Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety And Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Eagle County superintendent highlights school safety work, student performance gains and cautions on state funding
Summary
Superintendent Coleman told the board the district's new safety director and a third-party security review helped prepare schools after a shooting at Evergreen High School; he also noted district gains on the state's performance framework and warned the legislature may threaten K-12 funding next year.
Superintendent Coleman opened the Sept. 10 Eagle County School District Board meeting by acknowledging an active shooter incident earlier that day at Evergreen High School in neighboring Jefferson County and expressing the district's solidarity with affected students and staff. Coleman praised the district's newly created director of safety and security, Tad Degan, and said the district's comprehensive, third-party safety review funded by the 2023 bond has led to safety improvements across schools.
Coleman said the district can never be complacent about school safety and thanked emergency responders and local law-enforcement partners. He also recognized that community-funded bond dollars paid for many of the recent upgrades and credited Degan's leadership in implementing recommendations.
On academics, Coleman told the board the district's overall rating rose into the accredited zone on the state's district performance framework, with elementary student growth the most notable area of progress (he said the elementary growth measure was about 15 points higher than the previous year, an aggregate district figure). He singled out staff recognitions: Kendall Vanvulenberg was a state teacher-of-the-year finalist and Dana Harrison, Avon Elementary principal, received a business-partnership award from the Eagle County Safety Council.
Coleman reviewed a recent six-day special legislative session called to address a state budget shortfall. He said the session raised roughly $200 million through tax changes, used reserves and executive actions, and did not cut K-12 in that special session; however, he warned the Legislature's regular session beginning in January could still affect K-12 funding and urged vigilance by district leaders and partners.
He closed by noting other operational updates (work groups on teacher leadership and salary-schedule review; local impacts from the Derby fire) and said the district will continue monitoring state policy and local readiness.
The board did not take a formal vote on the superintendent's report; Coleman's remarks framed next steps for safety monitoring and budgeting as the district proceeds through the fiscal year.
