Park Elementary Home

Habits of a Mindful Scholar
students riding bikes at bike rodeo

About Us

We are a diverse crew of mindful learners who contribute to making the world a better place. We engage in productive problem solving by being inclusive and kind, taking responsibility for our own actions, persevering through adversity, and embracing curiosity and wonder.
Indigenous Girl at Park Elementary
Where we’re located
Durango School District map
students listen to book reading

Mission

The mission of Park Elementary School is to lead and engage students to reach their potential in a global society by providing a positive, nurturing and challenging environment where children children succeed cognitively, socially, and emotionally through shared responsibility of school, family and community. 

School & District News

Food Drive poster - nonperishable food items

Food Drive hosted by Park Elementary 5th Graders -- Recogida de alimentos organizada por los alumnos de 5.º curso de la escuela primaria Park

Park Elementary 5th Graders will be hosting a food drive beginning Nov. 10th through Nov. 19th. Donations of non-perishable food items would be greatly appreciated. Items can be dropped off in the food boxes outside student classrooms. Thank you!! --- Los alumnos de quinto grado de la escuela primaria Park organizarán una colecta de alimentos del 10 al 19 de noviembre. Agradeceremos enormemente las donaciones de alimentos no perecederos. Los artículos se pueden dejar en las cajas de alimentos que se encuentran fuera de las aulas. ¡Gracias!
Bravo Award winner Josh Lamb

Bravo Award winner: Josh Lamb

Throughout each school year, DSD employees nominate their colleagues for Bravo Awards, an honor that recognizes faculty and staff who demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes as they go above and beyond for students and the district.
YouTube thumbnail showing a middle school student lifting weights on a bench

Escalante students field-test new CrunchLabs MagLev unit

In Christopher Skinner’s classroom at Escalante Middle School, students are test-driving a brand-new CrunchLabs unit created by Mark Rober — the former NASA engineer turned YouTube maker behind glitter bombs and squirrel obstacle courses.
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Connect with DSD on social media

Did you know Durango School District (DSD, formerly 9-R) shares stories, celebrations, and behind-the-scenes moments every week on social media? Follow us to see what’s happening in our classrooms and beyond — from teaching innovations and student projects to staff spotlights and community connections.
A child eats a healthy school lunch in a school cafeteria.

Program update: Healthy School Meals for All

Propositions MM and LL were passed by voters in the recent election, which allows the Healthy School Meals for All program to raise and retain additional funding. This means there will be no changes to our breakfast and lunch programs this year. All students will continue to have access to free, nutritious meals each school day.
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Principal Marie Voss-Patterson

Principal's Message

The Park culture embraces learning through mindful schools practices and character development. The school also sets high expectations for all students, through an understanding that students learn differently and at different rates. Through these actions, students can affirm the worth and diversity of the school community, which is respectful, supportive and trusting.
 
Marie Voss-Patterson
Principal

Events

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Engineer Mountain

Quality of Life

Durango is a beautiful place to live and work. It is located at 6,512 feet elevation in Southwest Colorado near the Four Corners region. Families who live here enjoy a historic steam train, ski resort, rivers, vibrant downtown, bike trails, sky-high “fourteener” mountains, and four distinct seasons with an average of 266 sunny days per year. We welcome new families and new staff members, and we offer excellent benefits and competitive salaries. 
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Accessibility Statement

It is the goal of Durango School District that the information on this website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive disabilities. Good faith efforts are being made to ensure that our website complies with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
 
Most pages on our site are available in HTML format, which can be read by screen readers. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. Additionally, some documents are in Google Docs and Google Forms. Most modern browsers and screen readers can access Google-based documents. More information about Google web products accessibility can be found on the Google Accessibility website.
 
To ensure accessibility for everyone in our community, including those with disabilities, Durango School District is taking the following steps:
 
* We are actively identifying and addressing accessibility barriers across our websites and digital platforms.
* We request accessibility documentation (such as VPATs – Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) from vendors whose digital tools or content are used on our websites.
* We work with vendors and service providers to ensure they are taking steps toward full compliance with WCAG and Section 504 requirements.
* We are committed to ongoing staff training and continuous website improvement.
* We regularly review our digital content to align with the Colorado Digital Accessibility Act (C.R.S. 24-34-104) and the latest applicable standards.
 
If you are unable to access any page or document on our site, please contact us at [email protected]. Include the webpage or document URL, your name, email address, and phone number. We will provide the information in an alternative format and work to resolve the issue. Alternatively, you may call the district's main information line at (970) 247-5411 and ask to speak with someone in the Communications Department. Include the location of the webpage/document, your name, email address, and phone number so we can provide the information in another format, and address the issue.

Learn more about the district's accessibility compliance plan and progress reports.