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  Welcome to the 2013 school year for the newly renamed “Estes Park School District R-3”.  This change was made to alleviate the ongoing confusion between our district and the district in Park County.

The major efforts in preparation for the new school year have centered on transition.  Although we knew, through planned retirement strategies from prior years, and the reductions we implemented due to financial constraints, the staff departures have been challenging. At last count, there are approximately 30 employees last year that will not be here this year.  Still, this has created new and exciting opportunities for some existing staff members that were reassigned into new or restructured positions, internally transferred, or promoted.  As always, we would like to offer a special welcome to our newest staff members.  We certainly wish to welcome our returning students and our new families to Estes Park.

I believe it is important for all of us to remember that our community has asked us to do “more with less” after the results of our mill levy override votes were tallied.  I also believe it is important to recognize that this same community already supplements our revenue with contributions from four previous ballot questions.  It is this generosity that keeps us in better financial shape than many of our colleague districts across the state.  As we enter this year, we have made a conscious effort to respect the wishes of our community and meet the needs of our students.  Our organizational structure reflects this focus.  We will be a leaner administrative team in the central office and we have moved more of that administrative support directly into the schools.

During this, my rookie year, I have identified the goals of: 1) Reducing Student Achievement Gaps, 2) Doing the Right Work, 3) Preparing for implementation of SB191 which becomes effective 7/1/2013, and 4) Improving Estes Park Community perceptions of business relationships with the school district.  The Board of Education has requested an additional focus on revision to our existing Strategic Plan.

I follow in the footsteps of Linda Chapman who was the 2011 National Superintendent of the Year.  I will do my best to continue the quest for continuous student achievement created by the superior leadership she provided.  I am pleased to report what can only be described as an outpouring of support and will attempt to find ways to effectively utilize the offers of volunteerism.  Thank you for your offers to help.

I am excited about the coming year and look forward to opportunities to prepare the citizens of our nation’s future.

Sincerely,

Patrick Hickey
Superintendent of Schools