BE OUR GUEST - An update from Colby School District

BE OUR GUEST

BY

PATRICK G ALLIGAN SUPERINTENDENT

COLBY SCHOOL D ISTRICT As the Superintendent of the Colby School District, I was a part of many decisions in 2024 that I feel will positively impact our school district and community for many years to come. This is a good time of year for a retrospective, so please allow me to detail a few of the things we are proud of from the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

First and foremost, when talking about making a positive impact, the community’s support regarding the two referendum questions asked during the November election stand out. The approval of over $25 million dollars in local funding, which approximately 60% of the voting population approved for the Colby School District, is going to help our staff, students, and community in countless ways. We are excited about so many things regarding this project, but below is just a quick reminder of some of the changes you will see happening in the next few years as a result of your support:

■ ■ More secure entrances for the elementary, middle and high school buildings for enhanced school safety.

■ ■ Updating all buildings for improved energy efficiency, replacing outdated piping and electrical units, and modernizing each building’s exterior as well as a variety of classroom updates.

■ ■ A new elementary addition, which allows us to have grade appropriate placements within our buildings for 4th and 8th grade students, new elementary learning spaces, along with new possibilities for high school spaces that can be repurposed with the 8th grade move back to the middle school building.

■ ■ Increased flexibility of several learning environments in all district buildings to help us support the array of different needs students bring to school with them in the 21st century.

Much more information on these topics will be decided on in the opening months of 2025, and I will do my best to update the community on the changes they can look forward to, as well as a timeline of the project as a whole, when it becomes available.

Another change we made this year, which just occurred in December, was to have a K5 school concert which coincided with the holiday season. I am not exaggerating when I say that when I first started as the Colby School District Superintendent this was one of the first things that was brought up to me as a topic of interest. Our teachers, administrators, custodians, and support staff worked together to make this event a tremendous success, and we are already meeting on ways we can make this an annual event in our district. I heard many positive comments from community members during/after this event, and I know our students were very pleased to be a part of such a fun activity. We hope you enjoyed this concert if you had a chance to come be a part of it this year, and invite you to take part in the future if it didn’t fit into your schedule this time around.

Another positive change we have brought to our community this fall has been the creation of our Before/After School program in the Colby School District. Students in grades K-5 are able to take part in supervised activities before school starts every day, and after school three days a week. I would also point out that this program is free for Colby School District students to participate in.

The district had heard there was a need for child care in our community, and we believe this program has helped many families already in this regard. The program is staffed by district teachers/paraprofessionals as well as high school students who are gaining valuable experience in the field of education as a result of their participation. I would encourage you to call the Colby School District Office, and ask to speak with the superintendent, if you have any questions about this program.

Obviously there are many other topics that could be covered in an article like this, and these ideas are just a few examples of some productive changes in our district this fall. The real impact which should not be overlooked is the hard work our staff and students are doing in our classrooms each day we are in session. When I walk around the building and observe what is happening with our students on a daily basis, I am filled with a tremendous sense of pride that I get to lead the Colby School District. I am excited to continue that work in 2025, and invite you to communicate with me by phone, email, or in person if you would like to learn more about the work we are doing in the Colby School District.