Florida Mesa Elementary

Florida Mesa Elementary Florida Mesa is a thriving school community that serves students PreK through 5th grade, supporting all students so they may reach their maximum potential.

Florida Mesa is a thriving school community that serves approximately 370 students preschool through fifth grade. The staff is highly committed to supporting all students reach their maximum potential. The academic programming provided to each learner is specifically tailored to individual student needs. The staff uses common formative assessments authentically to inform their instructional approa

ches. All students receive instruction in the general classroom setting and participate in differentiated literacy and math groups based on their particular learning strengths and needs. Students engage in personal goal setting and monitor their own progress in order to understand their own present levels compared with the grade level expectations. This allows students to take ownership in the learning process and is highly motivating to each student. Distinguishing Characteristics of Our School:
•Inquiry-based studies and personalized learning models
•Dedicated and dynamic staff who support all students
•Extracurricular programs after school including: orchestra, art clubs, nature clubs, robotics club, and Girls on the Run
•Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) School
•Supportive parents, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and School Accountability Committee (SAC)

Comment Policy:
The Durango School District 9-R welcomes your active participation on our website, and we encourage you to interact with us and each other using our comment system. Our goal is to create an open dialog among the many diverse voices in our community. It is our hope that you will read and comment on the material you find on the site. Privacy: A valid email address and real first and last name are required for commenting. Your first and last name will be shown alongside any comments you make. We will not publish, share, or sell email addresses. The provided name and email address may be used by the district to privately contact the commenter. All email, snail mail, phone numbers, and any private and personal information posted in any comment will be deleted as soon as possible to protect the privacy of the commenter or any other community member mentioned. Language and Manners: This site is 'family friendly'. Obscenity, profanity, and vulgar language are prohibited. Comments with such language or with links to such language will be rejected and/or deleted. Personal attacks in comments are also prohibited. This applies to discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity as well as insults against fellow commenters, district staff, or students. You may disagree with another person's ideas or opinions but please keep the comments respectful and family friendly. Continued personal attacks will result in the user being blocked from using the system. A Comment is Conversation: A comment which does not add to the conversation and runs off on tangents or kills the conversation may be edited or deleted. Comment Spam: Most comment spam will be automatically rejected by our system. Any spam that gets through will be marked and deleted. The users of the system may also flag a comment as being spam or inappropriate. These comments will be reviewed and deleted as needed. Continued comment spamming will result in the user being blocked from using the system. Noncommercial: Comments may not solicit or promote any business. The comments are to be used for noncommercial purposes only. Hold Harmless: All comments on this site are the responsibility of the commenter, not the school district, administrators, contributors, editors, or authors. By submitting a comment on our site, you agree that the comment content is your own, and to hold this site, durangoschools.org, and all entities and representatives harmless from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability. Blocking of Commenters: Anyone who violates this Comments Policy may be blocked from commenting or accessing the site at the discretion of the district. All Rights Reserved: Durango School District 9-R reserves the right to edit, delete, or mark as spam any and all comments. The district also reserves the right to block anyone from commenting on or accessing the website.

🐴💙💛 MEET THE TEACHER IS TOMORROW! 💛💙🐴We can’t wait to see our Mustangs! Join us tomorrow, Monday, August 24th, from 8:00...
08/24/2026

🐴💙💛 MEET THE TEACHER IS TOMORROW! 💛💙🐴

We can’t wait to see our Mustangs! Join us tomorrow, Monday, August 24th, from 8:00–9:00 AM to meet your teacher, drop off supplies, and get ready for an amazing new school year! 🎒📚

See you tomorrow, Mustangs! 🐎💙💛

🚌 The Ignite Mobile Learning Lab had a successful launch week in our community. Here's the schedule for next week to enj...
07/31/2026

🚌 The Ignite Mobile Learning Lab had a successful launch week in our community. Here's the schedule for next week to enjoy free, hands-on STEAM activities rolling toward you!

Monday, August 3
9:00 – 10:45 AM: Florida Mesa Elementary
11:30 AM – 1:15 PM: Sunnyside Elementary
2:00 – 3:45 PM: Animas Valley Elementary

Wednesday, August 5
1:30 – 3:30 PM: Santa Rita Park
5:45-7:15 PM: Ribbon Cutting at Impact

Friday, August 7
9:00 – 10:45 AM: Buckley Park
11:30 AM – 1:15 PM: Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary
2:00 – 3:45 PM: Park Elementary

🗓️ Our schedule is updated frequently, so check back often: This Week on Ignite https://ow.ly/WmVW50Zvb3Q

🚌 Learn more about Ignite and our generous community fundraising partners. https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/IgniteMobileLearningLab


🎉 Save the date: Aug. 5! 🎉 Come celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Ignite Mobile Learning Lab, a new mobile STEAM classroom...
07/29/2026

🎉 Save the date: Aug. 5! 🎉 Come celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Ignite Mobile Learning Lab, a new mobile STEAM classroom! Ignite is a partnership between Durango School District (DSD) and Durango Education Foundation (DEF).

Bring the family and be among the first to step aboard this one-of-a-kind learning space, explore hands-on activities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics). You'll meet the Ignite team and see how this innovative classroom on wheels is bringing exciting learning experiences directly to students across our district.

🗓️ Wednesday, Aug. 5
🕔 5:45 p.m. Ribbon-Cutting; 6:15-7:15 p.m. Tours & Activities
📍 Impact Career Innovation Center (Durango High School campus)

Enjoy:
✨ Tours of the mobile learning lab
🧪 Interactive STEAM activities
🎶 Live music by Stillwater Music
🍪 Light refreshments
🫧 Fun for the whole family

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, foundations, grant partners, and community donors, DEF raised $363,000 to bring this innovative classroom to life.

🚌 Learn more about Ignite: https://ow.ly/v46E50Zutlo


Every child attending a DSD school or childcare facility must have a complete immunization record or exemption submitted...
07/09/2026

Every child attending a DSD school or childcare facility must have a complete immunization record or exemption submitted to their school, or the child will be unable to attend school until they are compliant with this state law. The immunization record must be from the child's healthcare provider or other immunization provider, and must show that the child is up-to-date on all school-required vaccines, according to their age.

If you plan to have a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption for your child, please note that the date of the exemption must be on or after July 1, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year.

Note: Starting in the 2026-27 school year, Colorado law will require students to have one dose of Tdap vaccine before their first day of seventh grade.

🧑‍⚕️Learn more about immunizations: https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=512021&type=d&pREC_ID=1033567

🍎 Visit our Back to School Hub: https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/backtoschool

🔢 District assessments administered throughout the year indicate that students made meaningful progress from fall 2025 t...
07/07/2026

🔢 District assessments administered throughout the year indicate that students made meaningful progress from fall 2025 to spring 2026 across multiple grade levels.

“Growth matters,” said Dr. Laurie Rossback, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. “We are especially encouraged to see students making progress throughout the year and to see fewer students performing significantly below grade level. Those trends represent real gains for students and provide a strong foundation for continued success.” 🙌

Read the full End-Of-Year report here: https://ow.ly/CGPb50ZiUXz


07/01/2026

🚧 Progress is taking shape at the future home of Three Springs Elementary School (TSES)!

Construction on Wilson Gulch Road — the primary access point to the new school — is well underway. Work began in June and is progressing on schedule, marking another exciting milestone for this transformational project.

Thank you, La Plata County! This new school is possible because voters overwhelmingly approved the 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond, investing in safe, modern learning spaces for generations of students to come.

Stay tuned for more construction updates as we continue building the future together. 🏗️🍎


📚 Durango School District students showed strong academic growth during the 2025-26 school year, with students making ga...
06/30/2026

📚 Durango School District students showed strong academic growth during the 2025-26 school year, with students making gains in both literacy and mathematics while continuing to outperform state and national benchmarks.

“These results reflect the hard work of our students, staff, and families,” said Superintendent Dr. Karen Cheser. “While no single assessment tells the whole story of student learning, these results show encouraging growth and reinforce the impact of the daily work happening in classrooms across our district.” 🙌

Read the full End-Of-Year Report here: https://ow.ly/htbx50ZiUBr


✅ Summer Bridge Checkpoint  #1 is happening this week, June 15–18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the District Administration ...
06/15/2026

✅ Summer Bridge Checkpoint #1 is happening this week, June 15–18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the District Administration Office, located in Bodo Park at 281 Sawyer Dr., Suite 100.

Elementary school students who have completed pages 1-22 in their Literacy Foundations Summer Workbook can stop by to claim a prize. Rewards include opportunities to win exciting items such as a Lake Nighthorse pass, Gravity Lab pass, Hive pass, Cream Bean Berry gift card, and more. 🙌🏼

📕We hope to see you there, and thank you for helping your child stay engaged in learning this summer!

Learn more about Summer Bridge here: https://ow.ly/gPJW50ZbQqQ

🚲☀️ A few fun memories from our last day of school- Bike Rodeo! Students had a blast riding through activities, practici...
05/22/2026

🚲☀️ A few fun memories from our last day of school- Bike Rodeo! Students had a blast riding through activities, practicing bike safety skills, and celebrating the end of an amazing school year with friends.

A huge thank you to Durango Devo, the Durango Fire & Rescue, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife for helping make this such a memorable event for our Mustangs. We appreciate the time, support, and fun you brought to our students!

We hope all of our Mustang families have a happy, safe, and adventure-filled summer! 🐎💙

☀️🏃‍♂️🎉 Yesterday, our Mustangs had an amazing time at Field Day! Students enjoyed relay races, face painting, soccer, a...
05/22/2026

☀️🏃‍♂️🎉 Yesterday, our Mustangs had an amazing time at Field Day! Students enjoyed relay races, face painting, soccer, and lots of other fun games and activities throughout the day.

Field Day is always a favorite tradition because it gives students the chance to encourage one another, work together, and make lasting memories as the school year comes to a close. We loved seeing so many smiles, cheers, and moments of Mustang pride throughout the day!

A big thank you to our staff, volunteers, and everyone who helped make the day such a success for our students.
And a very special thank you to Mr. Goring, who is retiring this year and has been the heart behind Field Day for 9 years. Many Mustangs have grown up making memories because of the time, energy, and care he poured into this tradition. His impact on our students and school community is something that will be felt for years to come, and Field Day won’t be quite the same without him. 🐎💙

Address

216 Highway 172
Durango, CO
81303

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Florida Mesa Elementary posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share