DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R HAS CUT SPENDING
FOR THE 20-21 SCHOOL YEAR BY MORE THAN $4
MILLION, BUT IT ALSO INTENDS TO ASK VOTERS
TO EXTEND ITS BONDING CAPACITY TO INVEST IN
SCHOOL MAINTENANCE PROJECTS DISTRICTWIDE AND
TO REPLACE TO AGING SCHOOLS.
YOU'RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT
TO YOU BY WHOLE HEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE.
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R IS EXPECTED TO
LOSE MORE THAN $6 MILLION IN REVENUES AS A
RESULT OF COVID-RELATED STATE BUDGET CUTS
AND AN ANTICIPATED DECLINE IN ENFOLLMENT OF
ABOUT 200 STUDENTS.
WHILE IT RECEIVED $2.6 MILLION IN FEDERAL
COVID-RELIEF FUNDS, IT STILL HAS BEEN FORCED
TO CUT $4 MILLLION FROM ITS BUDGET THIS YEAR.
DURANGO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DAN SNOWBERGER
SAID THE DISTRICT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN TEACHER
SALARIES, ALTHOUGH THEY WON'T RECEIVE RAISES
THIS YEAR, AND NO SCHOOL STAFF WILL BE FURLOUGHED.
THE DISTRICT CUT 10 PERCENT FROM CENTRAL OPERATING
BUDGETS AND 5 PERCENT FROM SCHOOL DISCRETIONARY
BUDGETS.
IT INSTITUTED A HIRING FREEZE, CUT CENTRAL
OFFICE STAFF BY NEARLY HALF FROM 31 TO 17
POSITIONS, AND CENTRAL OFFICE EMPLOYEES ARE
EACH TAKING FIVE DAYS WITHOUT PAY.
IN THE END, KEEPING CUTS AS FAR AWAY FROM
KIDS AS POSSIBLE WAS OUR, OUR PRIORITY.
AT THIS POINT WE'RE AT 17 AND A HALF POSITIONS
IN CENTRAL OFFICE.
WE LOST OUR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT.
WE LOST OUR DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM.
THOSE POSITIONS ARE NOT BEING REFILLED EITHER.
RIGHT NOW.
SNOWBERGER SAID THAT THE DISTRICT HAD STARTED
CUTTING BUDGETS BEFORE THE COVID CRISIS HIT
BECAUSE IT HAD HOPED TO RAISE TEACHER AND
STAFF SALARIES IN 20-21, AND TO DO SO, IT
NEEDED TO CUT OTHER EXPENSES.
THE DISTRICT ALSO IS EXPERIENCING ENROLLMENT
DECLINES, AND AS A RESULT, IT CUT NINE TEACHING
POSITIONS.
WE HAD OUR DEMOGRAPHER WHO, WHO, WHO REALLY
ASSURED US THAT NO, WE ARE IN A PATTERN, BECAUSE
OF THE COST OF LIVING IN DURANGO, THAT WE
WILL SEE YOUNGER FAMILIES MIGRATE AWAY, AND
FAMILIES WITH OLDER CHILDREN MIGRATE IN. AND
SO WE, WE'RE IN THIS UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE
OF GROWTH AT THE SECONDARY AND DECLINE AT
THE ELEMENTARY.
CHANGING STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WAS THE STARTING
POINT FOR A TWO-YEAR, FACILITIES MASTER PLANNING
PROJECT TO ADDRESS CURRENT MAINTENANCE AND
FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, AND AS A RESULT
OF THAT WORK, THE DISTRICT PLANS TO ASK VOTERS
TO EXTEND ITS BONDING CAPACITY FROM A PROPERTY
TAX INCREASE PASSED IN 2002.
THAT BOND REFERENDUM RAISED $84 MILLION AND
WAS USED TO UPDATE AND EXPAND ALL SCHOOLS
IN THE DISTRICT AND TO REPLACE RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL ON SITE.
THE BOND-EXTENSION MEASURE IS EXPECTED TO
BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT ANDY BURNS SAID THE
DISTRICT IS SPENDING A LITTLE MORE THAN A
MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON MAINTENANCE, BUT
AGING DISTRICT BUILDINGS NEED CLOSER TO 6
MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN WORK.
EXTENDING THE BOND ANOTHER TWENTY YEARS WOULD
RAISE ABOUT 80 TO 90 MILLION DOLLARS OVER
THE LIFE OF THE BOND WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
THOSE BOND DOLLARS ARE BEING PAID OFF RIGHT
NOW.
IF YOU THINK OF IT AS A MORTGAGE, WE'RE ABOUT
TO PAY OFF OUR MORTGAGE.
AND SO WE CAN GO TO OUR VOTERS AND ASK FOR
THEM TO EXTEND THAT MILL LEVY RATE THAT WOULD
NOT INCREASE TAXES, BUT JUST CONTINUE THE
EXACT SAME, SAME MILL LEVY.
SO AS IT RELATES TO YOUR MILL LEVY FOR SCHOOL
TAXES, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD NOT INCREASE,
BUT IT WOULD ALLOW US TO GENERATE ABOUT $90
MILLION IN BOND PROCEEDS THAT WOULD HELP US
ADDRESS CAPITAL PROJECTS, SAFETY AND SECURITY
NEEDS, TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS
AND A, A REBUILD OF MILLER MIDDLE SCHOOL,
WHICH, MILLER, MY TWO CHILDREN WENT THROUGH
MILLER, IS DEFINITELY IN A SITUATION THAT
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S A SAFE AND INNOVATIVE
ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR KIDS.
AND IT DEFINITELY NEEDS SOME TLC RIGHT NOW.
THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDS THAT
THE BOND REVENUES BE USED TO MAKE SECURITY,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY-EFFICIENCY INVESTMENTS
IN ALL THE SCHOOLS, REPLACE MILLER MIDDLE
SCHOOL ON SITE, AND BUILD A NEW ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL AT THREE SPRINGS TO REPLACE FLORIDA
ELEMENTARY.
THE MASTER PLAN ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT THE DISTRICT
SELL THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON 12TH STREET
AND RELOCATE TO THE FLORIDA MESA ELEMENTARY
BUILDING.
THE MASTER PLAN ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT MOST
SCHOOLS ARE OPERATING AT 80 PERCENT CAPACITY
WHILE SEVERAL SMALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE
OPERATING WELL BELOW CAPACITY.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DISTRICT
BUDGET OR THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, VISIT
THE DISTRICT'S WEB SITE AT DURANGO SCHOOLS
DOT ORG.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
