District outlines operations plan, energy contract and new communications push
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Summary
District 51 leaders presented Focus Area 4 of the strategic plan on Feb. 3, highlighting community partnerships, a ParentSquare rollout, an energy performance contract intended to be budget-neutral, opportunity rooms for student regulation, and use of bond savings to fund phase 2 work.
Clint Garcia, chief operations officer for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, told the board on Feb. 3 that Focus Area 4 of the district strategic plan centers on "effective district operations," with two priorities: strengthening community partnerships and building strategic support systems.
"When I talk about effective district operations, I'm talking about the behind-the-scenes work," Garcia said, listing facilities, finances and partnerships as core pieces of the effort. Kelly Bergson, the district's public information officer, said the task force recommends improving visibility and communication and set a target to "increase targeted events and campaigns with community partners by 10%" by 2030.
Angela Christiansen, executive director of the D51 Foundation, cited recent foundation activities — including ambassador meetings and the Strong Schools Strong Community luncheon — and said sponsorships and attendance have grown, helping link the foundation's outreach to the district's bond and mill-levy efforts.
Melanie Trujillo, the district chief financial officer, described an energy performance contract the board approved last month as a fiscal tool to modernize aging building systems "while remaining fiscally responsible." Trujillo said the contract is structured to be budget-neutral, supported by guaranteed energy savings, and will fund districtwide LED lighting retrofits and replacement of 25 HVAC units across eight sites. Lighting upgrades are scheduled to be completed within about a year and HVAC replacements will begin this summer, she said.
Andy Means, director of safety and security, outlined the rollout of "opportunity rooms," designed to give students a supervised space to regulate and return to class. Means said 16 rooms are either in design or permitting and that construction on 11 schools is on track to finish by August 2026, with full district implementation targeted by 2028.
Tony Marsh, the district maintenance coordinator, said phase 1 of the bond program finished $4,500,000 under budget; Marsh said $1,500,000 of those savings will be rolled into phase 2 to fund safety upgrades and career-and-technical-education classroom improvements rather than sitting idle.
Board members asked how the district will communicate ParentSquare access and opportunity-room use to families, and staff replied that ParentSquare is primarily a family communication platform with some group options for PTAs and similar organizations and that parents will be notified when a student is moved to a supervised space. The board also pressed staff on accountability for reallocating bond savings; staff urged that such transfers be tied to the strategic plan and long-range facility plan so the board can explain priorities to the community.
The presentation closed with staff asking for board support at upcoming community events and for continued engagement as Phase 2 of bond work begins.
