Consultant presents master-plan findings; district schedules Oct. 3 work session on possible elementary consolidation

David Kurtz, field services representative for Neenan Archistruction, told the North Conejos School District Re-1J board on Sept. 23 that a consultant master-plan report assessed La Jara Elementary, Manassa Elementary and Centauri Middle School and identified priority facility issues that could feed into a longer-term facilities plan. He characterized the evening’s presentation as a discussion, not a decision, and said the district should now engage staff, parents and community representatives at a work session on Oct. 3 to explore options.

The report covered building assessments and a timeline for a district master plan and flagged the potential for consolidating the district’s elementary schools, outlining benefits and drawbacks for the board to consider. Kurtz said the master-plan timeline and Neenan’s findings will be discussed at the full-day work session set for Oct. 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the board must decide how that meeting will be advertised and where it will be held.

Why it matters: A consolidation decision could change school attendance boundaries, capital needs and operating costs across the district. The consultant framed consolidation as one option among several and did not recommend immediate action; the board will use the upcoming work session to gather community input and refine possible scenarios.

Board President Mary Jane Valdez and other board members heard the presentation and did not take a formal vote on consolidation during the Sept. 23 meeting. The district’s next steps are the Oct. 3 work session and subsequent public discussion before any formal action is placed on a future agenda.