The Montezuma-Cortez District Accountability Committee’s recent meeting highlighted the parent engagement survey results, coach pay and adding an additional meeting to the group’s schedule.
At the start of their meeting, the DAC heard from the district’s finance director Danielle Brafford, who gave them an update on the district’s budget. Though it is still too early at this point, Brafford said they are “pretty close” to balancing the budget.
“I don’t know that we’ll totally balance the budget this year, but we’re heading in the right direction,” Brafford said.
The DAC also asked about pay raises for coaches, and were told that although none were available now, coaching pay is “right in line” with neighboring districts – tied with Ignacio, and exceeding Pagosa Springs, Dolores, Mancos and Dove Creek.
Montezuma-Cortez district reportedly pays coaches according to the length of their season. Football, basketball and wrestling coaches, for instance, are paid more than baseball and track coaches.
DAC member Laura DeWitt said DAC supports boosting coach and teacher retention in part through the salary schedule.
“It's been us making recommendations, then the school board does whatever they want,” DeWitt said, adding that next year, they hope to keep working to “bridge that gap.”
“We've gone to the school board and said, ‘This is one of our goals,’“ she said.
Though this was the final official meeting of the 2024-25 school year, the group decided to meet Monday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the parent engagement survey further and other items. The first meeting of the new school year is Monday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
The DAC also announced they will make a presentation at the District’s Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 20. They hope to bring up “concrete suggestions” based on survey results.
The DAC has highlighted survey results showing that many parents have said there were too many modes of communication, making it confusing.
“A lot of people are saying there's just a lot,” the DAC said. “There's the school website and Alma and the apps, and it seemed like there were some who just wanted a more streamlined communication. … You have to advertise things multiple different ways because parents don't just check their email or their app, so I think that's the hard part. I feel like we do need all those ways to communicate, but it's obviously kind of confusing for parents.”
They discussed asking principals to make sure concerts or games are uploaded on a school calendar or one particular app, rather than on various platforms. One member suggested asking principals to publish a school calendar around the start of school so that parents could make plans.
The group also discussed a perceived pattern of distrust in the district, and wondered about approaching the school board about repairing that relationship and building communication and connection with families and the district.
They also touched on the issue of grievances, noting that people had become concerned after district lawyer Brad Miller stated during the March board meeting that sanctions could be applied for “irresponsible accusations.”
At that meeting, Miller said, “I wanted to point out that the judge did adjudicate that you are a limited public forum, and for that purpose, if someone were to come to your board here and make irresponsible accusations and things of that nature, there are sanctions available, and that's what the court wanted to sort out is whether it's completely protected speech, and it is not completely protected speech. So, we can admonish and make sure that our people are being respectful, not accusing employees of the district of things and that sort of thing. There is some sanctions that can be applied.”
“What the intent of that statement was, I'm not sure, but I think some people perceive that as a threat,” DeWitt said. “If I have a concern, how do I bring it forward?”
The next survey will be sent out next spring.
