by C. Gongaware
AGUILAR — The administrative report to the Aguilar School Board on March 20 presented information to the board on projects slated to move forward during the district’s spring break, on school safety, and on possible legislation that could help students struggling with math.
When Aguilar students return to the school after spring break, they will find a vape detector, nearly a dozen new cameras, and a new card-swipe system for building entry. The upgrades are happening under the direction of the school’s IT director, Melanie Cowan, to make the campus safer. The cameras and new software will allow the school to search the camera footage both by time and image description.
The school also plans to explore options for upgrading the internet service – which would be great – especially with the new esports team taking their first win against Pagosa Springs. Beth Jameson, school principal and coach for the esports team, got the team up and running after the equipment for the team was provided by Play VS. The team has been competing only this semester in the sport, which is an official activity with the Colorado High School Activities Association. Jameson said it is an ideal activity for very small schools, as the team only needs to have four people to compete. It also does not require travel or uniforms, so it is inexpensive to get started.
Jameson told the board that she was initially skeptical, but that she now “has noticed a camaraderie among the kids that did not exist before.” Jameson said that being a part of the team which plays Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in competition has inspired better engagement and attendance for team members. In addition, there is a state level competition the top 16 teams in the state will qualify for, and there are scholarships available through the competition. Jameson hopes to have enough students next year to field two teams.
Superintendent Justin Cowan introduced the board to several pending legislative efforts, including the Colorado Math Initiative, a bill that could provide a $28 million investment in mathematics education through tutoring for students and voluntary training programs for teachers and parents. Cowan expressed concern that the requirements of the initiative regarding new teacher preparation programs could make it more difficult to recruit and retain math instructors, especially in rural areas. Expressing that teacher recruitment across all areas grows more difficult each year, Cowan proposed stepping outside the traditional hiring process to offer “on-the-spot contracts” as a way to help combat the difficulty in recruiting teachers.
At the completion of the school reports, the board took action to hire Jay Doering as the high school track coach and Angelo Gomez as the junior high school track coach. Jami Gonzalez was approved as the athletic driver for the 2023 baseball season.
Coming up soon, Superintendent Cowan will be presenting “Technology & the Adolescent” in La Veta on Tuesday, April 11, and the next Aguilar School Board meeting will take place on April 17.
