district website at www.rfschools.com will be established to track progress on the bond projects and keep all stakeholders informed about opportunities for community input. We will also use school and district newsletters, along with conversations at staff and community gatherings to keep the public informed throughout the process.

The Board of Education wants to ensure that local contractors and other trades have every opportunity to participate in our facility improvements. Requests for Proposal will be posted to the RFSD website under the bond election button.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON

BOND PROJECTS, PLEASE CONTACT:

SHANNON PELLAND

Assistant Superintendent & CFO

970.384.6003

JEFF GATLIN

Chief Operating Officer

970.384.6024

16 01 07 rfsd state of our schools report

Documents