News and Announcements

The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) is committed to addressing the critical need for affordable housing for teachers and staff. This Q&A provides detailed answers to common questions about the district's efforts, including potential housing developments, collaboration with the City, and the decision-making process. Our goal is to ensure transparency and keep the community informed as we evaluate the best options to support our educators and maintain our commitment to students.

Welcome to the second edition of Unity in Education: Addressing Discrimination Together. In this edition, our aim is to introduce different types of discrimination through educational resources and shed light on its implications across different communities. From the pervasive issues of basic discrimination to the nuances of antisemitism, racism, anti-immigrant bias, anti-LGBTQ bias, anti-Muslim bias, and ableism, we aim to foster understanding, empathy, and ultimately, meaningful change.

In collaboration with the Steamboat Team to Disrupt Antisemitism and Discrimination (STAND), we are thrilled to share the first in a series of four newsletters designed to help our families facilitate vital conversations at home about combating discrimination and what to do in case your students see or experience discrimination themselves.

The November 2024 newsletter is now available! 

Susanmarie Oddo, a gifted education coordinator for the Steamboat Springs School District, is starting a scholarship program for a college-bound Yampa Valley High School student. Oddo, who is planning to retire at the end of the 2024-2025 school year after teaching for 29 years (22 in SSSD), wants to leave a legacy in lieu of celebrations. The Grace for Education scholarship is Oddo's personal endeavor, and she wants to pay it forward for her students and future students. Oddo herself struggled to pay for college and wants to help ensure socioeconomic status doesn’t prevent students from pursuing higher education. 

Fourth and fifth graders in the Steamboat Springs School District recently had the opportunity to learn about coding and robotics thanks to the generous efforts of two retired engineers.

Kim and Jack Smith, retired engineers from Texas Instruments, have a passion for kids and bringing STEM to the next generation. Kim has served on many board committees focused on kids, including the Boys and Girls Club, Junior Achievement, and North Routt Community Charter School. The Smiths have also coached the 4-H Robotics club for eight years, helping the team achieve the state title for several years. The Smiths value bringing STEM to mountain towns since kids aren’t exposed to as much industry here as in urban areas. Due to their extensive community involvement, the Smiths established connections with the community, ultimately leading them to host mini-workshops for students in Steamboat schools.

The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) recently received a $34,000 donation for youth mental health programming from The Madison Foundation, an organization founded by Madison Mohn, a senior at Steamboat Springs High School. She was also recently honored as the Youth Philanthropist of the Year by the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2021, The Madison Foundation has raised over $158,000, helping to address critical youth mental health needs in the community.

Now a junior, Lyla is spearheading the formation of a new club at the high school with the same name as the program at Integrated Community, Study Friends. She believes a large population of emerging bilingual students could benefit from free tutoring, and these students face a learning gap that needs to be filled. Additionally, peer-to-peer tutoring can significantly impact students’ learning, mainly because this method can be less intimidating than student-to-adult tutoring. The program also promotes a spirit of inclusion in our community and schools. 

We want to take a moment to address the events of last Friday at Steamboat Springs High School, where we had two Safe2Tell tips, one of which led to a lockdown as a precaution. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority, and we take every potential threat very seriously.

Around 12:30 p.m. today, the Steamboat Springs School District and the Steamboat Springs Police Department received a Safe2Tell reporting a student with a gun at Steamboat Springs High School. The report was immediately investigated by local law enforcement, and no credible threat was found. There were no disruptions to the school day. 

The Steamboat Springs School District September 2024 newsletter is now available. 

The Steamboat Springs School District is excited to announce the launch of its new mobile app, designed to streamline communication and engagement within the school community. The app provides users with a convenient platform to stay updated on upcoming events, access the latest news, and connect with school staff.

Thanks to generous donations from the Ski Town Lion’s Club and our schools' Parent-Teacher Involvement Committees, the Steamboat Springs School District now owns a second Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screening Camera that can quickly perform vision screenings on students. 

We are committed to addressing the affordable housing needs of Steamboat Springs School District staff and want to update you on recent developments.

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! We are so excited to welcome back all of our students, teachers and staff. Below is a quick snapshot of events for the first week of school!

The Steamboat Springs School District has implemented a new online payment system, SchoolCash Online, that makes it easier and more convenient for parents/guardians to pay student activity and registration fees.

The Steamboat Springs School District has open slots in our preschool program! Steamboat Springs School District offers preschool programming at each elementary site: Soda Creek Elementary, Sleeping Giant School, and Strawberry Park Elementary. Each school offers two classrooms with a maximum of 15 students.  In the 2024-2025 school year, each school will offer a five-day program that closely matches school hours. 

The Colorado Department of Education invites aspiring educators to apply for up to $10,000 in financial assistance for educator preparation program fees. The Educator Recruitment and Retention program provides direct support for qualified individuals interested in teaching in a shortage area and who can commit to working in that area for three years.   

The Students for Social Justice Club at Steamboat Springs High School collaborated with the community to create a podcast highlighting efforts to combat discrimination in the Yampa Valley. Pictured left to right: Sloane Speer, Miela Brinkman, Jenny Shea, Jenny’s son, Julian, Sofia Scherff-Zamora, and Bella Davidson. Two students who contributed that are not pictured are Will Hall and Amelie Wild. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Shea)

We are deeply saddened by the passing of a recent Steamboat Springs High School graduate.

Since 2018, the Behavioral Health in the Schools Initiative has boosted mental health services in Routt County schools. The partnership was spearheaded by the thought leadership and financial contributions of the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation (CSFF), UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center (YVMC), and Yampa Valley Medical Center Foundation (YVMCF) to support all Routt County school districts and students. The combined investment from UCHealth and CSFF since 2018 has been nearly $1.6M. This effort has integrated mental health education and support into our schools, fostering a stronger focus on well-being. The Yampa Valley Community Foundation and private donors have helped to sustain and expand the program since its inception. Let's acknowledge the progress made in creating a robust support system for students, including prevention efforts and targeted services for those in need.

On Tuesday, students and families gathered at the Colorado Welding Institute (CWI) in Hayden to celebrate students who completed the welding course, which earned them both high school credit and industry certifications. This is the first time the welding course has been offered on a larger scale to students and made possible entirely by community donors, reflecting the commitment to expanding opportunities for career technical education. 

The Steamboat Springs School District has hired Kim Delaney as its new Preschool Director. She will begin on August 1 and will transition from her current position as the Lead Preschool teacher for SSSD preschools. 

This morning, the Steamboat Springs Police Department (SSPD) served an arrest warrant on a juvenile Steamboat Springs resident. The investigation into the juvenile started from an anonymous report about a student idolizing school shooters. 

Esta mañana, el Departamento de Policía de Steamboat Springs (SSPD) cumplió una orden de arresto contra un menor residente de Steamboat Springs. La investigación sobre el menor comenzó a partir de un informe anónimo sobre un estudiante que idolatraba a los tiradores escolares.

The Steamboat Springs Rotary Club is pleased to announce the selection of six outstanding local students to receive the club’s 2024 Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA).  RYLA has a 25-year history of providing future leaders with a life-changing experience at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park this coming summer.

Are you interested in playing an important role in the special education community? The Steamboat Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is seeking motivated parents of students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) on the SEAC board. Members commit to one-year of membership with 6-7 meetings beginning the 2024-25 school year.  

 Who will be the next SSSD Educator of the Year?!   ¿Quién será el próximo Educador del Año de SSSD?

Deadline for nominations April 29, 2024

Parenting in the age of social media is challenging, but at SSSD we are working to educate and support our students and their parents. We believe that building awareness and having important conversations with young people is essential to raising digitally responsible and resilient kids.

The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) has just completed a major renovation of its offices, which was funded by Measure 4C. This was a 20-year bond measure passed in November 2019 that provided $79.5 million in funding for capital improvements to SSSD facilities. The renovation of the district office was the last project to be completed with capital funding from the bond, and it marks the end of five years' worth of construction and improvements to facilities within the SSSD. 

The Steamboat Springs Education Fund (SSEF) Board is accepting applications for two open positions.

Click here to read the February 2024 newsletter from the Steamboat Springs School District 

The peer mentor program is in its third year at SSMS. It was started to help support a group of students with significant needs at the middle school, and as an opportunity to positively influence the whole school.

Draft school year calendars for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years are available for review.

The new strength and conditioning center at Steamboat Springs High School provides sport-specific training to student-athletes and accessible weight training for the SSHS school community. 

Since the 2022-2023 school year, teachers from the Steamboat Springs School District have been conducting home visits with their students. A home visit consists of teachers pairing up, traveling to students' homes, and introducing themselves to parents. The visit focuses on building relationships, extending support, and actively listening to parents' concerns and insights. 

Hall and Muhme’s resumes may look different, but both paraprofessionals provide exceptional support to students needing individualized support to reach their full potential. 

“It takes a village.” It’s a common phrase to describe what is needed to help kids thrive. Parents of special education students would say the same thing, and then some. Leaning on one another within the community gives our special education students the best chance of success.

That’s why Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) is such an important asset to the Steamboat Springs School District and the special education community in the Yampa Valley. 

Please refer to the information below for Steamboat Springs School District families and community members who have questions about the rollout of Universal Preschool in the District.

View the September 2023 Newsletter from Dr. Celine Wicks

The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) announced today the launch of new district and school websites designed to streamline communication among the district, students, staff, parents, and the community.

Five Steamboat Springs High School seniors were named today as Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by the  National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®). The students are Grey Barbier, Connor Frithsen, Bryson Lee, Alena Rossi, Charlotte Teuscher. 

The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD), in coordination with the Colorado Safety Resource Center (CSRC) and the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS), delivered a full Threat Assessment (TA) training on August 3 and 4 to 40 individuals who make up our multidisciplinary School Threat Assessment Teams. 

Steamboat School District is looking for a few more paraprofessionals to support our schools.

The Steamboat Springs School District has recently been awarded several grants to enhance educational opportunities and student services across the district. We are excited to share with you the details of a few of the grant awards that will be utilized this school year:

Numbers have a unique way of telling stories, and the summer of 2023 in Steamboat Springs was no exception. From the innovative curriculum, vibrant excursions, and community partnerships, let's look at how 65 Emerging Bilingual students from three schools spent the summer learning and exploring.

Norfranc Duarte Montenegro has come a long way, and not just in terms of his journey to Steamboat Springs. Norfranc moved to the area from Nicaragua just shortly before the start of the 2021-22 school year. Prior to his arrival in Steamboat, he had never been to school before.

The Steamboat Springs School District has hired Kristyl Boies as principal of Yampa Valley High School (YVHS). She is slated to take the helm at YVHS for the 2023-2024 school year. Boies is stepping into the position as Karla Setter, the former YVHS principal, has accepted an assistant principal position at Steamboat Springs High School. 

The Steamboat Springs School District has recently been awarded several grants and donations to enhance educational opportunities across the district. We are excited to share with the details of a few of the grant awards and donations that will be utilized next school year:

Within the halls of Strawberry Park Elementary School are three full-time paraprofessionals with individual passion for their jobs and collective compassion to do their best each day for all their students.

Nearly 25 years later, 8th grade ski day lives on and has occurred yearly except during the pandemic. This year, the 8th grade ski day took place on April 7, and 165-170 kids from SSMS participated. 

On Monday afternoons around 3:15, students and volunteers gather in the media center of Soda Creek Elementary for Homework Club. Homework Club is where students receive extra skills-based learning in math and reading if they need the practice, get help with their homework, or even participate in activities in the community. Homework Club at SCE is just one example of the after-school programming available at Steamboat Springs School District schools. 

Alejandro (Alex) Jaquez Hernandez, a deaf fifth grader at Soda Creek Elementary, and his family moved to Steamboat Springs from Mexico. With English spoken at school and Spanish spoken at home and few resources to help him learn either, Alex had limited language and means of communication for most of his life. He had difficulty relating to others how he felt or what he needed. Understandably, this caused Alex to sometimes act out due to his frustration with his limited means of communication.

Ben Wood is not a typical junior at Steamboat Springs High School. He is an artist and aspiring designer who has begun to make his mark on the Steamboat Springs School District and the local art community. Ben is also unique because he has autism and bipolar disorder.