Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District

Colorado lawmakers are unveiling another effort to help survivors of natural disasters like the Marshall and East Troublesome fires rebuild their homes. And the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District will continue without a superintendent, at least for now.

Many communities in Colorado are sounding the alarm over the high cost of housing but the state's lawmakers are advancing a bill they say will help. And the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School Board named finalists for the district’s superintendent position this week.

A new report from the United Nations’ panel on climate change lays out a grim picture of the future that includes more shortages for the already-dry Colorado River basin. A republican bill in Utah banning pornographic materials in schools passed the state’s House on Tuesday. And, the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School Board appointed Harry Tom Burrus as the district’s interim superintendent.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis says the state is moving to a new, less restrictive phase of the pandemic response because of rapidly dropping case numbers. And the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District is holding a special board meeting on Tuesday with only one action item on the agenda: to appoint an interim superintendent for the school district.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is throwing his support behind a package of bills he says will help the state become one of the top ten safest states in the country. And the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District is considering a new schedule for the next academic year, and is looking for community input.

A new report sent to state lawmakers this week reveals the scope of Colorado’s housing crisis. And the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School Board confirmed over the weekend that district superintendent Risha VanderWey has resigned.

In the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District, superintendent Risha VanderWey has been placed on administrative leave by the school board, and COVID-19 contact tracing has been suspended.

We've heard from teachers and staff, and their reactions to the new four-day school week. But how do Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 students feel about the schedule change?

For students in the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District, this week was the first week of classes after the winter holidays. And this semester, there’s a big change. Classes are now on a four-day week. It's a necessary move to support short-staffed and over-worked teachers. But as KSJD News reports, it's just one step in addressing the district's continuing teacher shortage.

Colorado’s recently concluded congressional redistricting process is starting to shake up the upcoming campaigns for the U-S House, including the state's third congressional district; Students in the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District will return to in-person classes on Monday after a temporary closure due to widespread COVID-19 infections, but two school bus routes have been suspended for the next week due to extreme staff shortages.