St Vrain Valley School District Closings

“Due to heavy snow, wind, and forecasts of continued heavy snow and treacherous conditions throughout the night and Wednesday, St. Vrai
n Valley schools will be closed on Wednesday, March 24.”Due to heavy snow, wind, and forecasts of continued heavy snow and treacherous conditions throughout the night and Wednesday, St. Vrain



Valley schools will be closed on Wednesday, March 24. The St. Vrain Valley School District plans to end its 33-year partnership with the city of Longmont to jointly manage the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium at Skyline High School.
The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the proposal during Wednesday’s meeting.
“What we’re doing is modifying the management structure,” Rick Ring, assistant superintendent of auxiliary services, said Monday. “Ultimately, it’s going to save the district money.”

The district contributes $79,000 from its general fund to the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium fund, according to the 2009-10 budget. That money covers the salaries of the auditorium’s two regular employees, business manager Charlene Hopp and facility manager John Benton, Ring said.
Hopp will lose her job as of June 30, but Benton, a licensed teacher, will continue to work at Skyline High School, Ring said.
The district doesn’t plan to save the entire $79,000, though; it’s budgeting a $20,000 savings for next year, Ring said.
If the school district solely operates the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, it no longer will have to pay to use it.
“If we want to have a districtwide meeting, we get billed for the use of the structure,” Ring said. Hopp said the district pays for technicians and custodians, but not a rental fee.
Community organizations, such as the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, that use the auditorium will not lose the venue, Ring said. Rental fees won’t change, but who those organizations work with will. Ring said it’s not clear yet who they will work with.
Hopp has been the auditorium’s business manager for 13 years, she said Monday. She promotes and books the center, and makes sure everything runs smoothly for the clients, she said.
“I’ve worked to keep it out of the red,” Hopp said. The school district’s budget shows the auditorium fund had a balance of $155,755 in June, the end of fiscal 2009.
Next year’s calendar is booked solid, but Hopp is worried about how the auditorium will be used in the future, she said.
“I’m probably more concerned for the community than me losing my job,” Hopp said.
Longmont community services director Karen Roney, who serves on the auditorium’s joint operating committee, said the city and school district signed the joint contract in 1977 to create an auditorium for the community to use.