Mesa County Valley School District 51 adopted a five-year plan for the District to follow and implement.
“This plan, as with our previous Strategic Plan, is not a document meant to sit on a shelf. It is a living document outlining a framework that will shape decisions, guide resource allocation, and inform the work happening in classrooms, schools, and departments across D51,” said the District Superintendent, Dr. Brian Hill, in a statement sent to students and staff.
The previous proposed district-wide plan was planned in 2021, and included “stakeholders, families, staff, and community-driven strategic plan to serve as [D51’s] north star.”
According to Hill, the superintendent for D51, the new plan for 2025-2030 is a result of several district and community stakeholders, known as the Steering Committee. 70 members of the Steering Committee took part in identifying four focus areas for the District. These committees are typically created in order to organize priorities of business and orders of business.
According to D51’s website, the four focus areas include preparing and supporting students, cultivating well-being and belonging, preparing and supporting staff, and managing effective district operations.
“The new strategic plan is designed to strengthen how teachers support and engage students by emphasizing consistent, student-centered practices across the district. Rather than changing what teachers value or believe about their students, the plan helps align instructional approaches, supports, and expectations so that students experience more consistency in how they are taught and supported, regardless of school or classroom,” said D51 Board Member Kaci Cole.
According to Jose Luis Chavez, the President of the School Board, the new proposed five-year plan could face some significant funding challenges. Chavez said that people often have great ideas for the school district but overlook funding issues.
“Ultimately, Congress has to approve [dismantling the Department of Education]. So, to totally dismantle the department, Congress has to approve that,” said D51 contract lobbyist Amy Attwood.
According to Attwood, federal funding remains in flux as the Trump administration makes efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, and that the Board of Education has a proposed budget cut of 15% or $67 billion for the entire nation. D51 is looking at a $600,000 budget cut for this budget year.
