School closings in Grand Junction (Fruita, Monument: health insurance, employment, neighborhood)

[bc45]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the Grand Junction school system has been closing schools and/or eliminating positions in the last few years? I may be teaching there next year but do not want to move if it means possibly getting laid off in a year or two due to a shrinking school system.

I'm concerned because I've read unemployment there is high and many are leaving the area.

Thanks!

[DOUBLE H]

How ya doing bc45?

Not to my knowledge. You are right about the unemployment situation as things have been pretty rough. One observation from my neighborhood on people leaving the area; as you know hundreds of jobs were lost in the energy field. Recently a fair amount of people in my neighborhood have moved up to North Dakota as some of those contractors are hiring. They drew out all their unemployment and wanted to stay here, but couldn't.

I haven't heard of any closings; a good friend of mine is a custodian at Fruita Monument High School. I'll call him this weekend and see what the scoop is.

I'll get back w' ya on this.

[bc45]

Thanks DoubleH!

[80skeys]

My coworker's girlfriend is a school system administrator for Mesa county. According to him and her, the number of jobs has remained about constant and there are openings for different types of jobs on a regular basis. It's probably the only bright light in the employment picture in Grand Junction.

[72Sh3llB3ll]

I work for the school district here. The way things stood at the end of the year was this:
HUGE Budget cuts for the classrooms.
Reduction in the filling of positions. For instance, if someone was a teacher for say a science class, and they retired, they would not hire anyone else for that position IF they were able to move teachers around within the district. If there was a teacher able to teach science, and the class they were currently teaching had low enrollment, etc, then that teacher would be moved and the other class would not be available. I have heard of some new hires in some certain positions, it just really depends. There have currently been NO lay offs of employees, but that doesn't mean there won't be. They also changed the health insurance plan to one that is more costly to employees and less helpful.
Hope that helped?

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE H

Recently a fair amount of people in my neighborhood have moved up to North Dakota as some of those contractors are hiring. They drew out all their unemployment and wanted to stay here, but couldn't.

Two of my friends from the western slope have gone to ND as well. This is the same story as the shale bust, but it's playing out a little slower.

For the OP, I wouldn't be surprised if enrollments are cut by a third over the next few years. Back in '82, many western slope schools were cut nearly in half after Exxon pulled the plug on its oil shale project.

Originally Posted by 72Sh3llB3ll

There have currently been NO lay offs of employees, but that doesn't mean there won't be.

A couple years ago GJ was featured on CNBC for being one of the few areas of the country that hadn't been hit by the recession. GJ was just late to the party like it has always been in the past, and if history can serve as a guide, it will also be one of the last areas to recover.

[72Sh3llB3ll]

I know enrollment will be down this coming year, as a lot of families have left the area due to unemployment. The district is staunch on their stand of no lay offs and they think they have their budget crisis under control, but again, that is all probably just a wait and see situation.