DR. SWANSON PROCLAIMS 'STATE OF WPS IS STRONG'

Jan 24 2024

State of WPS is ‘Strong’

Delivering her final State of the District report, Superintendent Pam Swanson said Westminster Public Schools has come a long way since she was named Superintendent in 2011.

“WPS is about equity, opportunity and the removal of barriers, said.” Every child has potential and our job is to help them reach their full potential. When we do a good job of preparing students for the “Day After Graduation”, those students are capable of going out and doing their part to make Westminster a stronger, more vibrant community.”

Swanson said challenges remain, especially when it comes to raising academic scores for “at risk” students. “There is real concern over the “Achievement Gap” in which multilanguage learners and students with free/reduced status enter school far behind their peers and in many instances fail to make up ground, she added. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Reflecting on her last full year as leader of the district, listed a series of notable accomplishments:

Groundbreaking of Iver C Ranum Campus
Opening of Daniel C. Vallez Education Center
Starting teacher pay contract of more than $60,000 a year
Raising minimum wage to $20 an hour
Increased number of students with industry certificates
Improved graduation rates
Improved CMAS test scores

Looking to the future, Swanson told Board of Education members the district’s Destination 2030 strategic plan provides a valuable road map for the future. It has three area of focus. Student success, facing environmental challenges and helping student become engaged, informed citizens.

Swanson also paid tribute to district employees and community leaders who died in the past year. “2023 was a difficult one for many of us here in WPS as we lost valued colleagues and friends, ” she said. “

Each of them brought something special to our community and contributed to the education of our children.”

How Far WPS Has Come

November Board of Education Election

Closing Thoughts