School & District News

Beginning April 18, we encourage everyone in La Plata County – district staff, families, community members – to participate in an important survey regarding public education programs, policies, and a potential ballot measure this November 2024.

Durango High School (DHS) Women in STEM club is hosting a design sprint on Sunday, April 21 for grades 4-8 to build interest in STEM fields and to encourage incoming middle and high schoolers to begin or continue to follow a STEM pathway.

The Durango High School (DHS) Green Team is sponsoring an elementary school art contest! The process is simple: choose one of 2 coloring pages to complete with your original design and submit your work for the opportunity to receive a Cream Bean Berry gift card. Submissions are due April 15th.

Fort Lewis Mesa Families-
I hope this message finds you all in good spirits as we navigate through the second month of the year…February! Please remember this month can be tricky as it is sandwiched between returning from the holidays and spring break. Hang in there! As we continue this year’s journey together, I am excited to share some updates and upcoming events from our awesome school community.

Durango School District 9-R has the opportunity to accelerate highly advanced gifted children under age 5 for kindergarten and/or under age 6 for first grade. This Early Access is for those eligible students if their birthdays fall after October 1. It is intended to support students who are evaluated to be exceptional in aptitude/cognitive reasoning, academics, school readiness, and motivation.

Welcome Events Help Students Transition To Middle And High School 
Durango School District 9-R is helping families bridge the transition from elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high schools with three family events in January.

The Durango High School's Women in STEM Club is hosting a free STEM Fair at Escalante Middle School on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. for all kids, ages 5-14. There will be fun engineering challenges, science experiments, technological investigations, and snacks.

We are excited to announce that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will be bringing a mobile vaccine van to two Durango 9-R school locations to help families catch up on the required school vaccines.

We are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases in the schools as well as the greater community. Please be proactive to help curb the spread.

As a commitment to the district’s sustainability goals, we’re launching a new program to promote and implement the Durango School District’s sustainability plan. Staff and students are invited to join a Green Team in each school.