RANGELY I The Rangely School Board met Nov. 18 to discuss a number of possible changes that could impact the 2015/2016 school year, including full-day kindergarten, an alternative high school program and calendar changes.
In October, Parkview Elementary sent out surveys to parents of preschool and kindergarten students asking for their opinions about the possibility of a full-day kindergarten. Of the 94 possible respondents, the district received back 52 surveys. The survey results were far from definitive with 65 percent of parents saying they were interested in enrolling their child in a full-day kindergarten program.
However when asked if they would be willing to pay a monthly tuition rate to offset the cost (the state will only fund traditional half-day kindergarten), 44 percent of those parents were no longer interested.
Superintendent Matt Scoggins said that due to the high cost, which he estimates to be an additional $50,000 to $60,000 total per year, he thinks the chances of Rangely offering a full-day kindergarten program next year are “slim.”
Scoggins then asked the board members for their opinions on the possible addition of an “alternative” school for high school students. While he was unable to clarify specifics, as the idea is still in the drawing board stages, he did say that it could be a designated classroom at the school with a teacher or a possible web-learning experience or any number of other options.
The idea, Scoggins said, is to reach the students that are either struggling to be successful in a traditional classroom or who have dropped out. The board gave Scoggins permission to pursue more information on the program, including best practices and potential cost.
The last possible change for next year that was discussed was the possibility of a school calendar change.
Scoggins informed the board that he has been working with Meeker Superintendent Mark Meyer to coordinate the two districts’ calendars to match more consistently in hopes of making it easier for the districts to share services, including professional development.
The Rangely School Board will meet again Dec. 16 to begin budget discussions.
