The Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District board on April 21 approved a proposal to hire new legal counsel from Lyons Gaddis and adopted the 2026-27 salary schedule.
The meeting opened with a presentation from Panorama Education, a company that provides academic, social-emotional and behavioral support for students and educators.
Presenter Spencer Peters said the platform helps reduce some of the more time-consuming aspects of teaching, including rubric building, lesson plan drafting, individualized education programs and other administrative tasks.
Peters said about 50% of the nation’s 100 largest public school districts use the platform. Panorama data also shows that schools using the program report GPAs that are 18% higher and an 80% reduction in suspensions.
After the presentation, high school Principal Jennifer Boniface spoke on behalf of the school’s FFA chapter, which will send eight students to Washington, D.C., in June for community service and service-learning projects. The students will also learn how to develop and implement community initiatives and are scheduled to meet with members of Congress. The group has raised about $2,000 for the trip.
During celebration reports, board members learned that MCHS student Josh Yarborough received the Daniels Scholarship and that Kemper Elementary recorded strong attendance during CMAS testing.
Boniface said state testing at MCHS went “really” well, with only 17 students absent. Those students have since completed make-up testing, which she said could bring participation close to 100%.
After a brief discussion session, the board moved to action items.
The board approved Kemper Elementary’s Unified Improvement Plan for the 2026-27 school year and adopted the new salary schedule, which will take effect before the start of the school year and includes special secondary programs staff, classified staff, assistant principals and principals.
The board then revisited Panorama Education’s proposal and voted 5-1 to move forward with the platform.
The next Montezuma-Cortez school board meeting will be Tuesday, May 19, at 6 p.m.
