Aspen Hope Center (AHC) continues to expand its programs that help bridge the gap in accessible mental health services through collaboration with schools to help support some of the Valley’s most vulnerable youth and individuals. AHC started in 2009 and focuses on three key aspects of mental health response: prevention, intervention and postvention. One of […]
Roaring Fork School District
Posted inEducation
Declining enrollment in Valley schools part of a broader trend; districts planning mitigation
Secondary education schools are experiencing a balloon effect: deflation. Enrollment hasn’t increased dramatically in recent years, but numbers were slowly growing. That is starting to change, and local school districts are preparing for what smaller student numbers will mean moving forward. The Sopris Sun spoke with Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) and Aspen School District […]
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Scuttlebutt & Calendar
Day Without ImmigrantsMany Latino-owned businesses in the area participated in a national “Day Without Immigrants” strike on Monday, Feb. 3. While most restaurants, bakeries and clothing stores participated, service work like construction appears to have been less disrupted. A flyer which circulated on social media declared, “We are essential, we are strong, we are community.” […]
Posted inColumns
Accountability builds community
The Sopris Sun has a new classroom space connected to our office here at the Third Street Center. Written on the blackboard (thanks to Contributing Editor James Steindler, also our youth journalism program lead) are the four pillars of ethical journalism: seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, be accountable. A recent […]
Posted inEducation
RFSD proceeds with cautious optimism and determination after autumn insurance pivot
In late September, news broke that the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) was making an unexpected shift from a self-insurance health plan back to a managed health care plan, at significant cost to the district. While a shock to the public, the decision was the result of months of review on the first year of […]
Posted inEducation
From law enforcement to education
After nearly a decade in law enforcement, Dustin Gehring found himself at a crossroads. “At the time, I was married, we had kids growing up and the long hours were not congruent with having a family,” he recalled. The demanding nature of the job began to clash with his personal life, prompting a pivotal decision […]
Posted inEducation
Carbondale schools reaffirm commitment to music education amid challenges
Chris Bank, the in-school director for Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS), has stepped in to fill a critical gap in Carbondale’s music education for the 2024-25 school year. He acknowledges that Carbondale school’s music programming is pivotal, stating, “I am now hopefully the one-year person until they can get it back on track.” In response to […]
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Downvalley schools see early enthusiasm for hands-on learning models
Introductory-level environmental education has become a staple for Valley elementary schools. Each year, Basalt Elementary, Crystal River Elementary and Aspen Elementary welcome full-time educators from Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES). This program, which started at the Aspen schools in 1975, is a cherished facet of elementary education for many local children and adults who […]
Posted inEducation
CO State Board of Educationvisits local school districts
The Colorado State Board of Education (CSBOE) visited the Roaring Fork Valley last week. State Board of Education Commissioner Susana Córdova shared insights with The Sopris Sun about what they learned. On June 11, Córdova and the CSBOE toured the Roaring Fork School District’s (RFSD) Meadowood staff housing project in Carbondale. Located near North Face […]
Posted inEducation
Roaring Fork schools enrollment ‘relatively flat’
The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly disrupted public education nationwide with the move to remote learning. This exacerbated educational inequalities and led to declines in student achievement, as well as shifts in student enrollment. Post-pandemic, public school enrollment trends show a decline, influenced by increased homeschooling and private and charter school enrollments. Many parents of public school […]