Falcon School District 49 has earned recognition as a peak performing organization from RMPEx (Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence). D 49 is only the 10th organization to earn the highest award from RMPEx and the first school district in the 18-year history of the program. As a three-state regional association of the national Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, RMPEx uses industry best-practice criteria to evaluate and recognize organizational leadership and excellence in operations and results.The RMPEx evaluation team that conducted extensive reviews and a site visit last November commended District 49 for its commitment to innovation, fiscal stewardship and culture of transparency. The site team observed that district actions ìdemonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and accountability.î Marie LaVere-Wright, president of the Board of Education, said, ìThis award is confirmation that we are continuing to move in the right direction. As a board member, community member and parent, I am grateful to our staff and community for making D 49 the best choice to learn, work and lead.îThe district earned high commendation for its innovative leadership team with three experts serving as chief officers as well as a commitment to open communication about district plans, annual budgets and weather decisions. “This recognition validates the incredibly hard work of District 49 staff at all levels to improve the quality of education and services we provide,î said Pedro Almeida, the districtís chief operations officer. ìWe will always have room for greater improvements, but we are clearly on the right track and will continue to strive to make this district better every single day.”As a district operating with limited commercial tax revenues and state-level budget reductions, District 49 earned praise for balancing personnel and program costs, while reserving a healthy fund balance and maintaining precise financial performance. ìDistrict 49’s successful pursuit of process and result improvements through Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence honors our community’s desire to have a school district that strives for excellence with effective and efficient processes that can be compared across industries ó not just in education,î said Brett Ridgway, chief business officer.RMPEx will present the Peak Award to District 49 at the annual Quest for Excellence event April 20 in Denver.
