The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School board approved several capital reserve projects at their meeting Tuesday.
The board approved a roof for Cortez Middle School for under $85,000. District executive director of facilities and school safety Jamie Haukeness said that project should take place in June.
The board also approved a $29,536 allocation to replace boilers at Kemper Elementary School. Crews will salvage a used boiler from the retired Montezuma-Cortez High School and install it at Kemper.
Also Tuesday, the board approved a $19,500 supplemental budget allocation reimbursement for school supplies provided to Ute Mountain Ute tribe students.
District Human Resources director Dan Porter said the district has 13 positions open for teachers. He said that leaves the district with fewer spots to fill than in recent years.
The board approved a number of staff changes and resignations on Tuesday. Among those are the retirement of district maintenance director Mike Chenard and the resignation of finance manager Wendy Everett, who has accepted a position with Telluride School District.
Board president Jack Schuenemeyer thanked Everett for her services.
“You’ve been a joy to work with and we wish you well,” he said.
Superintendent Lori Haukeness reported that the district has been accepted into the year three sustainability phase of the University of Virginia’s school turnaround program. The district’s three in-town elementary schools – Mesa, Manaugh and Kemper – have been working with the program for two years, and the next step will be for those individual schools to apply for the program’s third year, she said.
The district will apply for a Healthy School Initiative grant from the Colorado Health Foundation, Haukeness reported. The grant would fund a coordinator or wellness supervisor for the district that would help make parents aware of the program, she said.
Brittany Conner, director of the district’s Beech Street Preschool, presented a proposal for a remodel of the playground at the school. The total cost for the playground will be $53,119, paid for from the preschool’s fund.
Haukeness said M-CHS nurse Sue Ciccia has been nominated as Colorado school nurse of the year, along with several other school nurses from around the state. The winner of the award will be announced later this summer, Haukeness said.
Citizen Cory Zeach spoke to the board and urged them to hire a full-time athletic director. He said he had spoken to the board in December about the same issue, and nothing had been done. Board members agreed they needed to address the issue and would discuss it more in-depth at their next meeting.
