As I start my fourth year as superintendent of Durango School District 9-R, I would like to share our recent achievements and outline the critical challenges we face, particularly regarding our facilities and staff housing needs.
Our achievements
Despite significant financial constraints, our district has made remarkable strides:
Based on our recent state assessment results, we are scoring in the top 20% of all districts in the state, No. 11 of all districts over 1,000 students, with the largest increase in reading and math proficiency.We’ve risen to an A- rating on Niche.com, ranking 16th among all districts in Colorado.Durango High School has been ranked in the top 10% of public high schools nationwide by U.S. News and World Report.We’ve experienced strong increases in graduation rates and have improved satisfaction scores every year from parents, teachers and staff members.We’ve prioritized teacher and staff compensation, resulting in an average 27% salary increase over the past four years.
Innovative educational approaches
Our educators have embraced several initiatives to enhance student learning:
Engagement in intensive professional learning opportunities and adoption of new reading and math curricula.Implementation of an intentional intervention system for struggling students.Integration of our Portrait of a Graduate, creating future-focused, project-based experiences for students.A strong focus on career-connected learning and 14 Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways.
These efforts reflect our commitment to providing a high-quality, forward-thinking education for all students in our district.
Financial challenges
Our achievements come despite significant financial hurdles:
Colorado ranks 49th in the nation for school funding, severely limiting our resources.We must spend 87% of our budget on salaries, leaving only 13% for all other expenses.This 13% must cover transportation across our 1,100-plus mile district, food services, books and curriculum, technology, utilities, and facilities repairs.Even with our salary increases, a new teacher can only afford approximately $1,200 per month for rent in our high-cost area.Recruiting staff has become increasingly difficult because of housing costs.
Comprehensive facilities needs assessment
To address these challenges, we initiated a thorough facilities needs assessment process:
A long-range planning committee made up of community and industry leaders, parents, and staff members has been meeting since January 2023 to identify specific facilities needs.The committee based its recommendations on a facilities audit, demographic trends, anticipated growth areas and other factors.We shared the committee’s recommendations through various channels, including polls, mailer and more than 30 community meetings.
Identified priorities
Based on this comprehensive process, these needs were identified as highest priority:
Replace the aging Florida Mesa Elementary School with a new school at Three Springs, a high-growth area where we have land reserved for a school (projected cost: $55 million).Address critical deferred maintenance needs, including boilers, roofing, HVAC, and safety and security equipment (first phase cost: approximately $75 million).Create affordable rental housing options for teachers and staff members (estimated cost: up to $20 million).
The housing challenge
The housing situation for our staff has reached a critical point.
Despite our salary increases, housing remains unaffordable for many of our teachers and staff members.While the city of Durango and La Plata County are working on future affordable housing solutions, we realize that, like other mountain resort town school districts, we need to take action to guarantee housing for our staff members.This is not just about retention; it’s about maintaining the quality of education we can offer our students by attracting and keeping the best educators.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Durango School District 9-R. We are committed to maintaining our educational excellence while addressing these pressing needs. Together, we can ensure that our schools continue to provide outstanding education and prepare our students for future success as our community’s leaders, workers and family members.
Karen Cheser is superintendent of Durango School District 9-R.
