Message from the Executive Director
Region 9 is on the move, literally! April 2022 will have Region 9 relocating our primary offices to 2002 Sudderth Dr. at the entrance to Mid-Town Ruidoso. Through hard work and perseverance we are finally acquiring and will become the owners of a long-term home for Region 9. This month Region 9 staff will box up their offices to prepare for moving to the new address. We anticipate moving the week of April 20. The building is the former McGary Studio building and most recently was Destiny Real Estate. I’m excited to move into this new location and utilize its extra space. Region 9 is also beginning the process of working with a company to design and build the new Region 9 Early Childhood Center, which will be at 1207-1211 Mechem Dr. We have acquired the two acres of land there to specifically house our early childhood services. I urge all Region 9 employees to continue to provide the same level of dedication and service to their jobs as we transition and make these moves. Be sure and reach out to the Region 9 leadership team and thank them for their support in finding and purchasing long-term homes for Region 9.
Your fiscal department will attend the NM Spring Budget Workshop in the first week of April. We are excited to hear the unit value announced, and released and increased funding will be available as a result for all of our member schools next year. This time of year also brings Region 9 budgeting season. Your fiscal department has been busy forecasting and working on as conservative of a budget as we can while still supporting the recommendation for staff raises. This month we will work with the coordinating council to adopt the 2022–2023 Region 9 budget. This budget is designed to support raises to Region 9 staff. We are waiting to see if a COLA from Head Start is announced for those staff members as well and be ready to implement that as it occurs.
Region 9 innovation continues:
- A team of Region 9 staff hosted the third virtual academic competition on Thursday this week. We had Region 9 districts middle school students competing in an amazing opportunity. This program is rapidly expanding and April/May will see Region 9 supporting REC 10 by implementing the same competition in their Region. We are looking forward to a regional virtual competition between REC 9 and 10 before the end of the year. Plans are in place to have all ten RECs compete in their local region next year and then have a large regional championship next spring. Our next step is to work with other states like Colorado to have an interstate competition. Nice work Region 9 staff for growing and creating an innovative opportunity for all students to engage in a meaningful, academically challenging event.
- We have a new grant for prevention work through the University of Colorado called Botvin Life Skills. It includes the prevention curriculum for vaping, violence, and aggression. It has been awarded to Region 9 in support of Capitan and Hondo Schools. Jon Lund with Lincoln County Juvenile Justice Board (LCJJB) will support this implementation in our member districts.
- Your technology department continues to make informed, safe recommendations to our member districts. This month will include recommending cyber security measures and software to support better device management tools for them as well.
- Your internal support team continues to innovate and this month will see them supporting a hybrid event with four breakout sessions each simultaneously having a hybrid solution. We are the only REC in the state providing this level of customer support.
Be Region 9 proud!
Respectfully,
Bryan Dooley
Bryan Dooley
Executive Director
Region 9 Education Cooperative
