Sierra Grande Community
The Sierra Grande School District serving the communities of Blanca and Fort Garland and the surrounding area is located in south central Colorado, in the San Luis Valley, at the foot of beautiful and majestic Mount Blanca – one of Colorado’s 14,000+ foot peaks. The grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountain ranges frame it. This is a dream come true for the outdoor enthusiast. Skiing is available all around you within one hour – Red River and Taos, New Mexico, to the south, Wolf Creek to the west, and Monarch to the north. Hunting and fishing is also available locally as well as within the San Luis Valley.
The Community has long been home to ranchers and farmers who have passed on their legacy to their families throughout the generations. The area is increasingly becoming the home to a large number of retirees who are relocating seeking the beauty, peace and quiet living in a large, mountainous subdivision know as Forbes Park on the legendary Forbes Trinchera Ranch.
The community enjoys a diverse population comprised of the following ethnic groups:
Hispanic - 70% Anglo - 25% Asian - 4% Black - .5% Native American - .5%
The Community also has invested in a beautiful and comprehensive Community Center with many family based amenities such as a swimming pool, gym, weight training room, community dining, cafeteria, jogging trail, etc.
Sierra Grande School District
All of Sierra Grande’s 250 students attend school in the same building on U.S. Highway 160. One wing houses grades K-6 and the other wing grades 7-12, with the gym, library, and district offices in between. Students attend school Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. That leaves Fridays for professional development, other schoolwide collaboration, co-curricular and athletic activities. The two school principals duties include overseeing various federal programs and reform projects.
Neither the small size nor the challenging demographics have kept Sierra Grande from an aggressive pursuit of excellence. The elementary school with the help of a federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration grant has implemented the Core Knowledge curriculum. The elementary school was recognized as an Official Core Knowledge School in 2004. The K-6 teachers have been involved in intensive training in scientifically-based reading instruction with support from a federal Reading First Grant. Sierra Grande Junior High/High School is in the second year of a federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration grant and is using the funds to implement the High Schools That Work program. This program is designed for working with the faculty in seeking ways to improve the delivery of instruction for students by using research based “best practice”. Through these efforts, Sierra Grande hopes to continue providing quality teaching for its students in order to show further growth in students’ academic pursuits.
In 2002, Sierra Grande School District received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award for the Elementary, Junior High and High Schools. Sierra Grande Junior High received the Colorado Department of Education’s “A 2005 Gain-Maker School for exceptional improvement in student achievement in at least one grade level as measured by CSAP in Writing 2003-2005”. Sierra Grande High School was recognized by Newsweek Magazine as one of the “Top 1000 High Schools in America 2006” ranking 273.
Extracurricular activities are an important part of student life at Sierra Grande. The students have experienced success not only in athletics but also in competitions in extracurricular academic areas such as Academic Decathlon, Spanish Club, FBLA, Furniture making competitions, and EPYCS (El Pomar Youth in Community Services).
Sierra Grande School District continues to meet the stringent requirements of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined in the federal law – No Child Left Behind – at all three levels: elementary, junior high and senior high. Through the combined efforts of the teachers, students, parents and community, the Sierra Grande School District is making great strides in giving students a high quality education.
