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Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District Improves Its Accreditation Rating

Austin Cope
/
KSJD

The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District has moved significantly closer to meeting a state-imposed deadline to improve its accreditation rating. The district jumped 6 points in the most recent ratings, which were released Friday by the Colorado Department of Education. It is now just 1.6 points away from moving to a higher level of accreditation, according to a release from Re-1 Superintendent Lori Haukeness. The state evaluates student performance in schools and across districts every year, based on standardized test scores, and then rates the schools and districts. Those receiving the two lowest ratings, which are “priority improvement” and “turnaround,” cannot stay at those lower levels for more than five consecutive years without facing consequences from the state, such as loss of accreditation. That timeline is called the “accountability clock.” Re-1 has been at the second-lowest tier for six years. Haukeness was out of town and could not be reached for comment, but in the release she said, “We are pleased to see that the district improvement efforts and hard work of our teachers and principals are building momentum.” Re-1 is currently accredited under a two-year plan that outlines strategies for moving the district to a higher level. The ratings released last Friday are still considered preliminary and will not be finalized until January.

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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