For now, please consider that 30% more Salidians responded to this committees survey than the city comprehensive planning survey (the survey that The Mountain Mail has trumpeted which shows that over 90% of Salidians get their news from them). This response rate would seem to be a testament to the calendar committees distribution methods as well as the communities interest in our schools. If you’d like to be involved in further school planning, please drop us a note, there are many ways to be involved. salidacitizen@gmail.com

You can grab the PDF version of this calendar here. district calendar 2010-2011

As has been stated many times, this position is key to the success of our children, our teachers, our school system and our community. After having the opportunity to meet the four candidates at the Meet and Greet on Wednesday and observe the tremendous efforts put forth by the board, school administrators, school staff, and community members participating in this thorough and well managed selection process, I have complete confidence the best candidate for Salida will be selected.

Here at the The Salida Citizen, I’ve been following this closely, in part, because my oldest son is directly affected. I have looked at the problem, and discussed it with the school board, teachers and staff.

As a community, this would seem like a recent problem, but in reality, this is an inherited issue by most all of the teachers, the Principal, the current school board and the Superintendent. So, let’s not look back. They are all dealing with this as efficiently as possible. -bd

While a permanent solution for the leaking roof of the Salida Middle School is a number of months away, the school district staff has been working through short-term solutions daily, modifying classroom layouts and even relocating some classes to neighboring rooms and in a few cases to other buildings.

Investigation has reveled the cause of the leaks in the 10-year-old roof are due to improper installation. Unfortunately the roofing contractor which installed the roof dissolved under bankruptcy a short time after completing the job, leaving the school system without a route of recourse. Repairs have been made to a number of areas during the past decade; however faults in the original construction have compounded the situation making spot repairs impractical. Roofing experts agree that the only viable solution is a complete replacement of the roofing membrane.

Board of Education member, Robin Nejame commended the efforts of the teachers, maintenance, janitorial and administrative staff during this difficult situation. Ms. Nejame said “This has created an extremely challenging environment for our teachers and students. They have toughed it out and have demonstrated why our schools are so great. They have rallied and created solutions to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff in the building while doing their best to maintain a productive learning environment.”

Teachers and administrators have worked to find alternate locations for classes held in the most affected classrooms while creatively reorganizing less affected rooms. The maintenance and janitorial staff are focusing on controlling damage to the building and its contents while keeping a keen eye on the health and safety of the building’s occupants by mitigating the affects of the moisture, conducting numerous tests for mold and utilizing the resources of the Chaffee County Building Safety and Environmental Health Department. Concurrent with these actions the Board of Education, administrators and maintenance

personnel have been obtaining professional evaluations on the roof as they determine the best course of action to achieve a permanent solution. The initial estimates for the roof replacement are in excess of three hundred thousand dollars. Superintendent John Rouse submitted an emergency grant request for funds from the state to help cover the cost of the roof replacement on March 13. A response on the request is expected within 15 days of its submission. If the emergency grant money is not received the funding will have to be obtained from the district’s reserve fund.

It’s unfortunate to have a failure in a relatively new building, but according to Mr. Rouse, the district is taking steps to minimize the possibility of similar construction faults in the future. “We already have a requirement in place to have a qualified Owner’s Representative oversee the construction of the new buildings under consideration by the district.” Owner’s Representatives typically are well versed in construction techniques, materials and design and are employed to ensure all workmanship and decisions made are in the best interest of the building’s owner.

Through this adversity the Salida School District staff continues to focus on their primary mission of preparing our youth for the future, even in the midst of dripping water and the disruptions it causes. The comprehensive solution for the leaking roof being developed now, will guarantee the root causes are identified and corrected to ensure similar disruptions to the middle school’s learning environment will not occur for many decades to come.

The mission of the Salida School District, in active partnership with family and community, is to ensure that each and every student is prepared to succeed in life, by providing quality instruction and progressive curriculum in a secure and challenging environment which will empower students with the skills necessary to achieve their greatest potential.

During a lengthy meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd, the Salida R-32-J School Board and superintendent thoroughly reviewed a number of options for reducing the school district’s budget for the 2010-11 school year. Faced with a reduction in state funding of around $563,000, there were tough decisions to be considered.

The administration and board solicited input from staff and citizens during a series of meetings including a recent well-attended meeting with the district accountability committee.

By the end of Tuesday’s nights meeting, the Board reached the decision that the necessary reductions could be made in the district’s budget without having a reduction in force of any of the full-time professional teaching staff. This was partially due to retirements and resignations of various current staff members. Some of the positions that will not be re-filled include: a counselor, a librarian, and an elementary teaching position.

Although additional cuts will be in a number of different areas, some of the key reductions will be as follows:

• Reduce the Director of Teaching and Learning position from full-time to half-time
• Reduce budgets for Strawberry Door, Crest Academy, and Horizon Exploratory Academy
• Reduce clerical position at high school by consolidating with data management position
• Restructure the Activities Coordinator position
• Eliminate the kindergarten bus routes
• Hold the line on district’s contributions for employee health insurance premiums
• Review the numbers of sections of some elective courses at the high school and possibly shift some positions from full-time to part-time
• Reduce travel expenses
• Reduce maintenance costs.

The Board is still considering the possibility of going to a four-day week schedule for next year. There is a committee gathering data on the impacts of this potential change. They will report their findings to the Board.

John P. Rouse, Superintendent

I just spoke with Robin Nejame, Salida school board member, about the press release below. Moreover, I have been following discussions in the community closely, partaking in district accountability meetings and speaking with teachers and staff.

Sometimes it’s difficult to discern the impact of a press release such as the one below unless you have been close to inner workings. It is my goal to offer some context based on my recent experience.

I have  watched the board wrestle with several big decisions in recent years, but none have forced them to research options, listen to the community, meet with teachers and staff and then make hard choices like the statewide budget-related decisions they are facing today. Logically, there has been some fear and among teachers and staff regarding extensive job loss and cuts. As you will read below, many of those fears have been misplaced. However, a lesser board would likely have made wholesale cuts in staff and services with less input from the community. The pressure they have been under is considerable. Additionally, it’s important to consider that state mandates, contracts and a goal to fulfill the mission created by the community make planning decisions very complex.

As I’ve written recently, our district is in a remarkably sound position economically because of good local decision made on many levels, and we should be very proud of the management of our school district these days.

Additionally, our community has gotten behind our teachers, and the salary increases authorized by voters last year show even more support for teachers —and students. In these difficult times, our minimal cuts and community support are nothing short of astounding.

The care for staff and personel that I’ve seen from this team is unmatched. The results below are the result of hundreds of hours of homework, meetings and listening. They are an all volunteer board, and the work goes on.

Please stay tuned to the calendar for more school related events and opportunities to partake in discussions moving forward. The communities participation is more than welcomed, it’s required.

Campus accountability meetings are an easy way to get up to speed. For information on ways you can be involved with current and future decisions, please contact us here at the Citizen.

Our greatest strength remains our ability to communicate and learn. -bd

PRESS RELEASE

During a lengthy meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd, the Salida R-32-J School Board and superintendent thoroughly reviewed a number of options for reducing the school district’s budget for the 2010-11 school year.  Faced with a reduction in state funding of around $563,000, there were tough decisions to be considered. The administration and board solicited input from staff and citizens during a series of meetings including a recent well-attended meeting with the district accountability committee.

By the end of Tuesday’s nights meeting, the Board reached the decision that the necessary reductions could be made in the district’s budget without having a reduction in force of any of the full-time professional teaching staff.  This was partially due to retirements and resignations of various current staff members.  Some of the positions that will not be re-filled include: a counselor, a librarian, and an elementary teaching position.

Although additional cuts will be in a number of different areas, some of the key reductions will be as follows:

Reduce the Director of Teaching and Learning position from full-time to half-time

Reduce budgets for Strawberry Door, Crest Academy, and Horizon Exploratory Academy

Reduce clerical position at high school by consolidating with data management position

Restructure the Activities Coordinator position

Eliminate the kindergarten bus routes

Hold the line on district’s contributions for employee health insurance premiums

Review the numbers of sections of some elective courses at the high school and possibly shift some positions from full-time to part-time

Reduce travel expenses

Reduce maintenance costs.

This is all worthy of noting because they work together as a team, appear to communicate well —and never lose sight of the importance of ensuring that their tough decisions are guided by the district’s mission.

I will delve further into my experience as a parent of two students, attender of many meetings, journalist and member of the District Accountability Committee in the very near future. -bd

Attached is a summary from the Salida School District Superintendent John Rouse summarizing our current challenges and assets.

Education is important in Salida. It is apparent in the countless hours volunteered by staff and community; people who come together for the good of our students and for the good of our community.  Salida School District is currently celebrating many successes – students that continue to thrive at all grade levels in academics, music, art, the performing arts, and sports.

As we continue to do the best for students with the resources we have, the District faces some big decisions in the next few months:  a search for a new superintendent, budgeting decisions in light of 6-8% cut in funding from the State, and what to do about facilities that are old and difficult to maintain.

For months a group of twenty plus citizens and staff members have worked as the Salida School District’s Facilities Committee to finalize a facilities plan that will lead to a more effective, more efficient, healthier and safer school buildings.  This committee is made up of residents who are professional architects, construction managers, realtors, energy consultants, parents, and staff members.  They have spent many hours considering the options.  Their process has been thoughtful; based on fact and reality.  The District has a very solid facilities plan and will apply for a state grant that pays at least 42% of the costs for new buildings.  The grant is dependent on passing a bond for the remainder of the costs.

In terms of the Superintendent Search, the community went through a thorough and well-liked process three years ago.  The School Board has chosen to use that same process.  This process began with staff and community focus groups at the beginning of February. The focus groups allowed participants to give their thoughts on strengths and challenges of the community, as well as what characteristics were most important when looking for the next superintendent.

Many people are already aware of the financial challenges that all school districts face in Colorado.  The State has estimated a 6-8% cut in funding for all schools for the 2010-11 school year.  The Salida School District is estimating a $563,000 decrease in state funding for next school year.  When combined with budget increases due to: utilities, state-mandated increases in employee pension plan contributions, and premium increases for medical and worker’s comp insurance, the decrease in state financial support means that our administration and Board are faced with the challenge of cutting approximately $750,000  from our current level of spending.

The School Board held community meetings in early February to explain the situation and to discuss the options they face as well as the priorities used to guide their decisions.  Meetings were held at all three campuses. Questions were taken, and answers will be posted this week.

Lezlie Burkley, School Board President, emphasized the great collaboration that has taken place so far and the hopes that it will broaden and continue. “We are continually amazed and grateful for the staff members and community members who give their time, expertise, and ideas to make this a strong educational system.  We are thankful to our teachers’ association for having open discussions about what we face.  The staff meeting on February 3^rd was well-attended and allowed us to explain the facts and options as we saw them at that time.  Our committees have been very helpful as they have helped wade through information and research options and ideas.  This truly has been a broad effort.”

She went on to say, “The community meetings are another opportunity to see what participants view as strengths and challenges.  Together we will find solutions that best fit our community and, most importantly, support our students.  This is not a time of crisis, but of opportunity.”

John Rouse 530-5203

As a downtown Salida commercial property owner I will be supporting the schools virtually regardless of the financial implications. Good schools are that important to me. But, it certainly makes it easier to swallow when I know that our school board and administration are looking out for me on issues which are essentially beyond their control.

They are watching this closely and wanted to let the community know. -bd

As a lawyer, Herb Fenster defended Interior Secretary Gale Norton in Indian trust litigation. He went to the mat with then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney over the sudden cancellation of a multibillion-dollar contract for the A-12 stealth fighter and won nearly $3.9 billion — the largest judgment ever entered against the government — for contractors who had worked on the craft. His close friends include William Swing, the former Episcopal bishop of California, and he occasionally debates with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia over what it means to be a “true originalist,” someone who interprets the U.S. Constitution in a way they believe its authors intended. The Boulder Republican’s next battlefield is Colorado’s tax-limiting Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. By the end of the month, Fenster will sue the state in federal court over TABOR. He said the fight is about education, which he believes is the most important task of a state government, but the argument will be constitutional.

FULL ARTICLE: The Denver Post

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

More stories in National/Effective and Ethical Government | Colorado/Effective and Ethical Government

More stories in National/Election | Colorado/Election

Thank’s for the post Robin.

John Rouse’s letter of resignation:

“After much thought and consideration, I have reached the conclusion that for personal reasons concerning my family I need to return to Texas. In order to do so, I hereby tender my resignation from the position of Superintendent of Schools for Salida R-32-J School District to be effective at the close of business on June 30, 2010. Hopefully by making this decision well in advance of my last day of employment, I have allowed the Board adequate time to seek a qualified individual for my replacement. I will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the students and staff members of the Salida school district during my remaining tenure.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences working with the Salida R-32-J Board of Directors. Not only has the support and encouragement I have received from these dedicated and caring volunteers been tremendous to me individually, but it has also allowed us to make great strides in addressing our identified goals and priorities. The students of Salida R-32-J have benefited from this positive working relationship.

I wish the best of luck in the future to you and the Board as together you work to continue down the path that we have set for providing quality learning experiences for the children of our community.”

John P. Rouse

Board member responses:

“We are sorry to see Mr. Rouse go. He has been an integral part of our team and has worked tirelessly to take steps in making the educational vision of this community a reality. The plans we have created together will continue,” expressed Board President Lezlie Burkley.

“ I hate to see him leave, especially in the middle of so many projects and efforts. He has given us a good start with curriculum and facility improvements. We thank him for his work,” stated Russell Granzella, Board Vice President.

“It has been a privilege to work with a person that possess’ such admirable qualities; John has the strongest of work ethics, unsurpassable dedication, he is an innovative and forward thinker, and he always puts children first. I have great appreciation for what he has brought to our district, and have the utmost respect for him and for his decision. He will be missed,” said board member Robin NeJame.

“I thank him for his guidance and leadership that is taking us in a strong direction. I appreciate his integrity, generosity, and vision. We wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Penny Wilken, board member.

Accomplishments since John Rouse began in June 2007:

-Development with Salida School Board of a District Strategic Plan including goals in the areas of Academic Focus, Financial Oversight, Leadership Effectiveness, Fostering Relationships, and Planning.
-Oversight for the development of a PK-12 written curriculum.
-Classroom walk-through procedures for PK-12 to observe learning.
-Development of a District Facilities Plan.
-Revised salary schedule for staff.
-District-wide evaluation process.
-Partnership with Crest Academy and Strawberry Door Kindergarten.
-Increased enrollment in 2009 by 4.94%.
-Steps towards differentiated learning – including revision of the Gifted & Talented Program and Horizons Exploratory Academy.
-Reorganization of some departments to increase efficiency and decrease costs.

-Development of community committees for facilities, post-secondary education options, staff recognition/public relations, school calendar, and community engagement.

-Worked with the board to update and reformat the policy manual.

Process in finding a new superintendent:
“We are considering the same process we did in 2007, with the assistance of Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB). That process included meetings with staff, community, and board to determine priorities. Staff and community committees helped us review applications and interview candidates. And, the community had a chance to meet the top candidates before the board made its final decision,” explained Lezlie Burkley, Board President.

Potential timeline of search:
-Staff and community focus groups to discuss district needs and priority characteristics in a superintendent. (January/February)
-Staff and community committees, along with the board, will review applications and narrow the candidates. (February/March)
-“Meet the Candidates” community meeting to hear from the top candidates. (March/April)
-Staff and community committees, along with the board, will interview the top candidates. (March/April)
-Board will make the final decision. (by April)

Roy Blythe of Blythe Group and Co., a full-service design, architecture and project management firm based in Grand Junction, led the group in discuss and review of current design plans.  Longfellow Elementary would be constructed behind the current school and would not interfere with daily classroom activities.  The new Salida High School would be constructed on the south side of the current campus where the track and practice field are located.  Once the new high schools is constructed the old building would be demolished and the track relocated to that area of the campus.

Both schools must meet LEED certification in order to get BEST funds.  LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

BEST provides an annual amount of funding, in the form of competitive grants to school districts, charter schools, institiute chapter schools, boards of cooperative educational services and the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind.  BEST funds can be used for the construction of new schools as well as general construction and renovation of existing school facility systems and structures.

Salida School district will file for an application in early 2010, applications will be reviewed in June. The Capital Construction Assistance Board will meet and make recommendations to the State Board on June 29th and 30th.  The State Board would then meet in July and projects would be awarded in August.  If Salida were awarded a grant then the Salida School Board would have to ask voters to pass a bond issue in order to receive the BEST funds.

BEST funds afford an incredible opportunity for our district to build state of the art school facilities. If  the Salida School District is awarded the money than it becomes critically important that the public is aware of the importance of passing the bond issue.  Without an approved bond the BEST grant money is not awarded.

After hearing a litany of progressive ideas and approaches to manage and improve our schools, and seeing clearly that the administration has been working hard and pulling long hours —all without losing site of the primary goal of educating children, some of those gathered at the first official meeting of the 2009/10 district accountability committee wondered what the purpose of the group was? After an hour of discussion, we realized the degree to which our schools are being looked after, not just with a critcal eye towards the basics, but towards excelling in these tough times.

With all in agreement about the possibility of re-directing the energy of the board from watch-group to oversite and assistance, we will be looking forward to the next meeting where we will be contributing ways in which this committee can help achieve the district’s lofty, yet reachable goals. That said, the group’s mission will not be lost, and reviewing district progress reports and keeping an objective, outsider’s eye on the district will still be a significant component of the group’s job.

Attached are the minutes from the last accountability meeting. You might feel that minutes from a district accountability committee meeting are hardly news, but if you look within, and choose to inquire further about these topics, you will see the  progress the administration, the board, and district employees are making in our community under serious financial duress.

There are currently just eight members of the district accountability team. This is a voluntary group, technically considered a committee. There is room for more people, and if you have any interest in staying on top of the district’s progress, these meetings are an excellent place to start. Additionally, they are casual and quite interesting.

Please contact Fred Rasmussen or myself for more information. Other boards still have openings, please review information below these minutes.

MINUTES : SALIDA R-32 DISTRICT ACCOUNTABILIY COMMITTEE OCTOBER 19, 2009

Present-Tom Thomas, Bill Donavan, Rose Ley, John Rouse, Kirk Banghart, Lori Lee, Donna Gilmore, Dave Armstrong, Rob White, Denise Wentz, Fred Rasmussen.

• CAMPUS REPORTS
  Longfellow-no report
  Middle School, Rose Ley-Staff and administration modified their School Improvement Plan to fit guidelines for Federal Title 1 funding (Stimulus money that is a one time grant) that is available if over 30% of student body is below Federal poverty guidelines. These modifications allowed more staff flexibility to deal with individual student needs.
  MS staff and administration have completed their student needs assessment, have a summary of that data, and the teaching staff has written action plans to implement their academic goals.
  High School, Denise Wentz-the high school committee discussed; district athletic policies, use of the Honeywell grant money including smart boards, a document camera and possible other uses of the remainder of the funds, new attendance policy results were positive, and some of the effects of the closed campus. There was no discussion of the high school Improvement Plan.
• John Rouse gave an update on the workings of our Facilities Committee and the Calendar Committee. A major outcome from the citizen directed Facilities committee was the recommendation that the district should opt for a complete replacement of the high school buildings and of Longfellow as well. Such a decision the committee decided was the most practical way to utilize the BEST monies. The Calendar committee is looking at all the possible Calendar options to determine which would maximize the academic achievement of our entire student body. The possibilities range from a year-round school to some modification of the present system.
• Kirk Banghart gave the DAC a brief overview of the process the district has used to establish the District as well as the 3-campus improvement plans. In essence it is a four step circular process for developing the best data on educational problems that will be used to develop an action plan for classroom actions to work on the identified problems. It is circular in the sense that as new data on student achievement is gathered new strategies can be implemented to refine the action plans.
• John Rouse distributed the accountability version of the 2009 CSAP results from Longfellow school for the committee to examine and ask questions about at our November meeting.
• Fred Rasmussen suggested it was time to adjourn since we were missing an important Bronco football game. There was agreement.

There are six committees that are discussing important district issues.  Members are listed below.  If you are interested, we encourage you to participate.  Please contact Superintendent John Rouse at 530-5200; when prompted push 1 for the District Office.

Facilities Planning (BEST State Matching Funding Program)

Padriac Gallagher (SIED LES) Darren Bachand Dara MacDonald

Kayla Maddox (LES) Keith Baker Duncan Moyes

Amanda McKee (LES) Dave Beaulieu Nathan Orrill

Brett Pyle (CAO) John Diesslin Lauren Policky

Bob Smith (SMS) Greg Follett Mike Shomion

Walt Sneddon (Support) Bob Grether Sara Wittington

Megan Granzella Micheal Yerman

Paige Judd

Ron Ley

Community Engagement

Deb Bass (SHS) Gay Hahn (Parent)

Christi Delaney (SHS) Denise Wentz (Parent)

Samantha Lane (SMS)

Lori Lee (SECC)

Schuyler McAllister (LES)

Kevin Thanoff (SHS)

Rob Tressler (SMS)

Maria Wilcox (SHS)

Albert Lionelle

Post-Secondary Options

Bob Smith (SMS) Hilliard Howard Chuck Rose

Chuck Stenzel (SHS) Merriel  Johnson Mike Shomion

Kathy Tessitore (SHS) Roy Ley

Albert Lionelle Kym Mellsop

School Calendar

Kari Brantley (LES) Megan Granzella

Jacque Fisher (SMS) Linda Moyes

Rob Gilchrist (SHS) Nathan Orrill

Penny Kitson (LES) Danelle Peters

Michelle Ludwig (LES) Lauren Policky

Tami McDonald (LES) Susie Richardson

Chuck Stenzel (SHS) Wendy Shomion

Tanya Stewart (LES)

Staff Recognition and Public Relations

Stacy Follet (LES) Bill Donovan

Emily Lamont (SHS) Megan Granzella

Lori Lee (SECC) Brenda Leunsmann

Cheryl Stanbro (Support) Nathan Orrill

Kevin Thonoff (SHS) Lauren Policky

Standards-Based Learning

Donna Christensen (SMS) Tom Thomas

Jacque Fisher (SMS) Bonnie Yaeger

Janine Frazee (SHS)

Carol McIlvaine (SMS)

Cory Scheffel (SMS)

Posted by School Board President Lezlie Burkley

We have an amazing committee!  It is another example of community members that bring expertise, commitment to the community, and energy to make great things happen. At least 20 community members including local builders/contractors, an architect, an engineer, a commercial real estate consultant, a solar energy professional – as well as parents and retirees –gathered to share their ideas about Salida School District buildings.

The core of the school district’s facility plan has three main objectives:

• Health and safety
• 21^st century learning environments
• Energy efficient/environmentally friendly/high performance buildings

The committee was joined by Linda Morrison (a representative of the Governor’s Energy Office) who outlined  the state’s criteria for high performance buildings; Darryl Muir from the Colorado Department of Education Capitol Construction Division who outlined important steps in BEST funding; and Roy Blythe who is the architect for Salida School District.

Topics of discussion included:

• An overview of the current facility plan and the two-year community process that has led to the plan
• Explanation of recent revisions to the plan
• Perspectives from Linda Morrison and Darryl Muir (listed above)
• Committee discussion about what is liked and what is missing.
• Outline of suggestions and next steps.

There was a lot of positive energy in the room, which led to a lot of great questions and comments  from committee members including:

“We NEED NEW buildings for the elementary school and high school.”

“New construction costs less than renovations and additions – because we build to today’s educational needs and we create energy-efficient spaces.”

“The committee would like to see a comparison of costs – renovation/addition versus new construction.”

“The district has done a good job of building a relationship with the BEST department (Capitol Construction Dept of CDE) – to try and best understand the program and the application process.  We need to continue those efforts.”

The committee will review assessments, expectations gathered from staff and community, consider multiple options, gain an understanding of financial realities, and consider the politics involved in moving forward.

Committee members at the meeting included:

Padriac Gallagher (Longfellow  Elementary School)

Kayla Maddox (Longfellow Elementary School)

Brett Pyle (Central Administration Office)

Bob Smith (Salida Middle School)

Walt Sneddon (Support Staff)

Community Members:

Bob Grether

John Diesslin

Mike Shomion

Greg Follet

Dave Beaulieu

Paige Judd

Peter Goff

Ron Ley

Tom Thomas

Fred Rasmussen

Jerry Mallett

There are six committees that are discussing important district issues.  Members are listed below.  If you are interested, we encourage you to participate.  Please contact Superintendent John Rouse at 530-5200; when prompted push 1 for the District Office.

Facilities Planning (BEST State Matching Funding Program)

Padriac Gallagher (SIED LES) Darren Bachand Dara MacDonald

Kayla Maddox (LES) Keith Baker Duncan Moyes

Amanda McKee (LES) Dave Beaulieu Nathan Orrill

Brett Pyle (CAO) John Diesslin Lauren Policky

Bob Smith (SMS) Greg Follett Mike Shomion

Walt Sneddon (Support) Bob Grether Sara Wittington

Megan Granzella Micheal Yerman

Paige Judd

Ron Ley

Community Engagement

Deb Bass (SHS) Gay Hahn (Parent)

Christi Delaney (SHS) Denise Wentz (Parent)

Samantha Lane (SMS)

Lori Lee (SECC)

Schuyler McAllister (LES)

Kevin Thanoff (SHS)

Rob Tressler (SMS)

Maria Wilcox (SHS)

Albert Lionelle

Post-Secondary Options

Bob Smith (SMS) Hilliard Howard Chuck Rose

Chuck Stenzel (SHS) Merriel  Johnson Mike Shomion

Kathy Tessitore (SHS) Roy Ley

Albert Lionelle Kym Mellsop

School Calendar

Kari Brantley (LES) Megan Granzella

Jacque Fisher (SMS) Linda Moyes

Rob Gilchrist (SHS) Nathan Orrill

Penny Kitson (LES) Danelle Peters

Michelle Ludwig (LES) Lauren Policky

Tami McDonald (LES) Susie Richardson

Chuck Stenzel (SHS) Wendy Shomion

Tanya Stewart (LES)

Staff Recognition and Public Relations

Stacy Follet (LES) Bill Donovan

Emily Lamont (SHS) Megan Granzella

Lori Lee (SECC) Brenda Leunsmann

Cheryl Stanbro (Support) Nathan Orrill

Kevin Thonoff (SHS) Lauren Policky

Standards-Based Learning

Donna Christensen (SMS) Tom Thomas

Jacque Fisher (SMS) Bonnie Yaeger

Janine Frazee (SHS)

Carol McIlvaine (SMS)

Cory Scheffel (SMS)

Several boards are currently being formed such as community outreach, calendar development and facilities planning. The latter is the focus of a meeting tonight at the high school, where organizers are hoping for another strong turn out.

School board dean Linda Chelf made a point of explaining the degree to which the current board would be looking to the community for significant input in the years ahead. There has been criticism of past boards for not taking the consult of various accountability boards. Clearly, the planning and strategy that is being put in place indicates that the board is listening and receptive to input and involvement. “There is room on every board, from teachers to parents to students” stated Mr. Rouse, who has taken a strong stance by working with the board as well as teachers to solve problems, and look for out of the box solutions and ideas.

The mission of the Salida School District, in active partnership with family and community, is to ensure that each and every student is prepared to succeed in life, by providing quality instruction and progressive curriculum in a secure and challenging environment which will empower students with the skills necessary to achieve their greatest potential.