Greeley-Evans School District 6: Report to the Community 2018

Our Board of Education

Roger DeWitt President

Terri Pappas Vice-President

John W. Haefeli Director

Doug Lidiak Director

Michael Mathews Dr. Julia Richard

Rhonda Solis

Director

Director

Director

Message from Superintendent Dr. Deirdre Pilch Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for believing in our mission and thank you for voting to approve the Mill Levy Override and investing your hard-earned dollars in the students of Greeley-Evans School District 6.

Thank you.

The Mill Levy Override, approved by voters 59 to 41 percent in November, is already making a difference for students in District 6 and will continue to help us ensure that all students have what they need to be successful, to be safe and to graduate high school ready to enter college or a career.

We want you to see and share in the success of our students. For that reason, a good portion of this year’s Report to the Community will focus on the District 6 strategic plan - Innovation2020 - our goals and our plans for reaching those goals. This report will also explain how the dollars from the MLO are supporting Innovation2020 and the high expectations we have for all students to achieve academically, socially, emotionally and personally.

People sometimes say that more money doesn’t guarantee a better education. In cases where strategic goals do not drive district spending, that statement may be true. Still, when your school district is funded near the bottom of school districts in your state, in one of the lowest funded states in the nation, I can honestly say that without more resources, we simply could not provide what the children of 2018 need.

We know students need personalized learning. We know if they come to us with challenges, they need more time to learn. We know students need to be engaged in their learning, motivated to direct that learning and driven to succeed. We know they need hope. We know they need support, not only educationally, but emotionally. We know students need to be safe and secure. We know that students who are ready to excel beyond their grade level need the support to fly. We know the students of today have challenges, pressures and opportunities that most of us never had. We know they are our future.

I fully realize that while we succeeded in passing the Mill Levy Override, nearly 9,000 voters in Greeley and Evans did not support this ballot measure. I am sure there are a multitude of reasons why residents voted against this measure. I understand. The District 6 team and I will prove to all voters - those who supported the measure and those who didn’t - that we are good stewards of these dollars, that we are using them for the purposes we stated in the ballot measure and that this money is making a difference for our students and our community.

So, thank you, voters of Greeley and Evans. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do more for our students. Thank you for allowing us to provide them opportunities and tools they did not have before. Thank you for believing in them and their potential. Thank you for investing in their future and in the future of Greeley and Evans.

We are District 6. I hope each and every one of you believe you are District 6 as well.

Sincerely,

Dr. Deirdre Pilch Superintendent of Schools

GREELEY-EVANS SCHOOL DISTRICT 6

INNOVATION 2020 ENGAGE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE MISSION ON

6 ICT R T DIS L OO CH S District 6 provides every NS A • Our students come first. studentGwith a personalized, E -EV R EY A E L G • We know every child can well-rounded and excellent EEachieve.

ENPOW GR E

VALUES AND BELIEFS

I 20 T A 20 V O in a safe, N IR EMeducation P N S caring environment.

I IN

• We commit to excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

• We ensure safe and healthy schools.

• We view diversity as an asset.

• We provide opportunity and choice.

• We partner with families and communities.

STUDENT LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT

INNOVATIO

District 6 educates today’s students in partnership with families and communities to GREELEY-EVANS succeedDISTRICT in tomorrow’s world.

SCHOOL 6

202

ENGAGE, EMPOWER, INSPI

STRATEGIC PLAN

Students will engage in a challenging, personalized, well-rounded education preparing every student to be college and career ready with the skills needed to be successful in the community and world.

VISION

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS

District 6 will increase engagement and interest in learning through community and school partnerships with our students, parents and community to enhance student success.

CLIMATE AND CULTURE

We will cultivate a safe and supportive learning environment for all, embracing our diversity, honoring and engaging all stakeholders and promoting safety.

OPERATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

We will be innovative and accountable to the community, through measurable outcomes and continuous improvement.

Student Learning: Align systems so all students graduate on time and are college and career ready District 6 is making progress on this goal. The district saw a dramatic decrease in students dropping out last year, from 3.4 percent in 2016 to 2.3 percent in 2017. This improving is due to intentional work that ensures all schools meet the needs of their students, from kindergarten through graduation. The 2017 on-time graduation rate also increased from 77.1 percent in 2016 to 78.7 percent in 2017.

In addition, Mill Levy Override dollars allowed District 6 to more than double the number of students taking concurrent enrollment classes at Aims Community College and the University of Northern Colorado.

Concurrent enrollment gives students a head start on earning college credits before graduating high school and helps them have a clear path to college and a course of study when they graduate District 6.

The District 6 Graduates Initiative key goals from this Innovation2020 objective include:

3

Increase the on-time graduation rate to 90 percent by the graduating class of 2021

3 3

Decrease the dropout rate to 1.5 percent by the graduating class of 2021 Increase the post-secondary enrollment rate to 60 percent by 2021

Climate and Culture: Ensure cultural proficiency throughout the system The focus this year has been on training District 6 leaders - including all principals and assistant principals - on cultural responsiveness. Increasing cultural proficiency has been the focus of monthly district leadership meetings. The goal of this training is to create a culturally-responsive environment for all students and staff and increase awareness of best practices for educating students from diverse backgrounds. By 2019, all District 6 staff will participate in culturally-responsive training and by 2020, each District 6 site will create an equity team to serve as a resource for creating the best learning environment for all students.

Operational and Organizational Effectiveness: Implement clear and concise communication for internal and external stakeholders throughout the system In 2017, District 6 launched new, user-friendly district and school websites. The redesign of the websites was extensive. The updated and reformatted information is more accessible so visitors - whether it be parents, students, staff or community members - can easily find the information they are seeking. This August, a new mobile app will also be launched. (See more under Coming Attractions.)

MILL LEVY OVERRIDE

Putting tax dollars to work for students

In November 2017, voters living in Greeley and Evans approved a $14 million Mill Levy Override for Greeley-Evans School District 6. For seven years, District 6 will have these additional operating dollars to do some very important work in the areas of safety and security, academic achievement, technology, critical maintenance, curriculum and career pathways. Here is a sample of the important work these additional dollars will support over the next year.

T H A N K YO U

SAFETY AND SECURITY

252

NEW SECURITY CAMERAS installed at Northridge, Greeley West, Greeley Central and Jefferson High School

A large portion of the MLO dollars for 2018 will be spent in the area of safety and security. The improvements include replacing or repairing four badly-leaking roofs, replacing two failing boilers at schools, replacing the district-wide telephone system and purchasing and installing security cameras at Northridge, Greeley Central, Greeley West and Jefferson high schools.

LEARNING MATERIALS AND CURRICULUM

6,284 NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS TEXTBOOKS WITH DIGITAL ACCESS

in all middle and high schools

New textbooks and online learning materials for English Language Arts and World Languages will be purchased for high schools and middle schools. The curriculum was selected and reviewed by the District Curriculum Committee, which includes teachers, principals and central administration staff.

The materials were studied for several months and were available for public review.

UPDATED TECHNOLOGY

4,114 NEW DEVICES

next year at Greeley West, Greeley Central and Northridge

High schools will be receiving new technology devices for students and staff. Greeley Central, Northridge and Greeley West high schools will receive a total of 4,114 new devices next year. Devices at Greeley West and Greeley Central haven’t been refreshed since the 2008-2009 school year.

EXPANDING SUMMER SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL AND SATURDAY PROGRAMS

23

SCHOOLS

will be participating in summer school programs

A large team of educators and administrators have worked hard to develop extended school programs throughout District 6, including after-school programs, Saturday school and new summer school programs. This year, the focus is on catching up students who are behind on grade-level content, or at the high schools, behind on credit. Teachers and principals will identify students who will benefit from this additional instructional time and invite them to take part in these extended programs.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

6

DISTRICT 6 CHARTER SCHOOLS

receiving mill levy override dollars from your community vote!

Based on their enrollment, all charter schools in District 6 received a portion of the Mill Levy Override revenue. Each school submitted a plan prior to the election on how that money would be spent.

Since then, they have been busy implementing their plans. Their purchases and expenditures are similar to the rest of the district, and include vehicles for transporting students, facility improvements and repairs, technology and other learning materials.

Transparency and Oversight In March, members of the Business Advisory Committee and District Accountability Committee appointed six people to serve on the Citizens’ Oversight Committee to scrutinize the spending of the Mill Levy Override dollars. The group will meet quarterly, reviewing the spending of the dollars and ensuring that it is in accordance with the ballot language and promises made during the 2017 MLO campaign. Members of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee are: Michael Frick of Greeley, Gary Fuentes of Greeley, Dr. Kenneth Humphrey of Greeley, Jessica Marshall of Evans, Leslie McGrew of Greeley and Scott Rankin of Greeley.

POINTS OF PRIDE

Chappelow Arts Magnet School production of “Bye Bye Birdie” Photo by Woody Myers

2018 Boettcher Scholars

• Greeley Central Senior Hannah Kiburz and Northridge Senior Mark Morales were selected as Boettcher Scholars • Jackson Elementary School and Brentwood Middle School received the Colorado Centers of Excellence Award from the Colorado Department of Education • NEA Foundation granted District 6 $300,000 over two years to support STEM Programs in eight District 6 schools • Meeker Elementary School night lead custodian Abraham Rascon was named the Classified Employee of the Year by the District 6 Classified Council • Superintendent Dr. Deirdre Pilch was named a 2018 Woman of Vision by the Colorado Women of Influence Foundation and she was named the 2018 Outstanding Charter School Authorizer by the Colorado League of Charter Schools • Greeley Central High School senior Brett Yackey was named the MaxPreps Semper Fidelis Male Athlete of the Year • District 6 is one of only five school districts in the nation selected to receive the GradNation Acceleration Grant, which will provide $100,000 over two years to help 200 additional students who are low on credits to graduate high school

Hannah Kiburz

Greeley Central High School

• Six District 6 students were named Daniels Scholars: Michelle Lopez of Greeley West, Gustavo Gabriel Hernandez of Northridge High, Mark Lewis Morales of Northridge High, Joshua Martin Torres of Northridge High, Codi RaiAnn Wells of Northridge High and Margaret Elizabeth Longcor of Union Colony Preparatory • More students than ever before received AP Scholar Awards from the National College Board; 106 in total, with five of those being named National AP Scholars, the highest recognition • District 6 Finance Department received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada • 15 District 6 schools received a Performance Rating, the highest rating given by the Colorado Department of Education, the largest number of District 6 schools to ever receive this rating

Mark Morales

Northridge High School

• Northridge High School sophomore Rafael Vazquez won the National Congressional Art Competition, which includes having his work displayed at the U.S. Capitol

DISTRICT 6 AT A GLANCE

22,235

CALENDAR CHANGES

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP

The 2018-19 school calendar was approved by the Board of Education in March and includes some significant changes. In response to staff and parent input, there are fewer “short” weeks with four days or fewer. In addition, schools will be closed the entire week of Thanksgiving and for a full two weeks at Christmas. The first day of school is August 20 and the final day is May 23.

2,200 EMPLOYEES

33

12

COMING ATTRACTIONS

SCHOOLS

including 6 charter schools

TH

Largest School District in Colorado

OTHER DISTRICT 6 STATISTICS: 78.7% on-time graduation rate 14,000 meals served per day 360 high school students taking college courses at UNC or Aims 130 students placed in paid summer internships

MOBILE APP

STAYING IN TOUCH WITH OUR FAMILIES In August, District 6 will launch a new mobile app for parents, staff, students and community members.

This app will allow users to access information about District 6 and individual schools, including upcoming events, calendars, news releases and more. It will also provide emergency push notifications, so users will be the first to know when school is closed for weather or if there is an emergency at a site. Through this app, parents will be able to log in and access their students’ grades, attendance, missing assignments and be able to email their students’ teachers. Valid email addresses for parents are necessary to access all the features of this app. We ask that parents double check with their school to make sure they have an accurate email address listed in Infinite Campus.

MEEKER ELEMENTARY REOPENING

Victor Daniel Ortega Gutierrez, a senior at Northridge High School, helped design and assemble the STEM program’s first high-powered working CO2 laser.

Late on November 5, 2017, a water main break caused a surge of water to flood Meeker Elementary School.

Most of the school was damaged by water and sludge.

The school was deemed unsafe to occupy and students were moved to the Greeley Generations Church at 3600 22nd Street, where they remained for the entire school year. The damage to the school was so extensive that the entire interior is being rebuilt. This work will include improved safety features, such as limiting the number of exterior doors and moving the office so it is in the line of sight of the front door. Learning spaces have also been redesigned to improve collaboration between teachers and provide students a modern learning environment. This work will continue through the summer and students and staff will return to a brand new building in the fall.

Braxton Shepherd

I volunteer to help build homes for families.

The experiences that I’ve had in the Construction Trades Program have not only prepared me for the industry, but have taught me a good work-ethic, how to work with others and how to be a leader.

Daniela Diaz Lopez

I’m a proud Franklin Viper.

My parents moved here from Mexico to make a better life for me and my siblings. My way of returning the favor is graduating college and making them proud...

District 6 is helping prepare me for my next chapter.

Roy Otto

I’m Greeley’s City Manager.

I believe the youth of this community are our crown jewels...

Anything I can do to help District 6 do the important work they do, I am all in!

Hannah Kiburz

I’m an incoming freshman at Yale University.

The Arts Magnet programs at Chappelow K-8 School and Greeley Central High School have given me the confidence in myself and in my abilities to become who I am today.

Look for these individuals, and more, as we highlight the people who make us District 6!

www.greeleyschools.org/ImDistrict6

Greeley and Evans are growing…

AND SO IS DISTRICT 6

Over the past decade, enrollment in District 6 schools has grown by 21 percent.

Nearly 4,000 additional students are being educated in Greeley and Evans and state demographers predict that Weld County and District 6 will continue to grow in years to come.

2000-2001

2008-2009

15,998

18,870

Student Membership

Student Membership

2013-2014

20,450

Student Membership

No new additional schools have been added in District 6 since 2003. Prairie Heights Middle School was constructed in 2013-14 with a BEST grant and voter-approved bond for the matching funds, but it replaced John Evans Middle School, which was torn down.

Most growth in District 6 has been accommodated by adding portable classrooms.

District 6 has 166 portable classrooms to date.

While adding portable classrooms isn’t a longterm solution, it is the most economical choice with limited resources.

2007

2017

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

Students qualifying for free and reduced lunch

8,945

14,735

63 percent

Students in full-day kindergarten

91

1,435

1,577 percent

Students who are English Lanuage Learners

4,208

5,285

26 percent

Students enrolled in grades 6-8

3,921

5,151

31 percent

2017-2018

22,235 Student Membership

Limited resources have also impacted the amount of maintenance and repairs that can be performed annually.

The last facilities study done in District 6 showed $300 million in deferred maintenance in District 6 buildings.

This year, District 6 plans to update its Facility Master Plan, which will help the district develop a plan for future growth and identify what classroom space is needed to address the education needs of families living in Greeley and Evans for years to come.

2018-2019 DISTRICT 6 CALENDAR of EVENTS School Kickoff Community Celebration

19-23

AUG

Grades 1-12: Students’ First Day of School

DEC 21- Winter Break JAN 7 No school for students

AUG

Kindergarten: Students’ First Day of School

MAR 11MAR 15

AUG

11

20 23

Island Grove Regional Park

NOV

Thanksgiving Break No school for students

Spring Break No school for students

Please visit www.greeleyschools.org for updates to the calendar!

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Most District 6 schools are closed for teacher professional development

• September 17, 2018 • October 29, 2018 • December 3, 2018

HOLIDAYS Most District 6 schools are closed

• February 4, 2019 • March 25, 2019 • April 29, 2019

• September 3, 2018 • January 21, 2019 • February 18, 2019

Greeley-Evans School District 6

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

1025 9th Avenue Greeley, Colorado 80631

Engage, Empower, Inspire

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, Weld County School District 6, Greeley, Colorado, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender identity, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment, or employment in educational programs or activities which it operates.

Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees and members of the public. The following person(s) have been identified as the compliance officer for the district employees and members of the public.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources 1025 Ninth Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631 Phone: 970-348-6000

1 0 2 5 9 T H AV E N U E

•

G R E E L E Y, C O L O R A D O

WWW.GREELEYSCHOOLS.ORG

•

970.348.6000

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI (race, national origin), Title IX (sex/gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, Colorado, 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 510, Denver, Colorado, 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, Colorado, 80202.