District overview

Cheraw School District 31

Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.

Who runs Cheraw schools and how are they funded?

Very small formula-funded district with a state building grant

Cheraw School District 31 serves about 219 students in Otero County and is governed by a five-member elected Board of Education. State per-pupil funding is the base; the district also relies on grants, including a state BEST grant for a new school and a CDE early literacy grant.

Governance

Travis Matthew is board president and Caitlin Hansen is vice president. Three seats have terms ending in 2027.

Building

A new school is moving to construction with a state BEST grant.

Reading

The principal reported students below reading level fell from 30% to 16% after teacher training.

Enrollment

219 students in 2026-27, including new students from La Junta and Karval.

Minutes are brief summaries. The BEST grant amount, policy texts and budget figures were not collected.

Where the district stands

Students enrolled 2026-27 (K-12 plus preschool)verified

219 students

CDE early literacy grant per year (three years)verified

101,000 dollars

Staff purchasing authority approved for BEST projectverified

3,000,000 dollars

Major projects

New school building (BEST grant)

construction contract in place; groundbreaking set Oct. 2, 2026

The district is building a new school with a state BEST grant. NV5 is owner's representative, RTA is architect and Nunn Construction is construction manager.

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Dec 15, 2025NV5 approved as owner's representative
Jun 29, 2026Nunn Construction approved
Oct 2, 2026Groundbreaking planned
Nov 16, 2026Special meeting to approve updated contract (planned)

Funding

State BEST cash grant (amount not stated in collected records)

Early literacy grant

awarded

Pays for a K-3 literacy coach and intervention starting July 1, 2026.

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Jun 29, 2026Award reported to the board

Funding

CDE grant, $101,000 per year for three years

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Resources

Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.

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Built from 12 months of board agendas and minutes posted as public PDFs in the district's Google Drive folders (Nov. 2025 to Oct. 2026) and the district's board page.

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