- Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board meeting on Tuesday night included dissent over the normally routine matter of the consent calendar, appointment of Brian Balfour as representative for District A, and discussion of retaining good teachers in the face of a looming shortage.
The normally routine matter of the consent calendar caused dissent at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board. The vote to pass the item was 4 to 2, with Sherri Wright and Sheri Noyes saying no. The consent calendar included a list of people to be hired for the coming year, and Wright said she wanted an executive session to discuss them first. However, chairman Jack Schuenemeyer said the board hires just one employee, the superintendent. Earlier in the meeting, citizen Corey Veach had called for the district to employ a full-time athletic director instead of the athletic coordinator it currently has. He said many people are concerned about the fact that four high-school coaches or assistant coaches were terminated last year.
Also on Tuesday, the school board voted unanimously to appoint Brian Balfour as representative for District A, south of Cortez. Balfour, the only applicant, replaces Mike Tanner, who moved out of state.
And human resources director Dan Porter told the board the district is working hard to retain good teachers in the face of a looming shortage. One tactic has been to put out contracts earlier so both the administration and employees can make decisions sooner. Porter said, so far, some 16 teachers have said they are leaving, vs. the more than 30 who left last year. Exit surveys show low salaries remain a major factor.
