At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school board discussed affordable teacher housing, HVAC updates and approved an engagement letter with legal counsel to review the new superintendent contract.
The new board began with a presentation on affordable housing from Kwame Spearman, a pre-development housing consultant. Superintendent Tom Burris attended remotely.
Spearman’s report highlighted the potential to use the old Manaugh Elementary building for affordable teacher housing. In 2025, he received Gates Family Foundation funding to study educator housing needs and has LOR funding for 2026.
Spearman and the Keystone Policy Center surveyed educators in 11 districts on what he called a “statewide educator housing crisis.”
Of 133 respondents, Spearman said 55% were interested in workforce housing, and 61% spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The survey found 73% would stay longer if housing were offered, and 72% would consider switching to a district that provides housing.
He then focused on Manaugh, vacant since 2022 with “no redevelopment plan.” The building is registered as a historic landmark, and the district has begun applying for preservation grants, though Spearman said they are nonbinding.
He outlined options: sell the building and adjacent land, demolish it, convert it to housing, use it for office or community purposes, or develop the land next to the school. One board member asked about using the land for a new elementary school, which Spearman said he hadn’t explored.
After Spearman’s presentation, the board noted recent district events. The board heard about this year’s Thescon, which middle school theater teacher Angela Gabardi attended with students. Six performed individual events, and six competed in a tech challenge workshop. Three placed third overall out of 47 groups.
Board Vice President Laura DeWitt said the Kemper Book Fair raised $6,000. Three students made all-state choir, and eight will join the Fort Lewis honor band.
Burris’s superintendent report focused on HVAC updates for Mesa, Kemper and Lewis. Burris said a Zoom call last week revealed the air systems were installed “without considering the fresh air requirements for a classroom.” Tests showed CO₂ levels “well above acceptable levels.” Proposed fixes are estimated at $6.5 million to $10 million.
He shared an alternative: move seventh- and eighth-graders to the high school, put kindergarten through sixth grade in the middle school and allow Lewis to add sixth grade.
“The projection for student population is a continual drop for the community. This has been true over at least the last 30 years. I have said for years that the day will come that the high school is big enough for the middle school and high school,” Burris said.
Though there are still too many students for the high school to house all district students right now, Burris added, “The board will have to decide about spending $6.5 to $10 million taxpayer dollars on schools that are nearly 80 years old or downsizing to facilities that are already equipped to move forward at least another 40 years.”
Finance Director Danielle Brafford said the final budget is being drafted for review and approval at the January meeting. “The district had a significant decline in student enrollment which will impact MCSD’s budget,” she said.
Exceptional Student Services Director Lisa Megel said the next community engagement event will be Friday, April 17, focusing on summer reading and activities for youths. Volunteers can contact Lisa Alarcon at [email protected].
In action items, the board approved an engagement letter with legal counsel Caplin and Earset to review the superintendent contract. The resolution passed with “yea” votes from Justine Bayles, Lara Maria Blair, DeWitt, Barbara Mate and Joshua Shumway. Jason Hall and Mike Lynch opposed.
The next school board meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m.