Responding to the effects of state budget cuts on Colorado public schools, an organization called the Great Futures Colorado Coalition wants a 2011 statewide ballot measure to raise funds for schools. A Colorado school finance project report indicates that school districts throughout the state are resorting to cost-cutting measures that will affect students and families. […]
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Mesa County School District 51 strives to adapt to individual student needs to help ensure each student reaches his or her potential for learning and becomes a productive worker after school. At the same time, federal and state educational organizations increase the pressure to meet […]
A program many educators hail as a boost to learning also draws criticism for placing additional burdens on public schools and allowing parents to shirk responsibility for caring for their own children. One thing supporters and detractors alike acknowledge is the number of students participating in free or reduced-price breakfast programs is on the rise […]
The reasons are varied, but there’s no question student enrollment at Mesa State College is on the rise. The population grew to 7,185 students in the spring semester this year and the college is bracing for another 10 percent to 15 percent increase by the time the final head count is in for the fall […]
Much has been reported about the shortage of primary care physicians in Mesa County. Even as the county and nation wring their collective hands over the bubble of aging baby boomers, the medical community worries about the prospects of meeting demand for primary care providers for seniors. Such concerns have led to a cooperative effort […]
In their ongoing efforts to mesh curricula with the requirements of the business world, schools face a moving target: Even as schools try to improve, the world’s needs evolve, keeping educators on their toes. Steve Schultz, superintendent of Mesa County School District 51, takes a different approach. “I believe the school needs to adapt to […]
For the first time in more than a year, Grand Junction city sales and use tax collections show year-to-year improvement. City sales and use tax collections totaled $3.86 million for June, a 1 percent increase over the $3.82 million reported in June of last year. Since tax reports lag a month behind consumer spending, June […]
Three measures on the November ballot in Colorado have drawn the ire of a group that has a vested interest in brisk real estate sales activity. The Colorado Association of Realtors is joining a campaign opposing Proposition 101, Amendment 60 and Amendment 61. The campaign is spearheaded by an organization called Coloradans for Responsible Reform, […]
The unemployment rate in the construction industry has hovered around 20 percent for the year and a recent newsletter from Associated Builders and Contractors carried even more glum news. “Employment in nonresidential building construction continues to slump, a reflection of the fact that momentum in the broader economy has yet to meaningfully impact many segments […]
New federal legislation to regulate the financial industry. A large influx of cash to bail out failed financial institutions. Potential changes in U.S. Small Business Administration loan guarantee programs. Proclamations from President Barack Obama that banks have money to lend again. All represent changes in the banking and lending landscape — and add to the […]