With over 2,000 of Mountain Family Health Centers’ patients losing Medicaid coverage over the past year, the nonprofit reportedly lost $1.5 million. To account for the deficit, patients at Basalt’s middle and high schools will transition to downtown Basalt’s hub site for ongoing care.

Classes in Career and Technical Education at the Aspen School District train students in skills relevant to today’s job market, such as STEM, aviation, and journalism. When rural schools overcome program challenges, CTE can also improve test scores and graduation rates.

The term “swatting” refers to unsubstantiated, anonymous threats that elicit a large law enforcement response. It’s happening more often across the country — and across the Western slope.

In rural areas, public schools are often the only education option. If families in Colorado, Kentucky or Nebraska are allowed to divert state funds to private education, rural communities stand to suffer the most.

At a “State of the Arts” panel last week, three midvalley teenagers spoke about the lack of performing arts in their public schools — as well as their determination to make theater happen.

By providing Chromebooks to Aspen School District students in August and banning personal laptops, school district staff can block websites and track students’ online activities. They’ve already been alerted to mental health and safety concerns among the student body.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife tranquilized a roughly 9-month-old bear in the cafeteria at Aspen Middle School on Monday. Failing natural food sources ahead of winter are leading to human-bear conflicts across Colorado.

Aspen Family Connections will receive $625,000 from the White House over five years to build a coalition of stakeholders and address substance abuse among students in the upper Roaring Fork Valley. Colorado data shows improvements since 2021, but students in Aspen continue to use alcohol and tobacco products at higher-than-average rates.

At Wednesday’s school board meeting, school district staff gave board members updates on attendance goals and ongoing challenges in keeping students in class. The school board also heard updates on the district’s upcoming equity audit and changes to its school fee structure.

School board member Tony May has been embroiled in controversy over the past year, from his support for a conservative social studies curriculum to his treatment of district parents. The recall effort has been going on since November 2023.