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Downvalley schools start long-term vision process

Staff report

A series of meetings designed to produce a long-term vision for the Roaring Fork School District will kick off today in Basalt.

“When it comes to the future of our schools, we want to hear what is on everyone’s mind,” said Superintendent Diana Sirko in a prepared statement. “The intent of these community meetings is to provide an open forum for listening to all opinions, providing an opportunity for broad and diverse representation so everyone has a voice in the process.”

The meetings will be run by a nonprofit organization called Civic Canopy. Separate meetings will be specifically organized for community and business leaders, faculty and staff, students and the community at large. One community meeting will be held in English with Spanish translations and one in Spanish with English translations.



There will be open discussions designed to raise the hopes and desires each community has for its schools. There also will be a survey and small-group discussions to answer the following questions:

• What is the purpose of schools in our community?




• What does it mean to be a well-educated graduate of Roaring Fork schools?

• What characteristics of a school are most important?

After meeting in Basalt today and Thursday, the meetings will move to Carbondale on Oct. 2 and 3 and Glenwood Springs on Oct. 9 and 10.

In Basalt, the community and business leaders will have a breakfast at Town Hall from 7 to 8:30 a.m. today. School district faculty and staff will meet from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. at Basalt Elementary School. A community meeting in Spanish will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Basalt Elementary School, with free child care and food provided by the district.

On Thursday, there will be a student meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Basalt High School followed by a community meeting in English from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Basalt Elementary School. The district will again provide free child care and food.

After the three-week intensive sessions are completed, key findings from each community and across the entire district will be shared with the community by Nov. 22 in English and Spanish.