Mancos School Board members had a brief discussion Monday night about fixing up the school campus.<\/p>\n
Board members said they need a wrestling room, a new track, upgrades to the football field and the old gym needs some retrofits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has always been a desire to bring the old historic gym back up,\u201d Mancos School District Superintendent Brian Hanson said.<\/p>\n
Hanson added that the wrestling program is continuing to grow and that there is currently no spot for the wrestlers to practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are going to have a solid wrestling program, you need a spot for them,\u201d Hanson said.<\/p>\n
Board members also said that the football field and the track needs work.<\/p>\n
The old gym needs to be made handicapped-accessible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is enough people that have came to me that I felt I should bring it up to the board and check their temperature,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cIt\u2019s time we start having those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Board members seemed agreeable to continue the conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is reasonable to ask for a bond,\u201d said board member Wesley A. Rivera.<\/p>\n
Hanson said he will continue to meet with the community and see how they feel about asking for a bond in November. But lots of work needs to be done in the meantime, including meeting with community groups and getting cost estimates and designs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to see something done on the track or football field. I was in the crow\u2019s nest, and our electronics up there are fairly antiquated,\u201d said School Board President Monty Guiles.<\/p>\n
Hanson said that nearly everywhere he goes people tell him, \u201cWe gotta fix that gym.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis a conversation we should have with the community,\u201d school board member Boe Hawkins said.<\/p>\n
Budget talks<\/p>\n
Board members also began to look at the preliminary budget, slated to be approved at the June meeting.<\/p>\n
Hanson proposed adding a part-time position to the budget that would create a type of alternative high school on the Mancos High school campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a high rate of at-risk kids,\u201d said Mancos Secondary Principal Adam Priestley. \u201cWe have 21 kids that have either dropped out or are using three or four resources to keep them on task. What we are providing is not working.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priestley said he hopes to start a program that will address these students and get them caught up.<\/p>\n
Priestley hopes the program will get students at risk of dropping out a GED at the very least.<\/p>\n
The addition staff to run the program will cost about $18,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we keep two kids from dropping out we break even,\u201d Rivera said.<\/p>\n
Board member Boe Hawkins agreed, saying, \u201cThose kids need our help, and their lives are way more important than our budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mancos Elementary Principal Cathy Epps said she continues to get new students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of people moving in and a waiting list for kindergarten,\u201d Epps said.<\/p>\n
Priestley reported that when PARCC testing was complete, 93 percent opted out of the state-mandated test at the high school level, and 83 opted out at the middle school level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we are moving in the right direction,\u201d Priestley said. \u201cThe kids that did take the test were frustrated when writing their essays.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids were frustrated. Are they testing for computer skills or are they testing for knowledge?\u201d Board Member Beverly Humiston-Scott said.<\/p>\n
Dean of Students Heath Showalter asked the board to raise athletic participation fees to help pay for a trainer to attend games to assess injuries. The issue will be brought up again at the meeting in May.<\/p>\n
Currently, athletic fees at the middle school are $20, and Showalter proposed bringing them up to $25. At the high school level, he proposed the cost be bumped up to $40.<\/p>\n
Board members approved the retirement of Pearlie Mae Chadwick, the Early Learning Center director.<\/p>\n
She was publicly thanked for her hard work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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