Mission Statement
IT IS THE MISSION OF THE VAIL SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE PARENTS WITH SAFE AND NURTURING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, WHERE THEIR CHILDREN CAN OBTAIN A QUALITY EDUCATION.
Guiding Principles
OUR SCHOOLS ARE COMMUNITIES OF LEARNERS. We define a community as a place where each individual is important and has something valuable to contribute to others in the community. We believe that learning is a lifelong activity. We are all learners. We expect parents, staff members, and volunteers to model this belief for students.
WE CARE ABOUT STUDENTS. We believe that each student should be given the opportunity to be educated in a physically and emotionally safe, personalized, and caring environment.
ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES IS KEEPING CLASS SIZES SMALL. Working with students in smaller groups increases opportunities for learning, personal attention, a sense of belonging, and the development of a supportive classroom community.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. We are entrusted with using public resources to provide a quality education for our students. We carefully develop priorities based on student needs, legal responsibilities, and cost-effective methods.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. Our schools are the centers of the community. We actively seek community involvement. And, we respond to community needs.
WE RESPECT PARENTS AND THEIR VALUES. We operate on behalf of parents. It is our responsibility to assist parents in the education of their children. We value parental involvement, and make every reasonable effort to address and respond to parental concerns.
SMALL SCHOOLS ARE THE BEST PLACES TO DEVELOP CARING COMMUNITIES OF LEARNERS. We like the atmosphere of a small school that has been developed into a positive, healthy community. We prefer small schools. We seek to create that small school atmosphere in all of our schools, regardless of the size that growth and economics may force them to become.
WE BELIEVE LEARNING EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. Our educational program is enriched and extended with opportunities such as field trips, recreational activities, academic competitions, and club activities.
WE UPHOLD TRADITIONAL VALUES SUCH AS RESPECT, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, HONESTY, AND HARD WORK. We model socially responsible behavior, expect it from each student, and make it part of our curriculum. We believe these traditional values have served our society well in the past, are cherished by our community, and are important to our future.
WE ARE CONTINUALLY IMPROVING. We are never content with the status quo in our operations or in our curriculum methods. We recognize that we live in a changing world and we respond to those changes. And, we are constantly looking for better and more efficient ways to accomplish our mission.
WE VALUE OUR EMPLOYEES. We specifically and carefully select our staff on the basis of their ability to carry out the mission and guiding principles described above. We hire the best people suited for the task. We respect their expertise and depend on them to work with parents to make our vision for a community of learners a reality.