S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 2, 2009 Steamboat Springs, Colorado
FREE
®
Vol. 21, No. 236
RO U T T
C O U N T Y ’ S
DA I LY
N E W S PA P E R
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
Focus on helmets Intrawest to require children in lessons, class instructors to wear helmets Page 3
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
Candidate forum today Event to have questions posed by moderator, election presentation Page 2
SPORTS
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
Kylee Coleman, right, and Leon Trout read a book at the South Routt Early Learning Center on Thursday morning. BOCES runs the center but is facing a budget shortfall of more than $300,000 this year.
BOCES faces financial woes Educational services provider asks school districts for thousands Jack Weinstein
PILOT & TODAY STAFF
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Sailors play today Page 29
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The Northwest Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services has a nearly $317,000 deficit in its 2008-09 budget and is asking its member districts to pick up the tab. BOCES told Steamboat Springs, Hayden and South Routt school officials last month that it did not collect appropriate fees for the services it pro-
■ WEATHER
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Classifieds . . . . .38 Comics . . . . . . . .36 Crossword . . . . .37 Happenings . . . . .7 Horoscope . . . . .36
vided during the 2008-09 school year. It also told the districts that costs for services this year were going up by a total of more than $382,000. Hayden Superintendent Greg Rockhold said his first thought was, “Are you kidding me?” “I was very, very shocked,” he said. “I was very taken aback that all the planning for this year was thrown out the window with that news.” Northwest Colorado BOCES is a cooperative agency that pro-
Nation. . . . . . . . .28 Scoreboard. . . . .35 Sports. . . . . . . . .29 The Record. . . . .10 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 World . . . . . . . . .48
Sunshine. High of 55.
Page 47
vides state-mandated services for special education to six regional school districts. It also provides a number of additional shared services and resources for those districts. “It’s a pretty tough position as BOCES is dependent on the school districts for funding,” BOCES Executive Director Jane Toothaker said. “We don’t have any reserves left. Those are depleted.” With 2010 school district budgets already set and pend-
ing approval later this year, Rockhold, other superintendents and district finance staff said finding additional money may prove challenging or even impossible. Dale Mellor, finance director for the Steamboat Springs School District, said he wouldn’t even know where to look for that money in the district’s budget. He said it would be difficult to cut from a budget in which 86 See Funds, page 14
■ EXPLORE STEAMBOAT Your weekend guide to arts and entertainment in Steamboat Springs, including movie times and film reviews, begins on page 21.
Visit www.ExploreSteamboat.com.