education

The Cortez Adult Education Center has moved into a larger, accessible facility at 640 East Second Street. An open house is scheduled for Oct. 8.

Fewer than 25 percent of eligible Mancos students took CMAS exams, leaving the district without enough data for a standard state performance rating.

SCYC served 353 students in Mancos last school year through federally funded before- and after-school programs. The program is free and has no waitlist, but transportation home remains a significant barrier for some families.

Montezuma-Cortez has adopted specific indoor-temperature thresholds as it manages aging elementary school cooling systems, while Mancos coaches are modifying outdoor practices to reduce heat-related risks.

District officials say temporary cooling measures will be used at three elementary schools while longer-term replacements remain unresolved.

The Cortez Public Library will close its summer reading program July 31 with a paleontology talk, prize deadline and reminder that overdue items can be returned without fines.

Students may use their phones during lunch, but devices must otherwise be turned off and secured in locked classroom caddies.

Students may be out of school, but the Mancos School Garden keeps growing. Volunteers help maintain crops that support education and local food banks.

A Montezuma-Cortez School District staff survey showed gains in some areas, but concerns remain around social-emotional learning, gifted student support, behavior and family engagement.

The principal of Montezuma-Cortez High School, Dr. Jennifer Boniface, has been named the 2026 Colorado Secondary School Principal Rookie of the Year.