Dear La Veta School Community,
After each regular meeting of the La Veta RE-2 Board of Education, I will publish a short update so our families and community hear directly about the work of your school board and administration. Here is what happened on July 22, with 23 days to go until the first day of school!
Enrollment is live! Visit lvk12.org and the enrollment pop-up will take you everywhere you need to go. New enrollments and re-enrollments are already coming in. Questions about enrollment? Reach out to the Principal's Office, Ms. Switzer at erica.switzer@lvk12.org or 719-742-6426. School offices are generally open between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Athletes and activity participants: enroll before you practice. Students must be enrolled to practice, compete, or use open gym. If your student plans to play this fall, complete enrollment now, and join us at the fall athletic meeting on Thursday, July 30 at 5:30 p.m., where computers will be set up so families can create their registration accounts on the spot. High school football opens the season with midnight practice on Monday, August 3. Men’s golf begins on August 3 as well, with high school volleyball starting August 10. Go Redhawks!
Highlights from the July 22 Meeting
Attendance policies passed first reading. The complete attendance package discussed on July 8 (policy JH Student Absences and Excuses, its supporting procedures for attendance recording and pre-approved absences and makeup work, and policy JHB Truancy with its intervention procedures) passed first reading. The second reading is set for August 10, and the updated expectations will be built into the new Student and Family Handbook shared at our back-to-school open house on Thursday, August 13. Please plan to join us.
Your handbook is going digital-first. This year's Student and Family Handbook will live online: pinned to student bookmarks and posted centrally on our website, so when something updates, every family sees the current version immediately. We will walk families through it at the open house, and printed copies may follow in future years once all policy updates are addressed.
Principal Switzer reported on enrollment and C.L.A.W.S. In her first Educational Leadership Report to the Board, Ms. Switzer shared that she has personally reached out to families who withdrew from the district last year. What she heard aligned closely with what our S-CAP accountability work and student surveys have already told us, which means the improvements underway: clearer communication, a consistent behavior matrix, and stronger follow-through, are on track to address concerns. A C.L.A.W.S. behavioral committee of teachers and staff has been meeting all summer to bring our framework of Community, Leadership, Attitude, Work Ethic, and Safety to life throughout the building.
Help us bring Rowdie to life. As part of that work, the district is launching a community art contest to create the official image of Rowdie, our Redhawk mascot, for signage throughout the school. The contest is open to everyone: students, alumni, parents, and community members. Artwork must be original (no AI-generated entries), the district will retain the rights to the winning design, and there is a cash prize. The deadline is September 1. Watch the website and our social media for entry details.
CTE is growing, backed by a new $210,000 grant. Assistant Principal and CTE Director Alan Nelms successfully secured a CTE Innovations grant that will launch a health sciences pathway in cooperation with Trinidad State College and Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center. That joins new offerings this year in principles of manufacturing, principles of construction, and computer science foundations, where we anticipate a student graduating next year with an industry cybersecurity credential in hand. This is our ENDS work in action: La Veta students leaving ready for college, career, and life. Mr. Nelms will present the full CTE picture at an upcoming board meeting.
Honoring Mr. Rick Sciacca. The board accepted the retirement of Mr. Sciacca, concluding 20 years of service to La Veta students, and approved a one-year transition agreement so his knowledge stays with us through 2026-27 while his responsibilities transition to the Principal's Office, the counseling office, and a future registrar role. Please join me in thanking Mr. Sciacca for two decades of keeping our students on track.
Welcome, Redhawks. The board approved Jarrett "JJ" Hansen to return as our music teacher, bringing guitar and piano to our secondary students along with elementary music, and welcomed Constance Boakye to the Future Redhawks Child Care Center as our toddler teacher. Families with little Redhawks, take note: childcare staff return Monday, August 3 to prepare the center for opening, which will open to staff and the public on Monday, August 10.
Budget stewardship. The board and I discussed how we will manage the adopted budget as real staffing needs come into focus, particularly in special education and math. The board endorsed a six-month rolling budget cadence: quarterly updates, a mid-year revision, and early planning for the following year, all while protecting the district's fund balance commitments. Transparency in where the money goes is the standard.
Your voice is needed on technology policy. The new handbook operationalizes the policy we have today, and one area is flagged for major revision during 2026-27: student use of technology, including AI and screen time. We believe that conversation needs students and families at the table, likely through our accountability committee this year. This is us communicating before we execute. If you want a seat in that conversation, reach out.
We are still hiring. The library and front desk coordinator position remains open, and several coaching positions are still available. Review and apply at our employment opportunities page.
What We Are Working On Now Our leadership team is deep in the master schedule and beginning to schedule students into classes, finalizing the handbook, designing C.L.A.W.S. signage, improving the website, planning early childhood programming and elementary SEL, and setting up our educator support systems for the year. And this week I am attending the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashville, bringing back ideas for La Veta.
Watch the Meeting A recording of the July 22 meeting is available here: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/pi0xIgygq3fwhodCOIxAQ1RDACxff3rpcczy4l42aJOxtCSodMUFkHwmLFkWWkBU.-Ri55y3zzmYOgDSj
The district continues to explore options for broadcasting and sharing all board meetings in an easily accessible way.
Mark Your Calendars
Thursday, July 30: Fall athletic meeting, 5:30 p.m. Bring your questions; registration help on site.
Monday, August 3: High school football midnight practice. Daycare staff return to prepare the center.
Monday, August 10: Regular board meeting, 6:00 p.m. Second reading of attendance policies and a preview of the new handbook.
Thursday, August 13: Back-to-school open house. Meet the team and get connected to your Student and Family Handbook.
Friday, August 14: Senior Sunrise, and the La Veta School Foundation fundraiser.
Monday, August 17: First day for Jr./Sr. High students. Wednesday, August 19: First day for PreK and Elementary.
Monday, August 24: Regular board meeting, 6:00 p.m.
A summer contact note: teachers return to work August 10. Until then, the Front Office 719-742-6417 is your best starting point, and the full Who to Contact guide is attached. We are also working on updates to our website to make information readily available and easy to find.
Thank you for reading and Go Redhawks!
Bree Jones, Ed.D.
Superintendent, La Veta School District RE-2 719-742-6416 | bree.jones@lvk12.org
Helpful Links
District Calendar of Events | Board Agendas and Packets | Employment Opportunities