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Kremmling " West Grand has school board opening

KATIE LOOBY
klooby@grandcountynews.com
Grand County, Colorado

West Grand Board of Education member Jenny Uren is looking forward to serving the school district in a different way.

She has accepted the full-time position of kindergarten paraprofessional offered to her by the board. Her part-time contract would have expired this month.

“I’m excited that the board approved it,” West Grand PK-8 School Principal Kelly Farrell said. “She’s doing such a great job.”



Two kindergarten teachers split 43 students, which includes six special education students and five with English as their second language.

Money was placed in the budget to increase Uren’s position to full-time for the remainder of the year. The position was recommended to go to Uren; however, school board policy does not allow school board members in full time positions on staff, so Uren had to step down from the board.



She was hired last fall as an aid. Her current contract runs until Dec. 18, and the new contract will start Jan. 5.

A seat on the Board of Education is now available. Those interested in applying should send qualifications and a letter of interest to the district. Applications will be accepted until Jan. 6. On Jan. 13, board members will interview the candidates prior to a regular board meeting and hire the next board member, said West Grand Superintendent Paul Reese.

A paraprofessional works in each of the kindergarten classrooms.

During the day paraprofessionals pull students out of the classroom for enrichment activities. If Uren’s contract had not been approved, “That class would have been impacted pretty drastically,” Farrell said.

Amber Lemon told board members she’s glad they’re adding a full-time kindergarten paraprofessional in the wake of a scare she had last week. She said she dropped off her 5-year-old son at the kindergarten, and an hour later he was found near the highway crying because he had left school and was lost.

She said she dropped him off at about 7:50 a.m. When she brought her child back to the school, a couple people commented that they were “running late today,” she said.

“There’s so many kids in that class,” she said, adding that the full-time position should help.

West Grand PK-8 Principal Kelly Farrell said the school has a person on duty outside in the morning, but a meeting ran late and she missed her duty time for five to 10 minutes. From now on if a meeting is running late she will just leave, Farrell said.

” Katie Looby covers government and education for the Sky-Hi Daily News. You may reach her at 887-3334 ext. 19601 or klooby@grandcountynews.com.


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