9-R holds mobile sales at the old administration building
Debi Craig, a 1975 Durango High School graduate, searched through her 1934 yearbook for a photo of her stepfather Saturday at Durango School District 9-R's “107 Years of Education” exhibit in the old high school and administration building. There is. . Visitors were also able to purchase the latest office furniture and equipment during the traveling sale. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
jerry mcbride
On Saturday, 17 years of history was on display at the old Durango School District 9-R administration building.
After the city of Durango purchased historic building 201 East 12th St. from the Durango Fire Protection District and relocated the school district's administrative offices to Bodo Park, the school district scavenges thousands of items left around the building. It happened.
Surrounding the boardroom are old architectural drawings of the building, sports trophies, yearbooks, student certificates proving skills in “legible business writing,” and Emory E. Smiley, the district's superintendent in 1906. Large framed photographs were lined up for people to browse around. And in 1943, he has a rather grim look on his face.
At this event, which also served as a traveling sale, we were able to purchase the latest office furniture.
Durango School District 9-R will be holding a traveling sale and “107 Years of Education” exhibit at the old high school on Saturday. Visitors were able to purchase the latest office furniture and equipment during the traveling sale. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
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The school district is selling the furniture and reuniting some items, including a 1960s letterman jacket, with their original owners. Some items will be donated to the Animas Museum, while others will be displayed behind display glass in the district's new office.
9-R spokeswoman Carla Sluis said it's difficult to decide what to hold on to and what to let go of.
“As the city works together, we hope to preserve as much as possible, like the beautiful piece of history that's in this building. But we also need to make it a working space. There's a fine line there and there's going to be a lot of work to do,” she said.
Kay Thrash, who graduated from Durango High School in 1974, said looking at old yearbooks and other items brings back memories. Not only did she and her five siblings attend school in the old building, but so did her parents.
She said she remembers having back-to-back classes on the third floor of two separate buildings and rushing up and down the stairs to get to class on time.
“The city has gone to great lengths to deal with the asbestos and make it usable,” said Kaye's husband, Gary Thrush.
Durango School District 9-R's “107 Years of Education” exhibit will be on display Saturday at the old high school and old administration building. Visitors were also able to purchase the latest office furniture and equipment during the traveling sale. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
jerry mcbride
Sluis said he was visiting with a former coach who worked for the district and stopped by to check out the sale items.
“It’s interesting that women were valued in sports as early as the 1930s,” she said, reflecting on her conversation with her coach.
Sluis said the boardroom was once a theater, and although the theater seats in the upper gallery are still in place, the district plans to remove it and sell it.
A woman went to check the seats. She said she found her graffiti, recognized her former classmate's name and told Sluis: “He was a troublemaker.”
Durango School District 9-R's “107 Years of Education” exhibit, which opens Saturday at the old high school, features old record players, sports trophies, yearbooks and more. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
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The relocation sale was held to help the district unload a large amount of supplies, but also to allow staff to say goodbye to the old administration building.
“This is more than just a school district building, more than a city building or a fire district building,” she said, referring to several property exchanges the building has had with the school district, the Durango Fire Protection District and the city.
“This is community building and it's really inspiring to hear people share their memories here,” she said.
Sluis said she has had good conversations with people about how bond funds are contributing to the renovation of district buildings. An old coach who stopped by to share his memories with her told her he was interested in serving on a committee to advocate for her bond.
According to Chalkbeat, school districts typically “hire an underwriter to sell the bonds and make interest payments favorable to the district.”
If approved, the school district would hire an underwriter to sell the bonds and pay interest at an interest rate favorable to the district. When a school district sells bonds, he typically signs a 20- to 30-year agreement to repay the debt with interest.
Old newspapers featuring Durango School District 9-R were on display at the district's “107 Years of Education” exhibit held Saturday at the old high school and old administration building. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
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Some people may not be interested in purchasing bonds because they don't have children or are disconnected from the school district. But they should be more concerned about educating the next generation, Sluis said.
Today's businesses will depend on tomorrow's young new employees.
“Our Superintendent Karen Chesser is committed to ensuring we have a pipeline of workforce and making sure that the kids who attend our schools here know that they are welcomed into the community and into these jobs. “I’m working hard to get them to do it,” she said. “That’s why…we feel like everyone is involved in education.”
It may sound cheesy, but it really takes a village to raise a child, she said.
cburney@durangoherald.com
The old depiction of Durango School District 9-R's Demons mascot looks a little more sinister than the modern version seen Saturday, like Nosferatu giving birth to a goat and a baby. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
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