Mustang Musings

It is August and that means that school is just around the corner! This edition of the Mustang Musings is meant to share with you all of the resources, news, and events to get you and your students prepared and excited for the upcoming school year!

We cannot wait to see you and kick-off the year together!

We are Grand Today. Greater Tomorrow.

Go Mustangs!

Registration and enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is now OPEN! Register today!

Use the registration links- or scan the QR codes
Jr/Sr High School (7th-11th grades)
K6 Students ( Kindergarten-6th grades)
New Students

We are hosting an in-person registration support night on Tuesday, August 3 from 7:00-9:00am at the West Grand Elementary gym. Registration will still happen digitally; however, you can get support in walking through the process!

Dear West Grand Families and Community,

As we prepare to begin another school year, I am excited for all the opportunities that lie ahead. A new school year brings fresh starts, new experiences, and the chance to continue growing together. Let's embrace our district motto of being Grand Today and Greater Tomorrow.

The first day of school is August 17, and we can't wait to welcome our students back. A special welcome goes to our newest kindergarten students as they begin their educational journey and to the Class of 2027 as they begin their final year at West Grand Jr./Sr. High School.

This year marks the third year of our five-year Strategic Plan, as we continue our work to grow student skills, develop staff and leadership, and strengthen connections with our community. Together, we're focused on preparing every student for success while ensuring West Grand remains a place where students, families, staff, and our community are proud to learn, work, and grow.

One of the goals identified in our Strategic Plan is to increase the funding and resources available to support West Grand School District. This past spring, West Grand School District was selected as one of only 17 Colorado school districts (out of 55 applicants) to receive a $10 million Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant. These state funds are intended to help address critical health, safety, security, accessibility, and infrastructure needs at our nearly 50-year-old Jr./Sr. School. The application for this grant was strategically aligned to our retiring 2006 bonds.

To receive the grant, the district must provide a $13.3 million local match. Because the bond approved by voters in 2006 to build the K–8 school is scheduled to be paid off in December 2026, the district has an opportunity to ask voters whether they would like to continue their current level of tax support to provide the required local match. The proposed bond is designed to maintain the current tax rate rather than increase it.

If approved by voters, the project would renovate the existing Jr./Sr. High School by modernizing critical building systems, improving safety and accessibility, and helping preserve an important community asset for the next 25 to 30 years.

At this time, the Board of Education has not voted on whether to place a bond measure on the ballot. As those discussions continue, we remain committed to providing clear, factual information about the district's facility needs, the proposed project, and the funding opportunity provided through the BEST grant.

We encourage you to learn more by visiting our website at: https://www.wgsd.us/en-US where you'll find project information, frequently asked questions, and updates as they become available.

Thank you for your continued support of West Grand School District. I look forward to another outstanding school year as we work together to be Grand Today and Greater Tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bauer
West Grand School District

Superintendent

Join us for Back 2 School Night celebration on Thursday, August 13. The fun begins at the Jr/Sr High School with a free BBQ meal provided by Mountain Parks Electric.

Wanting to know what your student needs for the first day of school? Well, besides a smile on their face and an excitement for a year of learning and growth, our school supply lists are linked below:

• K-6 Supply Lists
• Jr High (7-8 grade) Supply Lists
• Sr High (9-12 grade) Supply Lists

These supply lists can also be found on our website: www.wgsd.us on the front page, as well as under the "Parent Resources" tab.

Did you know that the Free & Reduced Application is about MORE than just food? If you qualify, it can qualify you for lower or free fees such as: snack milk, class fees, athletic fees, etc.

Visit EZMeal App to complete this application TODAY! It can also be found on our district website at: www.wgsd.us under Parent Resources: Free and Reduced Lunch: Online Application.

This information and process is extremely confidential.

Currently, all WGSD students receive free breakfast and lunch through the Healthy Meals for All program; however, having this application on file opens up other fee waivers for the school year.

Not only does this help individual students and families, it is very important for our school district.

If you have questions about this form or the benefits to a family or the school, please reach out.

The fall sports seasons are just around the corner and here are some key items to know:

• High School Sports - 9-12 grade students

• Middle School Sports - 6-8 grade students

• All students must have a signed, updated sports physical on file BEFORE they are allowed to practice

• Registration for sports is on Arbiter: https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/west-grand-school-district

• HS Football starts practice on Monday, August 3

• All other fall sports team start practice on Monday, August 10

• The best, most up-to-date GAME schedules can be found on the district's google calendar, found on our website here: https://www.wgsd.us/en-US/calendar

If you have any questions about Mustang Athletics, reach out to AD Pedersen or your student's team coach.

Potential items you might check out on the website include:

• Calendars (see next post for example) -- Google calendar of events and year long school calendar
• Handbooks
• Alma information and "How Tos"
• ParentSquare information & "How Tos"
• District Strategic Plan
• Student Centered Accountability Program (SCAP) -- improvement planning
• Board of Education Information -- including agendas and minutes
• WGSD Policies
• Employment Information -- come be a part of the West Grand team!

As mentioned above, if you go on the District Website, you can go to "Calendar: Events" and it will take you to the K6 and Jr/Sr High School Public Events Google Calendars. You can choose to see one or both buildings. This is the best way to stay up-to-date regarding events and schedules as they often change.

ParentSquare is an application that we have used for several years now communicating as the entire district, separate buildings, each classroom, and with individuals.

You can set up your account to go directly to an email, a phone number text, or the app (free download).

The "Week at a Glance" is sent out each Sunday afternoon via ParentSquare. It gives you an update of events happening during the week, note from building principals, and other pertinent information for the upcoming week as well as resources and general information.

We received positive feedback from this last year and are continuing to share it. Make sure you are signed up for ParentSquare so you don't miss out!

WGSD has a Facebook page where we post information, highlight classrooms and students, and share highlights via social media. Follow us: District Page

The West Grand Booster Club also does a great job sharing pictures and athletic updates every week on Facebook. If you are a Mustang fan, following their page is a great way to have athletic updates from all of Mustang sports: Booster Club Page

WGSD partners with Colorado AeroLab for after school and summer programming. There are a lot of great opportunities for students outside of the school hours with this collaboration. While the school shares out information regrading AeroLab, you can also visit their website at: https://www.coloradoaerolab.org/

Here are the numbers and administrator emails for each office:

1. District Office
1. 970-724-3217
2. Superintendent Bauer, bauere@wgsd.us
2. Elementary Office
1. 970-724-1000
2. Principal Winter, winterb@wgsd.us
3. Jr/Sr High Office
1. 970-724-3425
2. Principal Stuart, stuartj@wgsd.us