Thinking outside the box at RE-1 Generating income, teacher recruitment and retention

by Mary Jo Tesitor
WALSENBURG — On the evening of Tuesday, August 11, Terri Patrick moderated a town-hall meeting of Re-1 School Board, staff, and citizens who gathered in the Washington School auditorium to brainstorm for answers to two prickly questions:  How can we generate a significant amount of new money for the district’s general fund?  and, How can we recruit and retain quality teachers to give our students the best education possible? 
Superintendent Mike Moore reported a $500,000 cut in the budget from last year and a total loss in revenue over the past four years of $2.5 million which has left the district in a “bare bones” situation with regard to cutting expenses.  Before opening the floor to ideas, he outlined the current situation and presented a handful of potential long term solutions, including eliminating the state’s so-called “Negative Factor” (which allows the state to take back a portion of their school funding); pushing through a mill levy override; or applying for “pot money” from the state’s newest and most lucrative industry.  
The first would require long-term statehouse lobbying; the second would require voter approval; and the third is an impossibility, since cannabis taxes go into a state “B.E.S.T.” (Building Excellent Schools Today) fund reserved for school capital improvements.   Other creative fundraising, such as corporate advertising on buses and lockers, which some urban schools employ, may not be as appealing to sponsors in rural areas since fewer consumers view the ads. 
Patrick then invited the group to weigh in on the district’s current successes.  Among Re-1’s many strengths, attendees listed updated technology, the recently updated user-friendly district website (huerfano.k12.co.us), well-maintained facilities, an open and receptive board, and an intergenerational commitment to education.  Two new programs of note this year are free breakfast and lunch for all students and an on-site police department School Resource Officer. 
As the group brainstormed for ideas to raise revenue, how to lure back Re-1 students who are drop-outs, homeschooled, or enrolled in other districts was also discussed, as was finding and funding an experienced grant writer.  Completing the sports complex for use for  area track meets would also create a revenue stream.  Investing in property, selling of property, and creative fundraising such as selling advertising space were also discussed.  
Of primary concern to the district is the hiring and retention of quality teachers, especially since the starting salary for a Re-1 teacher is the lowest in the state.  New teachers often have difficulty finding affordable housing.  If married, their spouses have trouble finding jobs in the area, and those who are single have little social life outside the classroom.  There is little reward for coming to such an economically depressed area.  Superintendent Moore said, when we hire good teachers, we should “treat them like kings and queens”, giving them whatever it takes to keep them and make their job easier. 
To create more social opportunities, it was suggested a stipend be offered for a staff social organizer.  It was suggested the third floor of Spanish Peaks Library building could be converted into a cluster of apartments where teachers could give each other moral support and enjoy social time. There are homes available that teachers don’t know about, so if landlords want to see their properties rented to teachers, they need to advertise them.
One idea put forth to lure and retain teachers was to create an “Urban Homesteading” community where teachers could rehab and earn ownership of homes in exchange for teaching for a certain period of time.  The program would give abandoned and neglected properties to young owners who would become long-term members of the community, revitalizing the neighborhood and spurring economic development.  Such a program would require the cooperation of the city, county, and district, as well as non-profit entities, businesses, and area realtors, but could potentially utilize federal grant funds and serve as a pilot program for other depressed areas.
Two committees were formed at evening’s end, one to examine fundraising possibilities and another to look into teacher retention.  If you have ideas, call Superintendent Mike Moore at 738-1520 to get involved.