News from
Sheridan School District No. 2
Contact: Mark
Stevens
[email protected]
303-495-8699
(mobile) • 720-328-5488 (office)
News
Release
May 24, 2018
No New High School This Time; BEST Grant Application Turned Down
Sheridan School
District’s application for grant money to build a new high school with the help
of the state’s Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program has been turned
down.
Cyndi Wright,
Director of Facilities and Transportation for Sheridan School District 2, told
the board of education and its meeting this week (May 22) that the district’s
application was lauded for its clarity and readability. She added that she
expected to receive a detailed explanation for the rejection.
The total
estimated high school construction project for Sheridan’s proposal was $59.1
million. The district was requesting a state grant of $37.8 million. If the
state board had approved, Sheridan voters would have been asked to approve the
local match of $21.2 million.
The district
could potentially proceed with requesting voter support for the concept this
coming November, to demonstrate the community’s commitment to shoulder its
share of the cost, but Superintendent Michael Clough said after the meeting he
did not think such a bond campaign would be advisable.
In a related
conversation incoming superintendent Pat Sandos told the board during the work
session that he would be working with the board to develop a possible mill levy
proposal that could go to voters this fall to boost operating revenue.
Great
Outdoors Colorado Grant
The City of
Sheridan’s application for a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant was approved
and part of the grant will benefit Sheridan School District 2, Wright told the
board. The approval will yield a brand new nature play-space and outdoor
experience at Alice Terry Elementary School, at a cost of $93,000, and an
improved outdoor learning area at Fort Logan Northgate School, at a cost of
$153,000. Wright told the board that the existing Alice Terry playground
equipment is geared mostly for older students while the school only serves
kindergarten through second grade. Work on both projects will begin soon, she
said, with installation planned for summer of 2019.
Early
Childhood Center
Aimee Chapman,
principal of the Early Childhood Center, gave an overview of progress and
issues for her school, which serves three- and four-year-old children. The
school has been working on social-emotional issues with early learners, she
said, and on helping students build a sense of community.
Eighty-one
percent of four-year olds heading to kindergarten at Alice Terry Elementary
School, she said, met the school’s expectations for forming relationships with
adults. The school employs a “transdisciplinary approach” to instruction
of young learners in reading, writing, math and science.
The school will
reduce in size from 10 classrooms to nine for the 2018-2019 school year, she
said, and is in the middle of an intensive marketing campaign to build
awareness of the program. Chapman also told the board that ECC is working to
provide before- and after-school care for children as an additional service to
the needs of working parents.
District
Advisory and Accountability Committee
In its annual
presentation to the board of education, the District Advisory and
Accountability Committee (DAAC) urged the board to invest in quality before-
and after-school programs. The committee said the lack of these services should
be the district’s top priority. DAAC represents a cross-section of
parents, district staff, and the community and its function is outlined in
state law. It serves only in an advisory capacity.
Adrian Vigil, an
Alice Terry Elementary School teacher and chair of DAAC, underscored that the
before- and after-school programs should be high quality. DAAC also offered a
list of suggestions for activities, clubs and classes to be offered during
before- and after-school programming including computer keyboarding, athletics
for elementary school students, study hall and tutoring opportunities, science
clubs, training for public speaking, summer programs, Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts, 4H, Boys and Girls clubs and opportunities along those lines.
“We are really
hoping the board will take the recommendations of this group and move forward,”
said Vigil.
2018-2019
School Year Budget
Chief Operations
Officer Kristen Colonell provided the board with an overview of the 2018-2019
school year budget. The district is anticipating to spend $12.6 million next
year, she said. Revenue is up by a total of $530,000—much of that
($303,000) due largely to the state’s reduction of the so-called ‘negative
factor.’
The budget
anticipates a reduction of 30 students next year; for declining-enrollment
districts the state allows for the use of a five-year rolling average. The
budget allowed the district to improve teacher compensation—the tentative
master agreement (which has yet to go before the board for its consideration)
will improve the district’s starting teacher salary by about $3,500, to
$38,529.
The budget will
also allow the district to buy a new school bus for its fleet and expand the
sidewalk on the south side of Alice Terry Elementary School, where walking
space is tight.
Colonell also
pointed out that the food costs are down approximately $100,000 since the
district shifted to its new approach and no longer purchases food through
Littleton Public Schools.
Graduations
Several board
members and Superintendent Clough lauded the graduation and continuation
ceremonies at Sheridan High School and Fort Logan Northgate School,
particularly the quality of the music. The SHS graduation included several
pieces from the choir and Fort Logan Northgate’s ceremony included a student
violin performance. “These have been so beautifully put together,” said board
member Sally Daigle. Added board member Karla Najera, “I am so thankful
for all the teachers who continue to push our kids to greatness.”
Special
Education Compliance
Special education
director Jenny Pilger reviewed district’s compliance under the state’s
accountability system. The services for special education students is measured
in a variety of ways including academic achievement, academic growth,
suspension and expulsion rates, graduation rates, dropout rates, and overall
paperwork as well. Pilger noted the district’s excellent participation
rates in the state test, CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success).
She also noted good scores on English Language Arts and “very low performing”
results in mathematics. Sheridan is second in the state for academic growth for
English Language Arts.
However, she
noted, graduation rates are too low and dropout rates are too high.
Pilger said the district will focus on mathematics instruction, improving
intervention programs, and develop better programs to support postsecondary
success.
Achievement
#3
As part of a
series reviewing major accomplishments in Sheridan, Superintendent Clough
showed a few slides regarding the construction of Fort Logan Northgate
School—in particular the design, the athletic field, the development of the
mascot and logo, and the building’s overall “wow” factor in the community.
Work Session
Incoming
superintendent Pat Sandos reviewed a series of ideas he has for adjusting the
organization of district administration, for adding Teachers on Special
Assignment (TOSA’s) to support instructional leadership, and helping teachers
use technology in the classroom. Sandos and the board also discussed holding a
one-day retreat in June to work on teamwork and plans going forward.
About
Sheridan School District 2
Located southwest
of Denver, Sheridan School District 2 seeks high-level post-secondary options
for all students through continuous improvement of quality instruction. More: www.ssd2.org
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