{"id":22354,"date":"2025-05-08T18:46:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/accountability-committee-discusses-parent-survey-results-coach-pay-at-cortez-schools\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T04:12:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:12:58","slug":"accountability-committee-discusses-parent-survey-results-coach-pay-at-cortez-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/accountability-committee-discusses-parent-survey-results-coach-pay-at-cortez-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Accountability Committee discusses parent survey results, coach pay at Cortez schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 administration building.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The Montezuma-Cortez District Accountability Committee\u2019s recent meeting highlighted the parent engagement survey results, coach pay and adding an additional meeting to the group\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n

At the start of their meeting, the DAC heard from the district\u2019s finance director Danielle Brafford, who gave them an update on the district\u2019s budget. Though it is still too early at this point, Brafford said they are \u201cpretty close\u201d to balancing the budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know that we\u2019ll totally balance the budget this year, but we\u2019re heading in the right direction,\u201d Brafford said.<\/p>\n

The DAC also asked about pay raises for coaches, and were told that although none were available now, coaching pay is \u201cright in line\u201d with neighboring districts \u2013 tied with Ignacio, and exceeding Pagosa Springs, Dolores, Mancos and Dove Creek.<\/p>\n

Montezuma-Cortez district reportedly pays coaches according to the length of their season. Football, basketball and wrestling coaches, for instance, are paid more than baseball and track coaches.<\/p>\n

DAC member Laura DeWitt said DAC supports boosting coach and teacher retention in part through the salary schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been us making recommendations, then the school board does whatever they want,\u201d DeWitt said, adding that next year, they hope to keep working to \u201cbridge that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gone to the school board and said, \u2018This is one of our goals,\u2019\u201c she said.<\/p>\n

Though this was the final official meeting of the 2024-25 school year, the group decided to meet Monday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the parent engagement survey further and other items. The first meeting of the new school year is Monday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

The DAC also announced they will make a presentation at the District\u2019s Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 20. They hope to bring up \u201cconcrete suggestions\u201d based on survey results.<\/p>\n

The DAC has highlighted survey results showing that many parents have said there were too many modes of communication, making it confusing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people are saying there\u2019s just a lot,\u201d the DAC said. \u201cThere\u2019s the school website and Alma and the apps, and it seemed like there were some who just wanted a more streamlined communication. \u2026 You have to advertise things multiple different ways because parents don\u2019t just check their email or their app, so I think that\u2019s the hard part. I feel like we do need all those ways to communicate, but it\u2019s obviously kind of confusing for parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

They discussed asking principals to make sure concerts or games are uploaded on a school calendar or one particular app, rather than on various platforms. One member suggested asking principals to publish a school calendar around the start of school so that parents could make plans.<\/p>\n

The group also discussed a perceived pattern of distrust in the district, and wondered about approaching the school board about repairing that relationship and building communication and connection with families and the district.<\/p>\n

They also touched on the issue of grievances, noting that people had become concerned after district lawyer Brad Miller stated during the March board meeting that sanctions could be applied for \u201cirresponsible accusations.\u201d<\/p>\n

At that meeting<\/a>, Miller said, \u201cI wanted to point out that the judge did adjudicate that you are a limited public forum, and for that purpose, if someone were to come to your board here and make irresponsible accusations and things of that nature, there are sanctions available, and that\u2019s what the court wanted to sort out is whether it\u2019s completely protected speech, and it is not completely protected speech. So, we can admonish and make sure that our people are being respectful, not accusing employees of the district of things and that sort of thing. There is some sanctions that can be applied.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the intent of that statement was, I\u2019m not sure, but I think some people perceive that as a threat,\u201d DeWitt said. \u201cIf I have a concern, how do I bring it forward?\u201d<\/p>\n

The next survey will be sent out next spring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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