News Flash

Durango, CO: A potential new elementary school at Three Springs was discussed Wednesday at a joint meeting among city councilors and the Durango School District 9R board members.

The school district has 40 acres in the Three Springs subdivision just east of downtown Durango reserved for a school, but the district and the city are negotiating to see if part of the land might be used for housing. The city has paid for the design of the road that might serve the school. The talks are preliminary and a voter-approved bond would be needed potentially in 2024, for the school’s construction in 2025, 9R Superintendent Karen Cheser told councilors.

City Council and the school district meet every three months to provide updates on topics of mutual interest.

City Manager José Madrigal told attendees Wednesday that the contract for the city to purchase the former 9R administration building on 12^th Street has been approved and the city is working on subdividing the River City Hall property. Once the subdivision is complete, to preserve access to the Animas River Trail as well as current road access, the city will be able to take official ownership. City staff are meanwhile working on converting the former Big Picture High School property adjacent to the former 9R building on 12th Street into use by the Community Development staff currently at River City Hall. At least two public meetings will be held to get feedback on design considerations for the proposed City Civic Center at the old administration building. Madrigal said a separate focus group is being created to provide additional feedback on the project and is being led by former Mayor Christina Rinderle.

City Housing Innovation Program Manager Eva Henson provided school officials with an update on the city’s housing efforts. Henson said the city’s approach is “not a silver bullet" to tackle housing issues, but is instead a multi-pronged effort involving a variety of programs, funding sources, and more. The city has 1,990 housing units either under review, approved for construction or under construction, she said; 70% of those units, or 1,440, are rentals and 199 have affordability components.

Cheser, the school superintendent, told councilors the district continues to see an increase in test scores, and 9R ranks in the top 20% for Colorado school districts. Some proficiency gaps have been identified, she said, and the district has initiated a reading-tutor program and is increasingly incorporating competencies set by the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate” program.

Cheser said enrollment is being affected by declining birth rates locally, but the impact has been more muted than expected. The district has about 40 fewer students this year compared to last, and typically has about 4,500 students districtwide. The school district is the second-largest rural district in the state, she said. Outlying schools have notably remained stable regarding enrollment, while more centrally located schools such as Riverview and Needham have seen declining enrollment, particularly at the kindergarten grades. Cheser said there are also 1,000 additional students that are served by the district through online classes. Online students typically have about a 30% graduation rate, which affects the district’s overall graduation statistics.

The school district has a board election Nov. 7, with a deadline Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. for interested candidates.

To watch a recording of the meeting online, go to the city’s Youtube channel and click on the “live” tab.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Media Contact
Tom Sluis
Public Information Officer 
Phone: (970) 375-5090
Email: Tom.Sluis@durangogov.org

###

_____________________________________________________________________________

Media Contact
Tom Sluis
Public Information Officer 
Phone: (970) 375-5090
Email: Tom.Sluis@durangogov.org

###