MCHS students littering, loitering, neighborhood residents complain

MCHS students littering, loitering, neighborhood residents complain

Nov. 16, 2000

By Jim Mimiaga
Journal Staff Writer

MCHS STUDENTS slip through an opening in the fence surrounding the high-school campus Wednesday morning. Neighborhood residents complained to the Re-1 board Tuesday night about students leaving trash in their yards.

Students at Montezuma-Cortez High School are leaving litter in neighboring yards, "hanging out" and generally causing problems, the Re-1 board was told during its meeting Tuesday night.

Matthew Sheldon, a Cortez resident who lives near the high school, approached the board on the problem of trash accumulating in the neighborhood near the north boundary to MCHS.

Sheldon submitted a petition from 39 residents who want something done. Items of concern included student littering, cursing, loitering, partying, speeding, parking in front of private residences, and suspicious activities by "undesirables" gathering in the alleyways at lunch.

"One woman said she investigated a spot where kids were hanging out and found a used syringe," Sheldon said. "Everybody is just appalled by the amount of trash in this area, and it is getting worse."

Sheldon suggested closing off the entrance through a fence on the south end of Elm Street to reduce student traffic there. He said those who signed the petition want to come up with a solution that involves the city, the school board and students, such as setting up dumpsters that would be emptied regularly.

Hinton said students would be given stern warnings to behave as good citizens when off school grounds. He said it was not an option to close off that entrance to the MCHS campus.

"Give us a chance to remind the students to be respectful when off school grounds, and we can do that in a couple of ways," Hinton said.

The petitioners also brought their problem to the Cortez City Council Tuesday night.

In other action:

To improve a worsening teacher-to-pupil ratio, the Re-1 board approved the immediate hiring of two additional sixth-grade teachers for Cortez Middle School at the Tuesday board meeting.
The teachers’ starting date is January 2001. Salaries can be negotiated but typically begin at $24,800 a year plus benefits. The expense for hiring additional teachers was allowed for in this year’s budget.
With six teachers responsible for 287 sixth-grade students at CMS, some classes are over the 30-student maximum, said Re-1 Superintendent Bill Thompson.
"This year’s fifth-grade class is even bigger, so we had to do something," Thompson said. "The problem is going to be finding teachers mid-semester."
Thompson informed the board that since the three-year mill-levy extension proposal was denied by voters Nov. 7, building-maintenance budgets would be reduced in order for the district to afford two badly needed boiler replacements and heat-delivery systems at Kemper and Downey schools.
MCHS band Director Rodney Ritthaler was given board approval to take marching-band students to Washington, D.C., to play in the Independence Day Parade.
The band was invited after placing second in Class 4A Field Competitions at the Colorado Band Masters earlier this year.
A capital-reserve resolution was approved for $11,350 to purchase a power vent for the CMS chemical storage, sinks for two fume hoods at MCHS, computer batteries for CMS, and a replacement truck for the physical plant.