The district is wrapping up the final year of a five-year effort towards our latest set of sustainability goals detailed in the Sustainability Action Plan and Green New Deal resolution. BVSD has had a formal sustainability program with established goals since 2009. Staff will present an official update on progress to the Board of Education next week. 

As they prepare to graduate, two BVSD seniors share their experiences serving on the Green Youth Council and the District Sustainability Advisory Committee, along with their lessons learned, passion for sustainability and hopes for the future.

With over 4.8 million square feet of building space and 650 acres of grounds, how BVSD builds and operates its buildings and sites is a core part of our sustainability efforts. This large footprint creates a tremendous opportunity to reduce resource consumption and emissions, and improve the health of building occupants and the planet. Some of BVSD’s recent efforts in this area include planning for decarbonization, collecting better data about energy use and expanding our solar power. 

When Ghita Carroll arrived in Boulder Valley School District in 2008, sustainability work was already happening in pockets across the system. What didn’t exist yet was a shared vision to bring it all together. Eighteen years later, Carroll is reflecting on all that has been accomplished, as she prepares to retire this spring.

When the doors open each morning at Fireside Elementary, there’s a familiar face that has quietly shaped the school’s culture for more than three decades. For 32 years, office manager Michele Giggey has been far more than the person behind the front desk—serving in multiple roles in the school, she has been a touchpoint for families and staff through hard times and to many, the heart of the Fireside school community.

Community engagement sessions start next week and BVSD elementary and PK-8 families are encouraged to attend. This is your opportunity to learn more about the complexities of how declining enrollment—and the associated reduction in funding—is showing up in our schools,  help us understand your values and priorities and provide your thoughts about the options BVSD is considering. 

Beginning next week we will welcome students, parents, employees and community members to engagement sessions as we look to make our schools resilient in a time of declining enrollment. 

It is crucially important that we hear from our community regarding their values and priorities before we make decisions regarding the future of our schools.

This month, we have the opportunity to attend a series of meetings to discuss declining enrollment and the financial pressures facing our schools. Most importantly, we’ll get to share our ideas for what we can do about it.

Over the past month, BVSD has been having conversations with our educators, city councils and advisory groups. Visit our webpage to learn about how the district is responding and ways to be informed and share your input.