Rather than hypothetical financial impacts, the true bottom line to education is student achievement.
That’s the opinion of Anna Cole, a volunteer hoping the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District will approve a Children’s Kiva Montessori Charter School. Cole believes the added choice of a charter school would ultimately help raise the educational bar across the district.
“When there’s an option, parents pay more attention to the schools,” Cole said. “That’s good for the whole community.”
School board members are slated to address the issue at a 6 p.m. work session today at the old Downey School building.
Initial plans were to house the charter school at the Cortez Cultural Center, but school superintendent Alex Carter is hopeful charter school organizers would be open to creating an innovation school instead. He fears the charter school would reduce the district’s overall funding by some $750,000.
“The district is already crippled,” he said. “We’re operating on a bare-bones budget and already spending our rainy-day funds.”
As school district and charter school officials explore options, Cole said she’s thankful the community is debating education.
“We should be fired up about our schools,” Cole said. “We have to stop complaining, and work to find a solution.”
The Children’s Kiva Montessori School would serve children in grades K-6. If approved, the school is expected to grow to include a middle school program in subsequent years.
In addition to discussing charter school options, the school board will also receive design updates on the new $33.6 million high school during the session.
The school board’s regular monthly meeting, starting at 7 p.m., follows the work session.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
