New R-31 school board members take office

By Danny Bay

Buena Vista School District R-31 board of education Nov. 16 swore in newly elected board members and hosted a reception to thank outgoing board members for their service.

"I can't think of anything more challenging than serving our community's children," said district superintendent Robert Crowther about the outgoing board members. "We have three leaving and it's very sorrowful. When you start dealing with people's children it becomes serious, and these three have done an excellent job."

The departing board members include District B, Robert Schumann; at large, Van Cain; and District D, Roxie Green.

Schumann, who filled the interim position of Bob Good, said his departure from the board was full of mixed emotions such as relief, disappointment and gratitude for the learning experience. He said that he hopes to see schools get started on the right track through the implementation of the BVSD Strategic Plan, which faces four big issues: declining enrollment, declining financial support from the government, declining test scores and fracturing of the environment in which children learn, both at home and in schools.

Regarding the new board members, Schumann again noted the Strategic Plan and said, "They know what to do. The concern is can they continue to execute that vision when they're cutting money right now?"

The incoming members who will be a part of the team to face that concern include District B, Beth Volpe; District D, Dale Enck; and at large, Robin Ziperman. In District A, Jan Ommen ran uncontested for another term.

After the swearing-in by Chaffee County Clerk Joyce Reno, the board unanimously appointed Doyle Nyberg as board president, Darrin Blankenbeckler as vice president, Ommen as secretary/treasurer and Tim Strange as Boards of Cooperative Educational Services board of directors representative.

Later, Superintendent Crowther led a discussion about the aforementioned Stategic Plan, a 25-page document that describes seven essential areas "to ensure every student reach the peak of success." Each area contains specific goals that the district hopes to achieve in order to reach that peak.

"These are aggressive goals. We've set them high and it will be a push to get them," Crowther said.

Chaffee County High School principal David Blackburn said that he would like to see the Strategic Plan better known and distributed publicly and that the goals may change a little and the action plans may shift, but that the critical issues will stay the same.

"It's a great communication piece to the public. We're trying to figure out a way that's more marketable and palatable to the Buena Vista community," Blackburn said. "We really do want to be a district of distinction, a district that draws people to this town, the crown jewel of this town."

The obstacles to achievement, however, may be quite trying. Crowther said that K-12 will see a decrease in funding next year of 6.21 percent. "Some school districts in Denver are losing $10 million. But, we're surviving. We'll carry on, and we'll be better," he said.

In other business:

• Buena Vista Community Education Assistance Fund delivered certificates for eight grants for a total of $10,681;

• The board approved a volunteer coaching contract ; and

• The board approved 7-0 "Safe Routes to School," which will install two guard lights across Highway 24 and reinstate a crossing guard on Main Street in an effort to ensure pedestrian control and to encourage more students to walk or bike to school rather than be driven.


(Originally published in The Chaffee County Times)