Welcome to the 25/26 school year! The Roaring Fork Schools is delighted to welcome back over 5,600 students, nearly 1,000 staff, and the many families, friends, and community partners that support our mission to ensure every student develops the enduring knowledge, skills, and character to thrive in a changing world. Our schools are open and bursting with energy as we greet the new school year.

As the community is aware, the 2024-2025 school year was difficult. We had to overcome significant financial challenges — some of our own making, some complicated by external factors. But, we ended the year strong. We rebuilt financial systems and adopted a balanced budget. We launched a new, five-year strategic plan and dynamic data dashboard to track progress. In the 24/25 family perception survey, Roaring Fork Schools families reported increased sense of trust and transparency with the district. And, in the end-of-year staff perception survey about schools, RFSD staff reported the highest levels of positive feedback we’ve ever received about school academic excellence, data driven instruction, and school culture. We are trending in the right direction.

RFSD teams are carrying this momentum into the new year. This year we are focusing on three key areas: 

1. We will continue to implement our 5-year strategic plan with fidelity in order to eliminate academic growth, achievement, and opportunity gaps between student sub groups.
2. We will continue to prioritize instructional effectiveness and rigorous learning for all.
3. We will continue to navigate financial challenges in alignment with our values and priorities. We will center student learning and wellbeing, recruit and retain high quality staff, and ground our efforts in clear communication and decision-making. 

We will do this work by continuing to build a strong culture of data. Data will inform instruction, student academic and social emotional support, decision-making, and overall strategic direction. We also commit to working with a sense of urgency. School days can feel long, but the years fly by. We have limited time to ensure students meet key learning benchmarks that set them up for post secondary college and career success. Every day — every minute — matters. And, we are working with a strong sense of efficacy: belief in the ability of students, teachers, staff, and leaders to meet the ambitious goals we’ve set for student academic growth and achievement. When we provide the right instruction, resources, and partnerships for staff and students, students will thrive. 

This will be a busy fall. In addition to launching academics, athletics, clubs, and activities, there are two Board of Education director positions up for election in November. We will host a candidate forum in early October when our community can have the opportunity to hear from candidates. There will also be education-related initiatives related to school meals and early childhood education on the November ballot. 

We are incredibly grateful for the community’s support and engagement with the Roaring Fork Schools. We can’t do this work without you and look forward to sharing our successes and challenges as we embark upon the 2025-2026 school year. 

Dr. Anna Cole is superintendent of the Roaring Fork District Schools in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Basalt.