Echoes from Cañon
Examples of Excellence
There was a good turnout of local first responders and students for this year's 9-11 remembrance ceremony.
I want to take a moment to thank our partners at Pueblo Community College, the Cañon City High School staff, its JRPTC Color Guard, and the Tiger Pride Band for once again treating the community to a 9-11 remembrance ceremony at Citizen’s Stadium. Conduct of this ceremony is important because this year’s crop of freshmen students are our first who were not yet born on that fateful day. Each year this event offers an opportunity to honor the selfless service and heroism of our first responders.
Preliminary district and school accreditation ratings were released by the Colorado Department of Education a several weeks ago and I want to honor our Harrison K-8 and Cañon City High School staffs each for advancing their buildings from ratings of Improvement to Performance, the highest a single school in the state can achieve. Other outstanding performance of note around the district includes CCMS advancing its rating an unheard of 28 points over three years from a score of 42.3 to 70, and another year of growth shown at Washington Elementary, enough to boost its score to 71.2, Performance, despite being the highest poverty school in our district.
We are pleased to announce former Cañon City High School science teacher and long-time community health activist Brian VanIwarden is taking over the leadership of the Fremont County Health and Wellness Collaborative. Mr. VanIwarden is filling the enormous shoes of long time student and staff health advocate Kristi Elliott, who will now be advocating for Fremont County students in her new role at the Colorado Department of Education.
The Focus of Our Work
Brian VanIwarden is our new Fremont County Health and Wellness Collaborative Coordinator.
Last week we conducted two community tours of Cañon City Middle School to answer questions about facilities concerns we have.
We also met with Cañon City Police Department and Pueblo Community College representatives to develop an Explorer internship program as early as next January to encourage students to pursue careers in law enforcement. This will include uniforms and equipment to be used by student participants. We will also be approaching the Board of Education for approval of up to three PCC/CCHS concurrent enrollment courses to be taught by CCPD members, working for PCC, at the high school. Police Chief Daric Harvey is working with Dr. Lana Carter to establish these courses so they can be offered for the 2018-19 school year. Cañon City High School will provide the students and the classroom space.
Last week I shared information about our mill levy override and bond question language. As these must be written in legalese, I thought it might be helpful to readers to put the questions in more simple to understand terms.
Our override question is asking the community to provide $1,385,000 per year to the school district over and above state formula funding for the next 10 years. This would come to nearly $14 million in extra operating revenue during that time.
The district arrived at this dollar figure to boost funding so it would receive an amount equal to state average per pupil funding for all children in Colorado on an annual basis. Cañon City currently only receives 95% of state average funding.
As stated in the override question, these dollars can only be used for updating curriculum resources, purchasing instructional technology, supporting the improved safety/security/and maintenance of buildings, improving compensation to attract and retain high-quality employees and enhancing learning opportunities for preschoolers.
Our bond question asks citizens to provide matching funds for a facility grant we have already been awarded to improve 5 of our schools (Cañon City High School, Cañon Exploratory School, Harrison K-8, Lincoln School of Science and Technology, and McKinley Elementary), to pay in full the Mountain View Core Knowledge Charter School facility loan, and to provide matching funds for brand new Washington and Cañon City Middle School facilities.
Tax dollars to build these two new schools will only to be collected should we be awarded a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant for each.
If this bond project is successful, the district would get roughly $54 million in facility improvements at a cost of only $18 million to taxpayers.
We also met with Cañon City Police Department and Pueblo Community College representatives to develop an Explorer internship program as early as next January to encourage students to pursue careers in law enforcement. This will include uniforms and equipment to be used by student participants. We will also be approaching the Board of Education for approval of up to three PCC/CCHS concurrent enrollment courses to be taught by CCPD members, working for PCC, at the high school. Police Chief Daric Harvey is working with Dr. Lana Carter to establish these courses so they can be offered for the 2018-19 school year. Cañon City High School will provide the students and the classroom space.
Last week I shared information about our mill levy override and bond question language. As these must be written in legalese, I thought it might be helpful to readers to put the questions in more simple to understand terms.
Our override question is asking the community to provide $1,385,000 per year to the school district over and above state formula funding for the next 10 years. This would come to nearly $14 million in extra operating revenue during that time.
The district arrived at this dollar figure to boost funding so it would receive an amount equal to state average per pupil funding for all children in Colorado on an annual basis. Cañon City currently only receives 95% of state average funding.
As stated in the override question, these dollars can only be used for updating curriculum resources, purchasing instructional technology, supporting the improved safety/security/and maintenance of buildings, improving compensation to attract and retain high-quality employees and enhancing learning opportunities for preschoolers.
Our bond question asks citizens to provide matching funds for a facility grant we have already been awarded to improve 5 of our schools (Cañon City High School, Cañon Exploratory School, Harrison K-8, Lincoln School of Science and Technology, and McKinley Elementary), to pay in full the Mountain View Core Knowledge Charter School facility loan, and to provide matching funds for brand new Washington and Cañon City Middle School facilities.
Tax dollars to build these two new schools will only to be collected should we be awarded a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant for each.
If this bond project is successful, the district would get roughly $54 million in facility improvements at a cost of only $18 million to taxpayers.
Last Week
Last week we took community groups on two tours of Cañon City Middle School to share facilities concerns we have.
Last week I appeared on KRLN’s Morning Line, held a weekly SAC meeting, worked to set up our next CASB student leader/board members engagement session, attended a Pueblo Community College advisory committee meeting, touched base with new Fremont County Regional Wellness Collaborative Coordinator Brain VanIwarden, held a central office staff meeting, attended a quarterly CCEOE meeting, met with operations staff, and attended a regional wellness committee meeting. We also conducted two community tours showing the facilities conditions at Cañon City Middle School, certified our ballot contents with Fremont County.
This Week
Last week while we honored the CCMS staff for great work raising their School Performance Framework score I was struck by the fact we were also dealing with a fluid leak from a mechanical system device in the library.
I’ll begin the week attending a Literacy Coach meeting, a McKinley improvement planning meeting, a board work session and regular meeting, and a Building Bridges for Quality Cañon City Schools meeting. We also have our monthly Cañon City Police Department information sharing meeting, a CCHS Building Leadership Team meeting, Superintendent’s Advisory Council, Leadership Team, and classified association leaders meeting. On Wednesday, we have delayed start professional development at each school, and that afternoon I’ll attend a Communities that Care key leader session. I’ll also be writing a grant to acquire some funding for CCEOE this week, and I’ll participate in a Washington Elementary facilities condition tour.
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
