The most often asked questions of people associated with Animas High School are “How many students attend the school?” and “What’s going on with building your own facility?”
On Wednesday, the AHS board of directors got updates that will help them answer both questions.
As of Wednesday, 296 students are enrolled in the public charter school, which offers grades nine through 12. The school had budgeted for an enrollment of 310, but the budget still holds, new Head of School Sean Woytek said.
“Because the per-pupil funding from the state went up, we’ll have the same budget as projected,” he told the board. Per-pupil funding was raised from $6,979 to $7,112.
Students have until Sept. 30 to enroll, unlike Durango School District 9-R, when students can enroll throughout the year. “A practical reason is the (per-pupil revenue),” Assistant Head of School Libby Cowles said, which is determined based on the enrollment as of Oct. 1, “but it’s also programmatically hard to come in mid-year to project-based learning and thrive.”
As to the facilities, when the school moved from its original strip-mall location out to the base of the proposed Twin Buttes development, the understanding was that the school would eventually build its permanent facility there. Unfortunately, Twin Buttes has been stalled for several years, and probably won’t have the infrastructure in place for them to build there anytime soon.
“We need to talk to Twin Buttes to better understand the agreement,” said Development Director Ashley Hein, “and then we need to speak to developers at other potential sites such as Three Springs. Three Springs is ready for us, and they want to have us.”
The board is still trying to decide if it will apply for a Colorado Department of Education Building Excellent Schools Today grant, which can bring significant dollars to the project. Since 2008, BEST grants have totaled more than $1.15 billion for new schools and other school capital projects. AHS has already applied twice and been turned down, and each time the application cost between $20,000 and $30,000. The board voted to send the letter of intent, which is due by Oct. 26.
abutler@durangoherald.com
If you go
Animas High School is starting the Osprey Way Speaker Series, a monthly event to provide new and prospective families as well as the community with more information about pieces of its program that often generate questions and misconceptions. The first speaker will be Head of School Sean Woytek addressing Project-based Learning the Osprey Way at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Commons, in the Jesse Hutt Wing, 20091 U.S. Highway 160.
