News from Sheridan School District No. 2
Contact: Mark Stevens
[email protected]
303-495-8699 (mobile) •
720-328-5488 (office)
News Release
March 1, 2018
Plans for New Sheridan High
School Submitted with BEST Grant Application
A new high school would rise
southeast of the current building and would be ready for use in January of 2021
under a proposal submitted to the state’s BEST (Building Excellent Schools
Today) Grant Program.
Cyndi Wright, Director of
Facilities and Transportation for Sheridan School District 2, outlined the
plans for the Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27. The plans
first must be approved by the state’s Capital Construction Assistance Board. A
decision is scheduled for May. The proposal would then go the Colorado Board of
Education in June.
If the proposal achieves green
lights at the first two stages, the project would then be submitted to Sheridan
voters for consideration of a bond proposal in November. Wright told the board
that Sheridan’s share of the project would be 36 percent ($21.2 million) of the
$59.1 million cost. The competitive BEST grant process was also used to build
Fort Logan Northgate School.
Wright told the board that the
grant proposal provides considerable detail on the current high school’s many
deficiencies, including safety and security, plumbing, mechanical systems, site
drainage, food service, technology, communications, traffic and pedestrian flow,
accessibility for students with disabilities, and other issues as well.
If the project wins approval
from the state and also from local voters, Wright said the new building would
be constructed at the same time as the current high school continues operations.
The plan would also affect the bus garage, the warehouse and the building that
houses the district’s long-unused swimming pool.
Wright thanked the board for
their unanimous support and allowing the district to pursue the opportunity.
“We won’t know unless we try,” she said.
Biliteracy Diploma
Language, Culture and Equity
Director Linda Chapman said the school district will offer a seal of biliteracy
on its high school diplomas for seniors graduating this spring and the high
school will offer its first Advanced Placement class next fall, Advanced
Placement Spanish, Language and Culture.
The seal of biliteracy
recognizes students who have studied and attained proficiency in English and
(at a minimum) one other world language. Chapman outlined the number of ways
that “proficiency” could be measured, including Advanced Placement tests,
college entrance exams, International Baccalaureate exams, Arapahoe Community
College tests, and performance on the Assessment of Performance toward
Proficiency in Languages.
Advanced Placement classes
offer students college-level course material, said Chapman, and colleges and
universities offer college credit for proficient scores on AP tests (every
college or university takes a different approach). “We are really enthusiastic,”
Chapman told the board. “You should be really proud of what the staff is
doing.”
Forrest Davis—National
Wrestling Hall of Fame
Forrest Davis, who has spent
his entire 34-year career as the woodworking and drafting teacher at Sheridan
High School, will soon be inducted into the Class of 2018 National Wrestling
Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Superintendent Michael Clough read the
letter from Lee Roy Smith, executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of
Fame. “Forrest, you are leaving your family, friends and wrestling fans a
valuable asset … a respectable name and reputation for serving a sport that we
all consider worthy of passing on to future generations,” wrote Smith.
“A tremendous honor,” said
Davis.
Mentor 2.0 Update
To date, 300 students at
Sheridan High School have been matched with adult mentors under the Mentor 2.0
program backed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado. This week, Big Brothers
Chief Executive Officer Dave Ryan briefed the board on the effort, which he said
is going strong. The effort seeks to match every incoming freshman with an
adult with the goal of helping every student graduate from high school with a
solid postsecondary plan. The mentors and students meet once a week and can
also communicate one-to-one over a secure app on their mobile devices.
The program is so popular with
would-be mentors, said Ryan, that some adults have been turned away.
Big Brothers’ program director
Lance Holly introduced student Lucy Martinez and her mentor, attorney Julie
Radner. “She is very supportive and encourages me to become a better student,”
said Martinez.
Replied
Radner: “I feel like I won the lottery. I feel like I’m getting as much out of
the program as she has.”
District Advisory and
Accountability Committee
Alice Terry Elementary School
teacher and District Accountability and Advisory Committee (DAAC) Chairman
Adrian Vigil presented on behalf of DAAC, a state-mandated group of parents,
community members, teachers and district representatives. Vigil told the board
that DAAC’s area of focus this year has been on the district’s declining
enrollment, “to define causes and bring forward positive solutions.”
Vigil said the group has been
studying increased rental rates in Sheridan and also whether parents who leave
Sheridan for one reason or another also realize that the state allows families
to choose schools in other districts besides the one where they reside. Another
issue is the need for quality programming before and after school hours,
perhaps through partnering with another community group or agency. The district
is preparing to apply for federal funds through the 21st Century
Community Learning Center grant program that could support that effort, said
Deputy Superintendent Jackie Webb.
Translation Services
The school district will begin
providing interpretation services for Spanish-speaking parents and community
members for the public comments portion of school board meetings,
Superintendent Clough told the board. The district’s six family liaisons have
agreed to participate in training. The interpreter service will be available
for the entire board meeting once the district receives new wireless headset
and microphone equipment and once training is complete.
Student Retention and
Recruitment
Superintendent Clough shared
findings from University of Denver doctoral candidate Isaac Solano, who was
asked to look into reasons behind the district’s declining enrollment. The
district’s enrollment is down over 100 students from last school year. Solano
contacted 36 families, representing 41 students who have left the district. He
asked them all the same set of questions.
Solano found that parents said
they believe they will have access to better athletic programs, better programs
for gifted and talented students, and perhaps more college and university
scholarship options. Solano found that many parents were unaware that their
place of residence did not limit their ability to attend schools in neighboring
school districts. Clough said that nine families indicated a strong interest in
returning to Sheridan.
Board member Sally Daigle
offered impassioned comments about the scholarships that are earned by Sheridan
High School students. In 2017, 77 graduating students attracted $1.1 million in
total scholarship offerings.
Major Accomplishment
From now through June, said
Superintendent Clough, one district accomplishment will be highlighted at every
board meeting to emphasize some of the positive strides the district has made.
To kick off the series, Superintendent Clough pointed to the “long climb back”
from being at the bottom of the state’s accreditation ratings and being
threatened with state takeover. In September of 2016, the Colorado Department
of Education improved Sheridan’s ranking from “accredited with a priority
improvement plan” to “accredited with an improvement plan” based on improved
growth scores and other performance data. (The district continues to be
accredited with an improvement plan in 2017-2018.)
Had the achievement not
improved, said Clough, the district might have faced consolidation, closure, or
might have lost control over its own operations. That accomplishment, he urged,
should not be overlooked as the district continues to improve.
Open Letter
Board member Karla Najera read an
open letter to Sheridan students. She lauded students who have recently come
forward with complaints for “fighting to raise the bar for your fellow
students.” Najera urged students to continue to advocate for their needs and to
“share their concerns, their truth, and their successes.”
Community Schools
Board member Daniel Stange
relayed an upbeat report after attending a conference in Milwaukee on community
schools. Stange said the key is “applying the principles of community schools
with fidelity.” The community schools initiative is supported by the National
Education Association. Stange attended the conference with Sheridan Educators
Association president and Fort Logan Northgate School teacher Peter Morris and
Fort Logan Northgate School assistant principal Beth Joswick.
Consent Agenda
All consent agenda items were
approved.
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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