Durango School District

06/09/2026

The DSD Board of Education will meet for a Work Session tonight, Tuesday, June 9, 5:30 p.m. at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction St. ** Please note the alternate location due to HVAC work at Impact.**

The public is welcome at this meeting. Public Participation is not included at Work Sessions, and the event will not be livestreamed.

View the meeting agenda and presentations here: https://ow.ly/JkNb50Z7Jrh

Meeting topics wil include:

✅ Special Education Update
✅ Discussion of Initiative 195 - Graduated Income Tax
✅ School Consolidation Timeline Discussion

06/08/2026

👋 It’s Meet Us Monday! 👋 We are concluding our series celebrating the 2025-26 winners of the peer-nominated Durango Education Foundation Outstanding Employee Awards, which honor the everyday impact our staff members have on their students and colleagues.

Today’s winner is Jenny Fitts-Reynolds, eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Miller Middle School who also lends her creative talents to codirect the theater troupe at Durango High School! 📚🎭

For Jenny, the true magic of teaching happens when students completely immerse themselves in a project and uncover their own passion. She finds it incredibly rewarding to watch her eighth graders grow so comfortable and confident with their work that they stand up to present and share ideas with their peers completely unphased. That deep sense of student ownership and confidence is exactly what inspires her to step into the classroom every day.

Congratulations, Jenny, on this well-deserved recognition! We are so grateful for the dedication, confidence, and creative spark you bring to our middle and high school students. 💙

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Durango School District and Lindsay Neiman! 🙌

🎓 Today, Lindsay represented DSD at the Colorado Education Initiative's Hopeful Futures Convening, sharing how our Portrait of a Graduate framework helps students develop the skills, mindsets and experiences they need to thrive in school, career and life.

We're also proud to announce that DSD received CEI's Students Own the Journey Award, recognizing our commitment to empowering students to take an active role in shaping their learning and future pathways. 🏆

The Colorado Education Initiative brings together educators and school systems from across the state to advance innovative practices in career-connected learning, student well-being and educational excellence. It was an honor to share our work alongside districts and organizations dedicated to helping every student graduate with access to a hopeful, prosperous future.

Thank you, Lindsay, for representing DSD and helping lead this important work!

06/04/2026

Seventeen Durango High School seniors were recognized in May with the 2026 Seal of Climate Literacy, an award honoring youth who have gone beyond the classroom to engage in real-world environmental problem-solving. Now in its third year, the Seal of Climate Literacy program encourages students to deepen their understanding of climate change and take local action.

Read the full story: https://ow.ly/Ym0R50Z7LBy

06/02/2026

The DSD Board of Education will hold a Demographer Workshop today from 4-7 p.m. at Impact Career Innovation Center, 2410 Main Ave.

The public is welcome. Public comment is not available. The event will be live-streamed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/u9aIeQGIrQI?si=PNRQDByQ1YT_vdqx

Discussion topics include:

✅ DSD boundary map
✅ La Plata County housing and growth
✅ Sunnyside consolidation recommendation
✅ Long-Range Planning Committee report
✅ Additional committee reports

The Durango School District Board of Education will meet for a Demo...

06/01/2026

👋 It’s Meet Us Monday! 👋 As we continue our series celebrating the winners of Durango Education Foundation’s 2025-26 Outstanding Employee Awards, we’re turning our attention to Darrien Clitso, art/digital media teacher at Durango High School. 🎨💻

For Darrien, teaching is entirely about building connections and leading with heart. Her favorite part of the job is engaging with the kids and creating a welcoming, supportive space where every student feels seen and heard. Grounded in the philosophy that students learn best when they feel a secure relationship with their teacher, Darrien channels her natural empathy into a passion for mentoring.

As a true people person, Darrien believes there's no better place to share positivity and support than right inside the classroom.

Congratulations, Darrien, on this well-deserved recognition! We are so grateful for the care, inclusivity, and creative energy you bring to the Demon community every day. 💙

06/01/2026

🍎 Our Summer Food Service Program starts today, June 1!

Durango School District is once again offering free summer meals to all children through the 2026 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This year, free sack lunches will be offered at Park Elementary/ Fanto Park from June 1 through July 31 on Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The service will be closed on Friday, July 3, for Independence Day.

Learn more about the program: https://ow.ly/nguE50YTAgY

05/28/2026

🎉 Exciting news! 🎉 Durango School District’s Board of Education has officially approved the 2025–26 compensation package for educators and staff — an investment in the people who support students every day.

We know some community members may wonder how salary increases, budget cuts, and staffing reductions can happen at the same time. The reality is that school finance is complex, especially during a time of declining enrollment across Colorado.

A few important pieces of context:
✅ About 87% of DSD’s budget goes directly to employee compensation.
✅ Competitive pay is critical for attracting and retaining quality educators in a high cost-of-living community like Durango.
✅ At the same time, declining enrollment means districts receive less per-pupil funding from the state, requiring difficult restructuring decisions in some areas.

We remain deeply grateful for the teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, administrators, and school teams who show up for kids every day with care, talent, and commitment.

Read the full story here: https://ow.ly/jGwT50Z5o6R

05/27/2026

Over the summer, schools will not be staffed; but administrators are still working. From June 1 through July 24, the Durango School District (DSD) Administration Office (281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 100) will be open Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., and will be closed to the public on Fridays.

05/27/2026

We’re honored to be recognized for growth in this year’s Colorado TLCC survey — a statewide survey that asks educators about their working conditions, support systems, leadership opportunities, professional learning, and whether they have what they need to help students succeed.

It’s one of the ways educators can tell us honestly what’s working, what’s improving, and where schools can continue growing.

We’re especially encouraged to see gains in areas connected to professional development, teacher support, and leadership opportunities for staff. Those improvements don’t happen overnight. They reflect years of work by educators, school leaders, and teams across Durango School District who are committed to creating strong learning environments for both students and staff.

One of the biggest increases came in staff reporting that the district invests in their careers — a meaningful reflection of the people-first culture we continue striving to build.

We know surveys are only one piece of the picture. But when positive movement shows up across multiple categories, it tells an important story about trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.

Thank you to every educator and staff member helping shape that story each day for kids.