Alamosa school board president
clears up communication on survey
Alamosa School Board President Heidi Richardson said she was aware of the 4-day school survey being conducted by the Alamosa Education Association and failed to inform her fellow board members ahead of the survey being released.
“The AEA was very transparent and cooperative about the survey,” Richardson said in an email to AlamosaCitizen.com. “Two representatives from the AEA met with the superintendent, assistant superintendent and myself regarding the survey to discuss language, timing and intent of the survey.”
Myra Manzanares, president of the Alamosa Education Association, said she appreciated Richardson’s response after School Board Member April Gonzales inquired about the survey at a special meeting of the school board earlier this week.
Gonzales said she wasn’t aware the survey was going out and asked for an agenda item at an upcoming school board meeting to discuss the idea of a 4-day school week.
Richardson and Manzanares said the survey is informational to help see where teachers, parents and community members are with the idea of a 4-day week for Alamosa schools.
“It’s a temperature check with teachers and community members,” Manzanares said.
“I will take responsibility for the lack of communication to my fellow board members,” Richardson said. “With all of the controversy around the open meetings law, I didn’t want to inadvertently violate any provisions of the law by conveying the information in private. I apologize if this caused any misunderstanding.”
She encouraged parents and teachers who received the survey to take it, “so there is adequate information and data to analyze.”
Alamosa is the only school district in the San Luis Valley currently not on a four-day school week and instead has an early release every Friday.
No matter what level of interest the survey may show, Superintendent Diana Jones said it would be too big of a change to get in place for the 2022-23 school year.
Lack of moisture leads
to low streamflows in Rio Grande Basin
The San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan and Upper Rio Grande basins are forecasted to have streamflow volumes at 77 and 82 percent of median, respectively, heading into March and spring runoff, based on February readings from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service reported Thursday that five streamflow points draining to the east from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are forecasted to have top 10 lowest streamflow volumes on record. Snow melt from The Sangre de Cristo Mountains is what Renewable Water Resources is banking on in its plan to replenish the Rio Grande from the groundwater pumping and water exportation it proposes.
State Avenue in Alamosa will close
between 7th and 8th streets
Starting on Thursday, Feb. 24, State Avenue will be closed between Seventh and Eighth streets to allow Xcel Energy crews to relocate a natural gas line that is in conflict with the reconstruction of State Avenue which will begin on Tuesday, March 1.
In announcing the street closures, the city said heavy truck traffic will need to use alternate routes such as the State Highway system, staying out of residential areas. For questions, contact the Public Works Department at 719-589-6631.
