I am concerned about the lack of transparency in the Durango School District. On Jan. 5, I received an email informing me that my student is to take the STAR test. However, according to House Bill 15-1323, parents have the legal right to opt out of testing. This is reiterated on the district’s website. But the above email did not mention the legal right of a parent to exempt their student from testing.
A second example would be the graduation requirements. I heard that students need to take an economics class in order to graduate. However, this is not listed on the high school’s website, nor in the student handbook. Colorado Revised Statutes 22-32-109 requires districts to publicly report their graduation requirements.
How are parents supposed to make informed decisions if they are not being told all of the information in a transparent way? Durango High School is not being clear and open about its expectations for its students, families and community members. It also is not adhering to state guidelines.
Sarah Fischer
Durango
