OCT 10: Meet the School Board Candidates for the Platte Canyon School District

PLEASE make the time to attend this very important event!

Meet the School Board Candidates
Tuesday, October 10, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Platte Canyon High School - Canyon Room

This year we will have a school board election for the first time in over eight years. Six candidates will be running for three open seats. Mail in-ballots will be sent out on October 15th and the Platte Canyon Chamber of Commerce will host a meet the School Board candidates event on Tuesday, October 10th, from 6:00PM to 7:30PM in the Canyon Room. The Canyon Room is located in the center of the High School and Middle School buildings at 57093 US Highway 285, Bailey, CO 80421.

Like any community, our schools are a reflection of our community demographics and values. Because our community is relatively well educated and affluent compared to the state average, our school district in turn almost always performs better than the state average. We have many dedicated and capable teachers and have some pockets of true excellence, like our 7th grade English Language program. We also have some financial and performance challenges. Some of these challenges have gone unaddressed for many years and have now come to the point where they must be addressed. Addressing these challenges will fall to the new board.

Here is a list of some the more pressing and interrelated issues facing a new school board:

1 Since peaking at 1,575 K12 students in 1997, district enrollment has been in steady decline and now stands at about 855.

2 Last year about half of our graduating 8th graders chose Conifer High School over Platte Canyon High. Why are they leaving and what can we do differently to keep them in the district?

3 According to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), last year 210 school age children living in our district attended schools in another district. This costs the district over $1-million in annual state funding.

4 According to the CDE our teacher turnover rate has been trending up and in the Fall of 2016 was 29%, one of the highest turnover rates in the state. This year's reported rate will be even higher. What can be done to both attract and retain the kind of teachers our children deserve?

5 According to the CDE our annual median teacher pay is nearly $12K below Jefferson County. How can we adjust our spending priorities to make our pay scale more competitive?

6 Based on objective third party measures (SAT & ACT test results), year after year, half of our High School graduates leave our doors unprepared for college, trade school, or the workforce. To be fair this is a public education problem, but the solution will be local. What can be done to keep so many of our children from falling behind and leaving our doors unprepared?

A wise man once said we get the government we collectively deserve. Sometimes we get something less than ideal because we don’t take the time to vote. So trite as it sounds, please take the time to learn about our candidates and vote. Our children deserve the best education we can manage to give them.

Dear Chamber Members and community residents,

The earlier announcement, regarding the upcoming meet and greet for the school board candidates, was not reflective of the opinion of the Platte Canyon Chamber, the Chamber President or any board member.

We issued this announcement in a rush to get the message out, and solely intended to provide some data and information to voters and candidates.

On behalf of the Chamber please accept my apologies for any perceived political views.

Please come support your candidate during the Meet and Greet! Tuesday Oct 10 at the Platte Canyon High School Canyon Room.

Light refreshments and soft drinks will be provided.

Respectfully,
Jack Hansell
Platte Canyon Chamber President