Following the announcement of school closures, District 51 (D51) in Mesa County, Colorado, provided an update on the impact on staff. As of March 28th, 100 resignations and retirements occurred district-wide. The district posted numerous licensed and support staff positions. Of the staff from the three closing schools, 41 accepted new positions within D51, 21 are actively seeking positions, and 12 have not applied internally. Support staff saw similar numbers in reassignments and ongoing searches.
The district entered phase two, focusing on planning and implementing the closures. This involves numerous meetings to coordinate logistics, support staff, and plan for the physical relocation of resources. This phase also included welcoming activities for incoming staff to the schools receiving students from the closed schools.
The district is supplying materials such as packing boxes, dumpsters, and other equipment to aid in the move. Large-scale furniture and curriculum relocation will begin on May 23rd. The district is actively supporting schools with inventory and transfer of essential materials and facilitating a parent survey via the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) to gather feedback.