Pueblo D70 schedules town-hall dates and discusses format for consolidation talks

The Pueblo County School District 70 Board of Education discussed dates, locations and format options for upcoming town-hall meetings in Beulah, Avondale, Rye and Pueblo West to brief families and collect input on proposed changes.

Mrs. Ryan, a district staff member, proposed three initial dates for town halls: Tuesday, Feb. 25; Thursday, Feb. 27; and Friday, March 6, and later added a proposed date for Pueblo West of Tuesday, March 11. She said she would check school availability and coordinate with principals and directors to confirm venues.

Board members debated meeting locations and logistics. Several members favored hosting high-school events at Rye High School and Pueblo West High School so the majority of affected families would travel the least; for Avondale and Beulah, members suggested using the school cafeterias or the community center depending on capacity. The board discussed starting meetings at 5:30 p.m. to accommodate working families and considered providing written handouts with key facts to reduce confusion.

The board discussed options for public participation, including a sign-up sheet and limits on speaking time (three minutes per speaker) or a moderated question-and-answer format with a single public-question period of a fixed length (40–50 minutes). Mrs. Ryan said staff would research best practices for town-hall formats and return with recommendations.

Board members agreed to circulate the proposed dates to principals and noted the town halls must be coordinated quickly because the state and legislative timetable around school funding and boundary issues could move decisions forward in coming months. The board did not adopt a final format at the meeting; members asked staff to develop an agenda, handouts, and a public-sign-up process before the first event.