Introducing the 2017 Annual Report

Dear BVSD Parents, Guardians and Staff,

I would like to invite you to view the 2017 BVSD Annual Report. 

One of the key objectives with the Annual Report is to provide financial transparency, as it is fundamental in the district's standing with the community. Another objective is to share BVSD goals, growth, and progress. 

BVSD successful construction work through the 2014 voter-approved bond, a program we refer to as Building for Student Success, is outlined in the report with an overview of efforts toward sustainability, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. We have also highlighted educational innovation and how it is being utilized to improve existing schools as well as new construction projects. 

Finally, BVSD’s strategic plan, The Success Effect, provides the foundation to ensuring success for all students. I am hopeful that you find value in this year’s report, which is available in print at schools and district sites, and I look forward to our continued success this semester.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bruce K. Messinger
Superintendent

Welcome to a new school year!

Now beginning my sixth year as superintendent of the Boulder Valley School District, I am pleased to see the continued implementation of our long-range strategic plan – “The Success Effect.” Numerous parents, students, staff and community members helped develop this plan, which focuses on three key areas  – Learning, Talent, and Partnerships. We have identified six initial strategic priorities:

1. Literacy and Early Learning
2. Systems of Support
3. Parent and Family Partnerships
4. Successful, Curious, Lifelong Learners
5. Educator Growth and Development
6. Educator Pipeline. 

Learn more about The Success Effect online at bvsdsuccesseffect.org. The site features a blog with posts from several leaders in BVSD on a variety of topics including innovative learning, family partnership, systems of support, district recruitment efforts, professional learning, and new graduation guidelines.

During the summer, district staff made progress on The Success Effect and related initiatives, including the Building for Student Success bond program. Over $55 million in work was completed at schools during the summer months. Students and staff will return to upgraded interiors and exteriors, renovated restrooms, enhanced security and innovative learning spaces. Essential repair and maintenance on building systems along with energy efficiency upgrades will take place in all schools. Construction of replacement schools for Creekside, Douglass, Emerald and a new PK-8 in Erie began a few months ago and will be completed in August 2017. Bond project information is available at bond.bvsd.org.

The environmental health of all learning spaces continues to be a top priority for BVSD. Last year, the  district launched a long-term, districtwide indoor air quality initiative with the University of Tulsa to improve indoor air quality in all district schools. This project will involve collecting indoor air quality data which will be used to make recommendations to building operations and occupant behavior and to identify building renovations to improve air quality.

Thanks to our generous and engaged community, highly qualified educators, excellent leadership, and dedicated support staff, Boulder Valley School District is known for its academic excellence and overall student success. We are committed to providing innovative and effective student learning experiences, employing and developing talented staff, and cultivating strong family and community partnerships to foster even greater student success in the future.

Building for Student Success

With anticipation of warmer weather and students and teachers vacating for the summer, construction crews are moving into high gear to make significant progress on a number of projects in the district’s $576.5 M bond-funded building program. The district Bond Program team currently has over 25 projects in progress. Construction of replacement schools for Creekside, Douglass, Emerald and a new PK-8 in Erie will begin this spring and continue through next school year, with anticipated completion for August 2017. Many phase 1 projects which began construction this past school year will be finished for the start of school in August. Students and staff will return to upgraded interiors and exteriors, renovated restrooms, enhanced security, innovative new learning spaces and, for some, newly air conditioned buildings. Very important but less noticeable repair and maintenance work on building systems and energy efficiency upgrades will take place in all schools. Five phase 2 schools kicked off design work this spring and will likely move into construction early in 2017.

Providing oversight for the entire bond program is the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. The group has met regularly since May 2015 to review financial reports and project progress. When necessary, the committee reviews and makes recommendations for changes to project scopes of work and budgets. The committee’s meeting schedule and minutes are posted on a dedicated page on the Bond Program website. Meetings are open to the public and there is an opportunity for public comment at each meeting.

We recently launched a redesigned website for the bond program to provide families and community members with comprehensive information about how bond funds are being invested to improve learning environments and extend the useful life of buildings. The website can be accessed at bond.bvsd.org or from a link on BVSD’s homepage. The website provides financial reports, details about specific projects, information about renovations to support sustainability and more. I encourage you to visit it often. All of this is possible thanks to our very supportive and generous community.

Introducing the 2016 Annual Report

The 2016 BVSD Annual Report is being emailed this week to all students, families and staff. The report provides a glimpse of district goals, priorities, financial standing and vision for student success. 

The BVSD Board of Education, administration, educators, staff and parents in every school are vital to the success of all students. The strategic plan, called the Success Effect, is based on three principles: learning, talent and partnerships. The intrinsic objective of the Success Effect is to achieve individual success for all students.

Our commitment to achieving student success will be accomplished by various means, one of those being innovation, achieved by building for student success funded by the bond approved in 2014. Educational innovation is at the core of our effort to improve existing schools as well as new construction projects. Sustainability and secure learning environments are also high priorities. Financial transparency is a fundamental component of the report and our standing with the community.  

BVSD vision, mission and goals will be realized through a commitment to community and family partnerships. We rely on these relationships to achieve student success.

I am hopeful that you find value in this year’s report, and I look forward to our continued success this semester.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to the 2015-16 school year. I hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating Winter Break.

As students return to school and begin second semester, school and district staff continue work on numerous initiatives supporting student success. Priority action plans are being implemented supporting the district strategic plan, The Success Effect. Phase one planning is well underway on the new bond construction and innovation work. The Board of Education and administration will begin developing the 2016-17 budget. Information describing the Colorado state student assessment will be distributed later this month.

The 2016 Colorado legislative session will begin January 13. This is an optimal time to work with legislators to secure adequate funding for public education. Underfunding public schools in Colorado is having a negative impact on schools, teachers and students throughout the state. BVSD has lost $175M since 2009 due to underfunding and the governor’s proposed budget will result in over $30M additional loss of funds.

If funding from the state had kept pace with inflation and enrollment growth since 2009, BVSD would be able to provide additional services for students including district-wide full-day kindergarten, implementing a comprehensive literacy program, and hiring more school counselors, nurses and teachers. For details, view this handout about The Cost of Education Student Services at BVSD.

Following are a few websites that provide information on organizations working on school funding and related issues.

• Great Education Colorado - an excellent advocacy organization for parents and educators http://www.greateducation.org/
• Colorado School Finance Project - BVSD is an active member of this organization. You can find a lot of information on this website and search TABOR on the site to find specific information. http://www.cosfp.org/
• Colorado Fiscal Institute - another excellent resource and we will be asking them to provide a presentation to the BVSD community after the first of the year. http://www.coloradofiscal.org/
• Colorado Futures Center at Colorado State University - provides vital research and analysis of public policies impacting Colorado’s future and quality of life. It has helpful information about TABOR. http://coloradofutures.colostate.edu/

I encourage all parents, students and staff to contact the governor and legislators to remind them of the importance of public education and encourage them to provide adequate funding. Legislators whose districts are wholly or partially within the boundaries of our school district are listed on the BVSD website. A full directory of members of the Colorado General Assembly is on the state’s website.

I’m looking forward to a great start for the new year!

Welcome to the 2015-16 School Year

Welcome to the start of a new school year! This is an exciting time for students as they get acquainted with their teachers and classmates. Each new school year provides rich learning opportunities for all students to experience success.

As I begin my fifth year as superintendent, I am eager to implement the district’s new strategic plan, which we call The Success Effect. Many parents, students, staff and community members helped shape our future direction by their participation in developing the plan, which will lead to achieving our vision, mission, values and goals. My blog about Priority Action Plans features recent work by the action planning teams on The Success Effect. I encourage you to read about the future plan for Boulder Valley School District.

The Success Effect has three organizing principles -- Learning, Talent and Partnerships. Boulder Valley School District recruits and employs talented staff, and ongoing professional development ensures our staff has the best skills and knowledge to help our students be successful. The summer months and pre-service days have been packed with professional learning for staff on such topics as innovation, education technology, gender diversity and instructional practices.

We also want to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. Many staff, parents and community members are actively engaged in planning phase one of the bond construction and innovation work. In November 2014 Boulder Valley School District voters approved a $576 million bond issue, which will fund significant improvements in all schools.  

Parent and family partnerships are essential to achieve the hopes and dreams of all students, and I look forward to working with you for a great school year.

Sincerely,

Bruce K. Messinger, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Vision of the Boulder Valley School District

We develop our children’s greatest abilities and make possible the discovery and pursuit of their dreams which, when fulfilled, will benefit us all. We provide a comprehensive and innovative approach to education and graduate successful, curious, lifelong learners who confidently confront the great challenges of their time.