South Conejos School District celebrates growth

ANTONITO — This last week South Conejos School District celebrated their 2017-2018 CMAS growth scores and accreditation rating.
Guadalupe Elementary went from Turnaround status to Improvement and effectively shifted their rating from 31.8 to 47.5. Antonito Middle School maintained high growth and their accreditation of Performance with a rating of 67.5. Antonito High School remained in Improvement due to low participation rates with a rating of 65.3. Overall, the district has moved up from Priority Improvement to Improvement.
K-12 Principal Angela Montoya emphasized how proud she was of all staff and students “because everyone assisted in moving the school forward with their diligence and commitment to success.”
Growth rates were a large contributing factor to the improvement in accreditation rating. Elementary was in the 41st percentile for ELA and 57th percentile for math. The middle school was in the 73rd percentile for ELA and 59th percentile for math. The high school was in the 50th percentile for ELA and 51st percentile for math.
According to Superintendent Dr. Emma Martinez the overall goal of the district is to become accredited with distinction.
“There is still much work to be done, but I want to thank the parents for entrusting their children to the district and teachers for their commitment,” she noted.
While the past year presented challenges, teachers felt that staff and students were able to come together and work towards a brighter future for the district.
Kimberly Romero, third grade teacher, said, “We [teachers] are extremely proud of our students for beating the odds.
"Despite the hardships they have faced, they still proved their capabilities by putting forth effort and heart on the test. I am grateful for the drive and passion our fellow teachers have shown. We look forward to continuing to grow and bring light to the positive that is happening at our district and celebrate our students’ successes.”
Renee Valerio-Dupont, fifth grade teacher, reiterated the value of the staff coming together to support each other, and said, “even though the odds were stacked against our students, they persevered and succeeded.”
Seventh grader Luz Elena Parra Ramirez said, “I am proud of our school for doing awesome on our tests. I love being here.”
In addition to being off the Colorado Department of Education’s accountability clock and entering improved academic standing, the district has also been awarded two state funded grants in excess of $500,000 over a three-year period to support social emotional learning and improve instruction.