• student enrollment: Elementary: ;Middle School: ;High School
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August Recognitions

Employee Years of Service: The District recognizes Janesse Garcia, Maegan Rockwell, and Lori Willey for five years of service; Kristina Garchar and Devon Lane for ten years; and Roxie Guynes and Stacy Hankins for fifteen years of service to Dolores County School District.

Successful Opening of School: The Board and Superintendent recognize our staff for their collective effort in preparing for and successfully opening the 2026-27 school year.

Family & Community Engagement: The District recognizes the Family Partnership Committee, staff, families, and community for the outstanding participation in our Open House, Ice Cream Social, and Elementary Color Run.

Dolores County School District RE-2J

The Bulldog Way — Year 2 Implementation Report

August 2026 Board of Education Meeting

Overall Status: ON TRACK

Purpose

The Bulldog Way is entering its second year as the districtwide culture framework for Dolores County School District. The 2026-2027 focus is moving beyond initial introduction and toward consistent implementation, student voice, adult modeling, monitoring, and fidelity across classrooms, activities, athletics, student support, and district operations.

The district’s August Superintendent Scorecard identifies Bulldog Way Year 2 as an active strategic priority and reports implementation across students, staff, athletics, and student-support systems.

The Bulldog Way continues to center on six shared expectations:

Choose Positivity
Show Respect
Actively Practice Teamwork
Be Dependable
Demonstrate Grit
Value Integrity

The district vision remains: We envision every student thinking, learning, achieving, and caring. Bulldogs Do the Right Thing.

Opening-of-School Implementation

The Bulldog Way was intentionally incorporated into the opening of the 2026-2027 school year rather than treated as a separate initiative.

Staff returned on August 17 with messaging emphasizing that The Bulldog Way applies to adults as well as students and should guide how employees communicate, solve problems, support colleagues, serve families, and interact with students.

The August 17 Open House and Ice Cream Social extended that message to families and the community, emphasizing positivity, respect, teamwork, dependability, grit, integrity, and partnership between school and home.

Students returned August 19. At the HS/MS, students participated in a whole-school expectations assembly addressing building rules, athletics and activities expectations, and school organizations. Students then moved into grade-level groups for more specific discussions regarding expectations in different areas of the school.

Student Support and SEL

The Bulldog Way is also being integrated into the district’s student-support system.

SEL instruction will reinforce Bulldog Way and Bullpup STRONG expectations through:

• Positive communication.
• Conflict resolution.
• Relationship skills.
• Appropriate navigation of peer challenges.
• Individual or small-group intervention when students need additional support.

The intent is to provide proactive instruction and intervention before concerns develop into larger behavioral issues.

The August scorecard specifically identifies SEL as part of the evidence supporting Bulldog Way implementation and notes its connection to communication, conflict resolution, and peer relationships.

Athletics and Activities

Athletics and activities are a major Year 2 emphasis because they are among the most visible places where students, staff, parents, and community members represent the district.

The district has established clearer expectations for coaches, student-athletes, parents, and fans. Current parent/fan communication includes posters, venue banners, home-game announcements, and sportsmanship reminders before away events.

The core message is:

Support our athletes.
Respect the officials.
Let the coaches coach.

Be Loud. Be Proud. Be Respectful.
We Are Dove Creek.

This effort is intended to connect athletic culture directly to The Bulldog Way rather than establish a separate set of values for athletics. The August superintendent report identifies athletics culture as On Track, with continued sportsmanship expectations and student safety remaining areas for ongoing follow-through.

Staff Culture and Adult Modeling

Year 2 implementation also emphasizes that The Bulldog Way is not simply a student behavior program.

Staff messaging has focused on adults modeling the same behaviors expected of students: communicating directly and respectfully, supporting colleagues, solving problems constructively, following through on responsibilities, demonstrating resilience when challenges occur, and acting with integrity.

This approach reinforces the idea that district culture is built through everyday interactions rather than through a single program, assembly, or poster.

Leadership huddles have also been established as a routine district structure for communication, accountability, early identification of concerns, and cross-department teamwork.

First-Semester Goals

The current Bulldog Way project tracker identifies three first-semester priorities:

1. Include student voice in Bulldog Way implementation.
2. Reinforce Bulldog Way attributes and language.
3. Review Bulldog Way standards with employees.

Charlotte Forst is currently identified as the lead for the student-voice goal. The tracker identifies involving students in activities that teach about The Bulldog Way as an initial high-leverage task; however, the detailed tasks, owners, and evidence measures for several first-semester goals still need to be finalized.

This is an important next step if the district is going to move from broad implementation to measurable fidelity.

Evidence of Progress

Current August evidence includes:

• Bulldog Way messaging included in staff return activities.
• Family and community reinforcement at the August 17 Open House.
• HS/MS whole-school and grade-level expectations discussions.
• SEL alignment with Bulldog Way/STRONG expectations.
• Athletics and activities expectations for coaches, students, parents, and fans.
• Posters, banners, home-game announcements, and away-event sportsmanship reminders.
• Leadership routines supporting communication and teamwork.
• Development of first-semester goals focused on student voice, common language, and employee expectations.

The Superintendent Scorecard currently places Strategic Plan Implementation at 85% and On Track, with Bulldog Way Year 2 specifically identified as active across students, staff, athletics, and student-support systems.

Next Steps

The next phase should focus less on additional messaging and more on documenting whether The Bulldog Way is consistently visible in practice.

Priority next steps include:

• Finalize specific tasks, owners, deadlines, and evidence for each first-semester Bulldog Way goal.
• Develop meaningful opportunities for students to help shape and promote Bulldog Way implementation.
• Continue reinforcing common Bulldog Way language across both buildings.
• Review expectations periodically with employees rather than limiting staff discussion to the beginning of the year.
• Monitor athletics and activities culture and reinforce expectations throughout each season.
• Use SEL and student-support data to identify recurring communication, peer relationship, or behavior needs.
• Identify measurable evidence that can show the Board whether implementation is becoming embedded in district culture.

Board Summary

Bulldog Way Year 2 is underway and currently On Track.

The district has successfully expanded the framework beyond initial student expectations to include staff culture, family engagement, athletics and activities, SEL/student support, and leadership practices.

The key challenge for the remainder of the year is moving from implementation and communication to measurable fidelity—determining whether the shared language and expectations are consistently demonstrated across the district and whether they are producing meaningful improvements in student and adult culture.

The Board should expect future updates to focus increasingly on student voice, implementation evidence, behavior/climate trends, athletics culture, staff reinforcement, and progress toward the first-semester goals.

Dolores County School District RE-2J

Agricultural Education Shop & HS/MS Administration Remodel

Comprehensive Construction Report — August 2026 Board Meeting

Overall Status: ON TRACK

Executive Summary

The district continues to make significant progress on the FY2026 BEST-funded secondary campus improvements. The two major components highlighted for the August Board meeting are construction of the new Agricultural Education Shop and completion of the HS/MS administration/secure-entry remodel.

The administration area is now occupied and operational, with remaining work in closeout and punch-list status. The AG Shop has moved into active site development, including grading and underground infrastructure work. The overall BEST project continues to be reported as on track, and no facility-project budget exception requiring Board action has been identified in the August reporting.

The district's August facilities and operations scorecard is currently at 90% / On Track, with continued Board attention directed toward safe construction, traffic transitions, schedule monitoring, and grant stewardship.

1. Agricultural Education Shop

Why This Project Matters

The new Agricultural Education Shop addresses substantial deficiencies in the existing Vo-Ag facility, which dates to 1967.

The BEST application documented concerns involving building condition, water infiltration, electrical capacity, ventilation, heating and temperature control, fire safety, accessibility, technology infrastructure, security, supervision, storage of hazardous materials, and the overall ability of the building to support modern agricultural education.

These conditions also affected instruction. The application specifically identified inadequate dust collection, limited electrical capacity, insufficient technology infrastructure, poor classroom/shop sightlines, and facility conditions that restricted when certain instructional activities could safely occur.

The new facility is therefore more than a building replacement. It is intended to provide a safer, more functional, modern environment for agricultural education, Career and Technical Education, and skilled-trades instruction.

Current Construction Progress

Construction is underway following the project groundbreaking.

Current work has concentrated on the site and underground infrastructure:

• Site grading and preparation are underway.
• Underground conduit/infrastructure installation is progressing, including infrastructure supporting future technology and communications.
• Utility coordination continues.
• Construction-zone separation and safety remain active priorities.
• Parking, pedestrian routes, and contractor access are being coordinated around normal school operations.

The August BEST report includes photographs documenting both the site grading and underground conduit work. The grading photograph shows substantial preparation of the new shop site, while the conduit photograph documents trenching and underground infrastructure installation.

Schedule

The project continues toward an anticipated end-of-April 2027 completion milestone. Current district reporting continues to identify the AG Shop as In Construction — On Track.

As construction moves forward, administration will continue monitoring the project schedule against upcoming milestones and will report significant changes to the Board.

2. HS/MS Administration & Secure-Entry Remodel

Purpose of the Remodel

The administration remodel addresses an important security deficiency identified during the BEST planning process.

Before renovation, the existing configuration allowed the receptionist to communicate with visitors through a pass-through window, but a visitor granted entry could gain direct access to the common/student area. The BEST application specifically identified the need for a more secure and functional entry sequence requiring visitors to enter the reception space before gaining access to student areas.

The remodel therefore had two primary purposes:

Improve security and visitor control while also creating a more functional administration and reception environment.

Current Status

The administration/secure-entry area has reached a major milestone:

The renovated area is occupied and operational.

The district successfully transitioned staff into the space as the school year opened. Remaining work is being managed as closeout and punch-list activity, allowing normal student and staff operations to continue with minimal disruption.

The renovated configuration strengthens visitor control and improves the safety and functionality of the secondary campus.

The August construction documentation also includes a progress photograph of the administration reception area showing the new reception counter, cabinetry, finishes, and associated secure-entry improvements.

Operational Impact

Completion of the administration area before the beginning of normal school operations was an important project milestone. The space can now serve students, families, staff, and visitors while remaining punch-list items are completed.

Administration will continue coordinating remaining contractor activity to minimize disruption during the instructional week.

3. Related HVAC Improvements

Although separate from the two primary construction areas in this report, the HVAC work is another major component of the same BEST project.

The BEST application identified aging rooftop units that were beyond their useful life and failing frequently, resulting in heating and cooling problems for students and staff.

Significant progress has now been made:

All thermostats have been installed and are functioning correctly.

This completes a major controls milestone and confirms that the new temperature-control system is operational. Owner training for the thermostats and rooftop HVAC units is scheduled for August 20, 2026. Remaining HVAC activity is focused on final verification and project closeout.

4. Construction Safety & School Operations

With students and staff now back on campus, maintaining safe school operations alongside active AG Shop construction is a continuing priority.

The district and project team are actively coordinating:

• Construction-zone access and separation.
• Student and staff pedestrian routes.
• Parking and traffic patterns.
• Contractor access and scheduling.
• Utility work.
• Communication with staff, students, families, and the community.

This work is especially important because the AG Shop construction will continue throughout the 2026-2027 school year.

Administration will continue adjusting logistics as construction phases change.

5. Budget & BEST Grant Stewardship

District administration continues to monitor the BEST project budget, grant reimbursements, project expenditures, project schedule, procurement documentation, eligible expenditures, and long-term capital-renewal obligations.

The district's August financial reporting states that current capital work continues to be documented by funding source and project scope. Importantly:

No facility-project budget exception requiring Board action has been identified in the August BEST construction progress update.

The original BEST application also establishes requirements related to competitive procurement, reimbursement eligibility, documentation, and other grant-compliance responsibilities.

Administration will continue working to maintain complete documentation throughout construction and project closeout.

6. August Project Dashboard

7. Board Oversight — Next Phase

The administration's focus as the project moves forward will be to:

1. Maintain the AG Shop construction schedule toward the April 2027 completion target.
2. Monitor the project budget and BEST reimbursements.
3. Maintain safe separation between construction and student operations.
4. Complete administration-area punch-list and closeout work.
5. Complete HVAC owner training and remaining system closeout.
6. Coordinate parking, pedestrian routes, contractor access, and construction traffic as site conditions change.
7. Maintain required BEST procurement, expenditure, reimbursement, and project documentation.
8. Continue providing the Board with milestone-based construction updates and photographic documentation.

Superintendent's Summary to the Board

The district has reached an important point in the secondary campus improvement project. The administration/secure-entry remodel is operational, providing an immediate improvement in security, visitor management, and functionality. HVAC improvements have also reached the closeout phase, with thermostats installed and functioning.

At the same time, the Agricultural Education Shop has moved from planning into visible construction, with grading and underground infrastructure underway. The project continues toward the anticipated end-of-April 2027 completion.

The overall project remains On Track, with no current budget exception identified for Board action. Administration's focus now shifts toward maintaining schedule and budget discipline, protecting students and staff during active construction, completing remaining administration/HVAC closeout work, and keeping the Board informed as the AG Shop reaches its next major construction milestones.

Dolores County School District RE-2J

Quarterly Financial Update

August 2026 Board of Education Meeting

Overall Financial Status: STABLE / MONITOR ENROLLMENT

Executive Summary

Dolores County School District remains in a stable financial position as the 2026-2027 school year begins. Budget monitoring, grant reimbursements, project expenditures, and capital-reserve planning are continuing as part of the district's regular financial oversight. The August superintendent report identifies the Quarterly Financial Report as a separate Board-calendar item and notes that current capital work continues to be tracked by funding source and project scope.

The primary financial issue requiring continued attention is student enrollment.

Early enrollment information indicates that district enrollment will be below the level assumed when the 2026-2027 budget was adopted in June. Because state school-finance revenue is closely tied to funded pupil count, the district is beginning to revise revenue projections and identify the adjustments that will be needed to align expenditures with the lower anticipated state funding.

At the same time, the district has received additional grant revenue that was not included in the June adopted budget, including the Big Three Start Up Grant. This new revenue will partially offset changes elsewhere in the budget, although it is restricted to the purposes of the grant and should not be viewed as a permanent replacement for ongoing state formula revenue.

The district is financially able to manage the current change. However, enrollment remains a major planning priority, particularly as Colorado continues moving toward changes in the way enrollment averages are used for school-finance calculations.

1. Enrollment and State Revenue

The June 2026 adopted budget was developed using an enrollment assumption established before students returned for the school year.

Current enrollment is trending below that budgeted assumption.

This will reduce the amount of state school-finance revenue the district receives compared with the amount originally projected in June. Administration and the business office are now reviewing the expected revenue change and beginning the process of adjusting the budget accordingly.

The district will not have its official student-count information until after the October 1 count period is completed and verified. Until that process is complete, current enrollment information should be treated as an operating projection rather than the district's final funded pupil count.

Current approach

The district is:

• Monitoring enrollment closely as students enter, withdraw, or make educational choices during the opening weeks.
• Comparing actual enrollment with the enrollment assumption used in the June budget.
• Reviewing anticipated changes in state equalization revenue.
• Identifying expenditure adjustments that may be necessary.
• Avoiding premature major budget changes until the official count is available.
• Planning to incorporate the confirmed financial impact into the January revised budget.

Enrollment is therefore the district's most significant current General Fund revenue variable.

2. January Revised Budget

The district's revised budget process will be used to formally incorporate changes that have occurred since adoption of the June budget.

The January revised budget is expected to reflect:

• Updated funded enrollment.
• Revised state school-finance revenue.
• New grant awards and other additional revenues.
• Changes in restricted and designated funding.
• Necessary expenditure reallocations.
• Updated capital and project expenditures.
• Other changes identified during the first half of the fiscal year.

This approach allows the Board to receive a more accurate financial picture based on verified student-count information rather than making significant amendments based only on early enrollment estimates.

The district's broader financial-management framework already identifies budget monitoring, revised-budget preparation, grants, reserve planning, and changing school-finance laws as continuing areas of Board-level oversight.

3. Big Three Start Up Grant

The district has received Big Three Start Up Grant revenue that was not included in the June adopted budget.

This represents additional revenue for 2026-2027 and will be incorporated into the revised financial plan.

Because the funding was not part of the June budget, both the associated revenue and allowable expenditures will need to be added during the budget-revision process. Grant funds will continue to be tracked separately and used in accordance with the requirements of the award.

This additional revenue is positive for the district's current financial position; however, administration will continue to distinguish between:

Ongoing operating revenue, such as state school-finance funding, and
One-time or restricted grant revenue, which cannot automatically support permanent recurring expenditures.

The district's current financial scorecard similarly emphasizes continued monitoring of grants, restricted resources, reimbursements, and capital-reserve planning.

4. Expenditure and Project Monitoring

The district continues routine monitoring of expenditures and major projects.

Current August reporting confirms that:

• BEST grant reimbursements and project expenditures continue to be tracked.
• Capital-reserve planning remains active.
• Capital work is being documented by funding source and project scope.
• No facility-project budget exception requiring immediate Board action has been identified.

The district also executed an elementary fence-extension contract for $13,481 for approximately 305 linear feet of four-foot black chain-link fencing, with work beginning in August.

These capital and restricted expenditures are being monitored separately from the enrollment-related General Fund revenue issue so the Board can clearly distinguish operating-budget pressures from project-specific funding.

5. Financial Position

At this time, the district is financially stable.

The anticipated enrollment decline does not create an immediate financial emergency. The district has time to evaluate the actual funded count, revise projections, and make appropriate adjustments through the normal revised-budget process.

The district's history of conservative financial management, improved budget controls, grant development, and careful use of one-time resources provides additional capacity to respond thoughtfully rather than react prematurely. Current district financial planning emphasizes protecting fund balance, maximizing grant opportunities, monitoring future liabilities, and maintaining long-term capital sustainability.

The appropriate financial posture at this point is therefore:

Stable overall, with enrollment and future state funding formulas requiring active monitoring and planning.

6. Longer-Term Enrollment Risk

The larger issue extends beyond the 2026-2027 budget.

The district is planning for the State of Colorado's continued phase-out of student-count averaging provisions used in the school-finance formula.

Historically, averaging mechanisms have helped districts manage revenue volatility when enrollment declines from one year to the next. As those protections are reduced, declining enrollment will have a more direct and immediate effect on state funding.

For a small rural district, even a relatively small change in student count can represent a meaningful percentage of enrollment and therefore a meaningful revenue change.

The district's long-term planning needs to assume that future budgets may have less protection from declining enrollment than in previous years.

This reinforces the need to:

• Treat enrollment as a strategic district priority, not solely a finance-office issue.
• Monitor enrollment trends by grade and student movement.
• Understand why students enter or leave the district.
• Protect appropriate General Fund reserves.
• Avoid building permanent expenditures around temporary revenue.
• Maximize grants and other outside funding where appropriate.
• Align staffing and recurring expenses with sustainable revenue.
• Continue long-term capital and replacement planning.

7. Board Financial Dashboard

Board Summary

The district remains financially sound, but early enrollment indicates that 2026-2027 state revenue will likely be lower than the amount budgeted in June.

Administration is currently evaluating that impact rather than making premature reductions before official student-count information is available. The October count will establish a more reliable basis for revenue projections, and the resulting changes will be incorporated into the January revised budget.

Additional revenue from the Big Three Start Up Grant, which was not included in the June adopted budget, will also be incorporated at that time.

The district does not currently face an immediate financial problem. The more important issue is ensuring that the district prepares for a future in which declining enrollment has an increasingly direct effect on state revenue as enrollment averaging protections are phased out.

Enrollment should therefore remain one of the district's highest financial and strategic priorities for 2026-2027 and future budget planning.

Dolores County School District RE-2J

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Review

August 2026 Board of Education Meeting

Purpose: Provide the Board with an update on the district’s social-emotional learning and student-support approach for the 2026-2027 school year.

Current Focus

The district’s SEL work for 2026-2027 is being intentionally connected to The Bulldog Way and the district’s existing STRONG expectations. The goal is to reinforce consistent expectations for student behavior, relationships, communication, and problem-solving across both school buildings.

As part of the Student Support role, SEL lessons will be provided in both buildings and will focus on practical skills students can use in school, activities, and relationships. Current planned areas of instruction include:

• Positive and respectful communication.
• Conflict resolution.
• Relationship skills.
• Appropriate ways to navigate peer challenges.
• Reinforcement of Bulldog Way and STRONG expectations.

The district’s August Superintendent Scorecard identifies these SEL lessons as part of the opening-year student-support strategy and specifically connects them to communication, conflict resolution, peer relationships, and Bulldog Way/STRONG expectations.

Layered Student Support

SEL instruction is intended to be proactive rather than limited to responding after behavior concerns occur.

In addition to lessons provided to students generally, individual and small-group support will be available for students who need additional intervention in communication, conflict resolution, relationship skills, or peer interactions.

The purpose of this layered approach is to:

• Build student skills before concerns become larger behavioral issues.
• Give students strategies for resolving conflict appropriately.
• Strengthen peer and adult relationships.
• Support students who need more targeted intervention.
• Reinforce common expectations across classrooms and school settings.

This approach is consistent with district policy supporting positive school climate, prosocial behavior, peer-support networks, social skills, and age-appropriate social-emotional learning as part of bullying-prevention efforts.

Connection to The Bulldog Way

SEL instruction supports the district’s second year of implementation of The Bulldog Way:

We Choose Positivity
Students learn constructive ways to respond to frustration, disagreement, and challenges.

We Show Respect
Students practice appropriate communication and learn how their words and actions affect others.

We Actively Practice Teamwork
Students develop skills for cooperation, problem-solving, and healthy relationships.

We Are Dependable
Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their choices and follow through on expectations.

We Demonstrate Grit
Students learn that conflict and difficulty can be worked through appropriately rather than avoided or escalated.

We Value Integrity
Students are expected to make appropriate choices and do the right thing, including when navigating peer conflict.

The district’s current strategic-plan evidence identifies Bulldog Way Year 2 as active across students, staff, athletics, and student-support systems.

Prevention, Intervention, and Formal Processes

SEL and student-support interventions are intended to complement—not replace—district discipline, bullying, harassment, discrimination, or safety procedures.

When concerns rise to the level of bullying, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or another matter governed by Board policy, the appropriate reporting and investigation procedures remain in place. District policy requires prompt reporting and response to such concerns and provides supportive measures and formal processes when necessary.

This distinction is important: SEL provides students with preventative skills and early support, while formal administrative processes continue to address conduct requiring investigation, discipline, or other intervention.

2026-2027 Implementation

During the school year, administration will work with Student Support and building leadership to monitor implementation and identify whether additional support is needed.

Areas for follow-through should include:

• Delivery of SEL lessons in both buildings.
• Alignment of lessons with Bulldog Way/STRONG expectations.
• Documentation of individual and small-group interventions.
• Coordination with teachers and administrators when student concerns emerge.
• Review of behavior and discipline trends to identify recurring areas of need.
• Communication with families when individual student support requires parent partnership.

Board Summary

The district’s SEL approach for 2026-2027 is focused on proactive skill development, early intervention, and alignment with The Bulldog Way.

The emphasis is not on adding a separate program disconnected from existing district expectations. Instead, SEL is being used as a student-support tool to reinforce the culture already being established throughout the district.

The intended outcome is for students to become better equipped to communicate positively, resolve conflicts appropriately, develop healthy relationships, navigate peer challenges, and make responsible choices—while providing additional individual or small-group intervention when students need more support.

Overall Status: Implementation Beginning / On Track

Next Evidence for the Board: lesson implementation, participation, intervention/support information, and available behavior or school-climate trends as the school year progresses.