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Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Nov. 13 – Departing board members recognized, Lewis-Palmer High School update, financial update

By Harriet Halbig

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education bid farewell to two of its members, received a report on activities at Lewis-Palmer High School (LPHS), and discussed a financial update at its Nov. 13 meeting.

Board recognition

Board members Matthew Clawson and Theresa Phillips attended their last meeting on Nov. 13 and were recognized by fellow board members.

Clawson, who had served since 2015, was term limited. Board President Tiffiney Upchurch read a letter she had written in praise of his accomplishment. She said that, when asked about his motivation to serve, he wished to leave the district in a better condition than when he joined the board. She praised him for always putting the students first in making decisions and thanked his family for their sacrifice during his tenure.

Board Treasurer Ron Schwarz also praised Clawson for his time commitment while he also volunteered for other causes and ran a business.

Later in the meeting, Clawson commented that his only regret was the inability to improve compensation for teachers and staff.

Upchurch then read a letter she had written to Phillips praising her ability to listen deeply and ensure that students feel safe, secure, and comfortable in their environment. Phillips made herself available to all who had suggestions or comments and was willing to pose hard questions during board discussions.

Schwarz commented that he admired Phillips’ passion for results and her focus on the future. He also admired her efforts to ensure safety within the district by supporting obtaining new radios to make it easier to communicate with first responders, her support of security vestibules, and research and action in the area of social emotional wellness.

Schwarz also admired Phillips’ support of improving literacy in grades K through 3, the fact that she met in person and by phone with many stakeholders, and support of the arts in the district, realizing the link between music and mathematics. She is genuinely interested in individual members of the staff and always willing to listen, he said.

Director Kris Norris also thanked Clawson and Phillips for their service and thanked Phillips for her welcome when he was appointed a member in April.

Lewis-Palmer High School update

Schwarz introduced two students from LPHS, Lily and Taylor. They both serve as officers of the student body, and Schwarz explained that beginning last month, two high school students would be welcomed to participate at board meetings to learn about community government. They are non-voting members and welcome to ask questions, to report on school activities, and to report back to students on board activities.

The student representatives reported on the recent Harvest of Love campaign in support of Tri-Lakes Cares. They said that it is important to tell students why they are requested to participate in such an activity to ensure success.

This year, several techniques were used to encourage donations such as carnival games, daily announcements, and a competition between departments. Students also participated in packing snacks for those in need.

LPHS collected 2,846 cans of food and money. Combined with Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS), they received 6,000 total cans of food.

Congratulations were given to the women’s volleyball team for making it to the state semi-finals and the football team for making it into the playoffs. Praise was also given to the fall musical production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Superintendent update

Superintendent KC Somers was out of town, and the update was reported by Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine.

Whetstine recognized the PRHS women’s gymnastics and volleyball teams for their state championships and spoke of Veterans Day events at several elementary schools.

Lewis-Palmer Middle School had its second All School Reads program followed by an author’s visit.

The district also held a Troops and Trades showcase showing various post-graduation pathways for district graduates. Fifty colleges and others participated. LPHS completed its first structure in its home build program.

Whetstine also spoke of surveys of staff and families. For details on these surveys please see the article on the Parent and Community Advisory Committee on page < 8 >.

Financial planning update

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway reported on the status of the district budget.

He said that the governor had announced an end to the budget stabilization factor, which was instituted in 2008 when the state could not fully fund education. He cautioned that the factor could be reinstated in the future.

Ridgway said that last spring the estimated per pupil revenue from the state was $9,800. That amount was increased to $10,000 in June.

He cautioned that there are two student counts to be considered, one a head count of the number of individuals in the district and the other the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) students. The FTE is important because, for example, home school students count as one-half FTE. He also explained that the new preschool program is no longer under the School Finance Act. He said that in the 2022-23 school year, there were 40 FTE preschoolers. Whetstine said the number of preschool students is dependent on staffing and other concerns.

Regarding enrollment, Ridgway reported that the district as a whole is down by 113 students, 80 of whom were forecast to attend Monument Academy.

Due to a state policy of student count averaging, Ridgway said that the district will report a decline of 84 rather than 113.

Ridgway reported that the district is using a new auditor this year. He said the firm has been in the Colorado Springs area for a while, and he has confidence in its ability. It currently is completing the Monument Academy audit.

Praise for contributions

In her board member comments, Theresa Phillips praised two women for their contributions to the district.

One of these, Lisa Glen, was instrumental in forming the Monument Warriors, a local Special Olympics team. She thanked the high school volleyball and basketball teams for their mentorship and said an athletic letter would be awarded to participants.

Amber Newberry was praised for her contributions regarding appropriate behavior and boundaries as part of the Consent Task Force. Newberry is also active in reviewing district policies in this area.

Phillips also thanked several district employees who modeled collaboration and listening, acknowledging that students who feel accepted and respected learn best.

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The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education usually meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the district’s learning center, 146 Jefferson St. in Monument. Due to the holiday break, the December meeting will be held on Dec. 11.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education articles

D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, Oct. 10 – Committee hears updates on Consent Task Force, D38 Education Foundation

By Harriet Halbig

The D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (formerly District Accountability Advisory Committee) received updates from various initiatives and subcommittees at its Oct. 10 meeting at Palmer Lake Elementary School.

School presentation

Following a tour of the Palmer Lake Elementary School, Principal Peggy Griebenow gave a brief presentation on the history and demographics of the school.

Griebenow is the third principal since 1986, leading a school with a student count of 385.

Each student has an address to receive any communication within the school. Three postmasters distribute the mail.

The school’s literacy program is based on the study of science and most of the English language learners at present are Hispanic.

The school was built in three sections over time.

Board of Education President Tiffiney Upchurch presented a detailed report on the activities of the Consent Task Force formed in December 2021 and consisting of students and recent alumni, parents, community members, counselors, high school principals, district administration, and members of the Board of Education.

Results of their collaborations have been presented to students during the 2022-23 schoolyear during freshman and sophomore study halls at Lewis-Palmer High School and PE classes at Lewis-Palmer Middle School.

The task force agreed that parents should be offered the opportunity for students to opt out of attending these sessions. If they choose not to opt out, parents will have access to the materials being taught.

The task force has developed a detailed program ranging from pre-K to high school, offering age-appropriate information regarding the definition of consent to younger children, peer pressure and boundaries for middle schoolers, and legal definitions of sexual harassment and reporting capability for older students.

At each level, titles of applicable books will also be offered.

Classes will be taught by trained teachers, counselors, and school resource officers.

The task force listed district policies which have relevance to consent and delineated ways in which district policies could be presented on the website to make it easy to find them by subject. The task force encouraged the district to word the policies in easy-to-understand ways and provide any reporting documents with the appropriate policies.

Applicable policies will be read and clarified at board meetings early in 2024.

The task force also encouraged the district to offer training to teachers twice each year on the subject.

D38 Education Foundation report

Executive Director Stephanie Palzkill reported on the reactivation of the D38 Education Foundation, originally founded in 1994.

The foundation was active until 2009 and has since been dormant, although the district has been maintaining all necessary tax and other paperwork with the state to remain official as a nonprofit organization.

Palzkill showed a list of the members of the Board of Trustees of the group, which includes representatives of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce and the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club in addition to members with backgrounds in cybersecurity and digital strategy. Upchurch serves as a representative of the board, and Superintendent KC Somers is an ex-officio non-voting member.

All of the Board of Trustees and administrative officers serve as volunteers.

Palzkill is the executive director and Crystal Lopez serves as bookkeeper.

Palzkill explained that the foundation strives to elevate education through community connection and champion educators to strengthen district performance to remain in the top tier of schools in the state.

The foundation does not compete with other entities seeking funding for the district such as the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club and Mountain Hill Kiwanis but will seek financial support from individuals and corporations.

The foundation will administer grant funding to educators. The Inspire grant program fosters creativity among individual educators while the Advance grant program supports professional education.

With the funds remaining in the foundation budget from 2009, the Inspire grant will be awarded in early 2024. A “road show” familiarized staff with the grant, and applications are due Nov.30.

Plans will include fundraisers in 2024.

There will be a newsletter for contributors in the coming months.

For further information, please the see October Parent and Community Advisory Committee article at https://www.ocn.me/v23n10.htm#d38-pcac.

Portrait of a Graduate/Educator report

Secondary Program Coordinator Jessica McAllister presented the final graphic presentations of the Portrait of a D38 Graduate and Portrait of a D38 Educator.

This initiative, begun in summer 2022, seeks to specify the cognitive, personal, and interpersonal competencies needed for success after high school graduation. Students were asked what success would look like, and industry representatives were asked what skill sets were sought in potential employees.

The Portrait of a Graduate/Educator Committee was then asked to discuss what advice they would offer to themselves as high school students.

One response was to be made aware of the variety of careers available. It was suggested that the district have a career fair including a variety of professions in the community and to more widely promote the assistance of guidance counselors.

For more detailed information on this initiative, please see the website lewispalmer.org and the October issue under family resources, meeting content, District Accountability Advisory Committee, Sept. 18 meeting.

Board of Education update

Board liaison Upchurch reminded members of the upcoming election for board members, only one of which includes more than one candidate. Individuals may see the district website for information on the candidates. ((www.lewispalmer.org/page/november-2023-election-information).

Upchurch also reported that three of the initiatives proposed by the district for inclusion in the 2024 legislative session were approved by the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB). These include confirmation of local control of curriculum, state buying down of the budget stabilization factor (details proportional reduction of total funding of each district beginning in 2009), which deprived funding to the schools for several years, and not bringing back the budget stabilization factor.

Committee reports

Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine reported that the membership of the Financial Transparency Committee will be approved by the Board of Education at its Oct. 23 meeting.

Stacey Barr, director of Nutrition Services, has application forms for those wishing to serve on the Wellness Committee. The focus of the committee is to investigate state regulations as apply to the district.

Assessment and Accountability Coordinator Dr. Michael Brom reported on the activities of the Staff Collaboration Committee, saying that hiring went well during the summer and that substitute requests were filled 85% of the time. The Calendar Committee submitted a potential school calendar for four-day weeks and asked that this information be provided to all staff at each building before asking for approval. If approved overwhelmingly and staff indicates the intention to remain with the district, the committee will move forward with board approval of the calendar.

The Special Education Advisory Committee and Gifted Education Leadership Team have not yet met.

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The Parent and Community Advisory Committee meets six times a year, usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Locations vary. Due to the Nov. 7 election, the November meeting will be held on Nov. 14 at the Monument Academy west campus, 1150 Village Ridge Pt. For information, please contact tmckee@lewispalmer.org.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee articles

Monument Academy School Board, Oct. 5 and 26 – Enrollment shortfall causes budget challenges

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met twice in October. In both sessions, they reviewed the finances, including the 2023-24 budget, and explored the challenges caused by lower than projected enrollment. The board also continued to discuss the employee handbook and leave policies. Finally, the board heard committee reports from board members and spotlighted its science teacher.

Budget challenges explored

At the Oct. 5 meeting, financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported on the September financial statements and reviewed the fund accounts. He said the business services expenses were significantly over budget due to the conversion from the Netchex payroll system, as were the maintenance and operations expenses due to costs on the modulars. He noted that the budget anticipated 1,180 students, but the actual number was hovering around 1,100, which represented a significant decrease of $1.3 million. The good news, he said, was that MA stopped hiring as soon as they saw the drop in enrollment. He added that money budgeted to purchase the leased parking lot at West Campus might have to go. However, he noted that MA had reduced its expenditures with D38, received $350,000 in special education (SPED) revenue, and increased its interest income.

At the Oct. 26 meeting, the board heard more about the administration’s effort to amend the proposed 2023-24 budget. Gustafson noted that charter schools are funded on a per-pupil revenue (PPR) basis, so enrollment is a key driver. When a school district needs a new neighborhood school, they can run two ballot issues—a bond to pay for building the school and a mill levy override (MLO) to fund its operations. If passed, the district’s general fund is not impacted since the bond and MLO are paid out of property taxes.

In MA’s case, paying back its bonds costs 25% to 30% of operating expenses. Gustafson said he had been talking with state Sen. Paul Lundeen about how to increase charter capital funding to make it a more level playing field but that, as an employee of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), he is not allowed to lobby. At the Oct. 5 meeting, Gustafson discussed the possibility of applying for a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant to get money for its building.

He explained that Lewis-Palmer D38 was providing funds to MA based on enrollment but that he had been having trouble reconciling the numbers on the spreadsheet used with the numbers from the state intercept program, which takes money to pay for the bonds. It turned out that the district had been relying on a spreadsheet they got from CDE that was incorrect. When they received a corrected spreadsheet, it turned out that MA owes D38 about $189,000. He said he would ask D38 for help but that MA was overfunded. Additionally, since the intercept is tied to the bonds, West Campus will see a reduction in expenses of $100,000, and East Campus will see an increase in expenses of $300,000. He said West Campus net revenue will increase from $400,000 to $500,000, while the East Campus loss will increase from $70,000 to $350,000. Gustafson said that MA would still meet the bond covenant requirements for cash on hand.

Gustafson also noted that he was very optimistic that MA would get an Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) refund and estimated it would be around $1 million. This is non-recurring money that should not be spent on annual operations costs, he said, suggesting that a good use of it might be to buy the modulars to get out from under onerous leasing terms. He noted that the application had just been submitted and would take six months to process and another month to receive the payment.

The board then turned to the enrollment shortfall to try to understand how to avoid this problem in the future. Gustafson noted that enrollment was 116.5 below budgeted projections but only 4.5 below last year’s enrollment, so essentially flat. Interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland said while it wasn’t possible to forecast with 100% accuracy, in March MA had looked at the currently enrolled students, families who had indicated an intent to return, and seats that had been offered and accepted.

MA estimated 1,022 returning students plus 184 seat offers for a total of 1,206. By April, returning was 1,016 plus 186 seat offers for a total of 1,202. The proposed budget was submitted in April, she said, but by May 31, the returning students dropped by 23 to 992, and the number of seat offers increased by four for a total of 1,187 students. By August, the number of returning students had dropped to 930, down by 62. McClelland said that when MA noticed the drop, it decided not to hire staff. They had originally thought they’d end up with five classes in each of three grade levels. At this point, she said, the registrars stopped offering seats going over the policy on student-teacher ratio. When they opened offers again, they only got two of the 13 potential students. The board explored different ways to market the school, keep parents engaged, and change registration processes in the future.

Board President Ryan Graham noted that from March to August, elementary had the biggest drop of 55 students, with middle school down 16 and high school down 17. McClelland said the registrars sent out a survey to families of students who did not enroll. The biggest reason was that families chose to homeschool their kids; some left due to program opportunities and school environment; and a few families had moved. McClelland said she would like to see a history of returning student rates and conversion rates and timeframes. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton said she did not see the trend of homeschooling changing and had discussed with Graham whether MA could create a homeschool program.

McClelland said it takes time to put together a homeschool program but could come together for the next fall with a dedicated person to get the program going. She would need to know where to pull from the budget and where to find the space to run the program, noting that closes off the use of that space for students who bring in full PPR. She noted that six months might be feasible but not for a full K-12 homeschool program, and it might take three years to build out fully. The board, she said, would need to decide if it needed the program to break even initially or whether it could sustain a loss due to the start-up costs. Graham noted that almost 5% of MA’s enrollment left for homeschooling.

Gustafson reiterated that MA needed to reduce its budget to match the loss in revenue. He mentioned that, due to the budgeted revenue expectations, the staff had been given a larger-than-normal pay raise and that he expected it to be lower next year. He also said he would add the SPED funding MA had received along with $220,000 in fundraising, which he had hoped not to depend on. After going through the budget line by line with the leadership team, they came up with a portion of what is needed to bring the budget into balance but are still $311,000 short. The plan is to increase revenue, cut staff and other expenses, and legally reallocate as many expenses as possible from East to West Campus. He said they would save money from staff vacancies, pursue grant opportunities, and optimize interest income. The ERTC money would save MA’s bacon this year, but it would still need to solve the budget issues for next year. Graham proposed to have the Finance Committee review the budget and asked if they could push the budget approval from the Nov. 9 meeting to the December meeting to have more time. Gustafson agreed so long as the leadership team understands they cannot spend the money shown in the current budget. McClelland said that MA is under a spending freeze. The deadline for the budget is Jan. 31, 2024.

Clinton raised the issue of the $29 million balloon payment due on the East Campus bonds in May 2026. She said that MA had been discussing for two years the goal of presenting as attractive a package as possible to refinance the bonds. Gustafson said that if MA were to refinance right now, the annual debt service would require a cut in the budget. He is looking into the interest rate outlook and noted that Cesar Chavez charter school had a similar problem. He told Lundeen that there would be a charter school crisis if the state did not provide help. The bond for East Campus was a bad deal that expected interest rates to remain low and to be refinanced every five years, he said. McClelland noted that it would be better if both schools could be covered under one bond since elementary programs help offset the high school costs.

Employee Handbook and leave policy

At the Oct. 26 meeting, McClelland thanked the board for adding the draft handbook leave plan to the agenda, saying that with all the feedback, including meetings at each campus, MA was now proposing a grandfathering option that was better than the original plan. McClelland noted that some changes to the handbook were required for legal compliance and that, per the strategic plan, they were looking to improve the leave policies. She noted that the Employee Handbook is a living document that can be changed anytime. She said she had reviewed the new plan with the West Campus principals but hadn’t shown it to the teachers yet pending board review.

Graham said the West Campus feedback asked why not wait until the next contract cycle. He agreed wholeheartedly that they should honor the contract and let teachers decide next year if they want to agree to these changes. McClelland and Director of People Operations Krista Pelley explained that the current handbook limits the payout to 20 days at $50 per day for anyone separating, and the changes would give them full payout for all their accrued days.

Board Director Karen Hoida said it sounded like this was an incentive for people to leave. Pelley said the payout was unavailable for those who haven’t served five years, so it also serves as a retention benefit. She said staff can continue to accrue days and, if they’ve been grandfathered, don’t have to leave now to get the payout. Hoida said they can say they are grandfathered but it won’t help if they’ve lost trust. Clinton said this wasn’t well communicated and some teachers might feel their contract doesn’t mean anything. She would love to see and attend another meeting with teachers to show their feedback was considered. Pelley said staff can continue to accrue days and, if they’ve been grandfathered, don’t have to leave now to get the payout.

Graham said that he heard that some teachers still can’t access the new SDS payroll system to see their hours and are being told the board has to approve something before they can see it. Pelley said she had given everyone a breakdown as of Aug. 1 but didn’t let them access it directly due to the need to convert from hours into days. Graham said it wasn’t right that teachers have to make an appointment to come and ask about their leave. He said from the teachers’ perspective, something was proposed in September that they didn’t see, and they felt something nefarious could be happening. When they don’t have access to see their accrued leave, it is all unsettling, he said.

McClelland said that the system switchover was not operationally planned out as well as it could have been and was not rolled out effectively. Pelley said they would have access as of Monday to payroll information. Clinton said these changes probably started with good intentions to improve policies, but it feels like signed contracts can be changed anytime. She felt that required legal changes should be implemented, but any improvements should be in the next contract.

Graham said he would prefer to have a meeting during teachers’ paid time, and he would attend. He asked that the required Employee Handbook changes be brought back for approval at the November meeting. The changes could exclude or include the leave policy changes depending on feedback from the teachers.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted Karl Brown, eighth-grade science teacher, for stepping up as a leader for his grade level team and the school, providing excellent instruction and setting high expectations.
  • Graham reported that the recirculation road around the West Campus is complete.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that the curriculum committee discussed new math curricula and would send the three options to West Campus teachers to solicit feedback and then to the parents and community according to the new curriculum policies. The committee hopes to bring the new math curriculum to the board in December for approval and that it could be implemented in the next academic year.
  • Graham thanked the East Campus administration team for getting the modulars up and running with a certificate of occupancy, noting that this had been a long project.
  • The board unanimously approved the list of authorized signers on the raffle bank account.
  • The board unanimously approved the board calendar for 2023-24 to continue with the second Thursday of the month.
Above: At its Oct. 5 meeting, board Director Craig Carle, right, spotlighted Science teacher Karl Brown for his excellence in teaching as well as his leadership in supporting other teachers by helping them set up the Canvas learning management system. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

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The MA School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at see https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Monument Academy articles

Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Oct. 23 – Monument Academy annual report; enrollment and financial update

By Harriet Halbig

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education received the annual report of Monument Academy, approved membership of the Financial Transparency Committee, learned of new financial documents, and welcomed student representatives at its Oct. 23 meeting.

Monument Academy annual report

Executive Director Kim McClelland presented the annual report of Monument Academy (MA).

She thanked the board for the positive relationship between the charter school and the district and said that all leadership positions are currently filled. The organizational chart has been updated and the board is discussing its strategic plan.

MA board President Ryan Graham also thanked the board for its partnership.

Graham said new policies on curriculum are being formulated and there will be an election in the spring for two board members. He also said that in January the school will post a full-time position of executive director beginning in June 2024.

He cautioned against non-legal name changes for students.

McClelland reported that MA is increasing its participation in sports and hopes to be admitted to the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) soon. The school excels in track and field and has recently begun a girls’ basketball program.

Academically the schools scored 47.5 points, requiring a performance plan. The schools both had low participation in assessments.

McClelland said that a future priority will be to educate parents about the value of participation in assessments to monitor student performance.

The schools will now have a quarterly dashboard to monitor academic progress and growth. The goal is to achieve 65% growth in grades K through 5, 60% in middle school, and 65% in high school.

On the East Campus, construction on the recirculation road has been completed, and efforts continue to purchase land for additional parking. An unpaved area adjacent to the school is now being used temporarily until purchase is possible.

McClelland said MA is re-examining its investments and developing a new format for financial statements. They are investigating tax credits for employee retention, restructuring a contract for copiers, and developing a new employee handbook.

On the West Campus, Graham reported, construction of the new roundabout on Knollwood should be completed by next summer. At that time, Knollwood will offer the only ingress and egress for the school. He thanked the neighboring church for allowing families to exit through its parking lot. Upon completion of the roundabout, a barrier will prevent use of the church lot. The barrier can be opened for access by emergency vehicles.

Financial Transparency Committee and financial planning

The board approved a list of members of the Financial Transparency Committee. The charge of the committee is to ensure that all reports and charts are understandable by the community. The committee will report to the Parent and Community Advisory Committee, which in turn will report to the board.

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway said enrollment is down by 34 students pending finalization of the October count. He said the minor decline in enrollment is prevalent across the state and is not sufficient to require altering the budget except on an individual school level.

Board Treasurer Ron Schwarz requested that Ridgway determine whether the decline is a trend regionally and nationwide. He suggested discussing the issue with the district’s demographer.

Ridgway said there was growth in enrollment the previous year, but it was less than anticipated.

Ridgway said that funds from the Universal Prekindergarten program are more robust than the previous use of tuition and limited state funding.

He said he is working with state legislators to achieve a more consistent cash flow over the course of the year. Currently, funding from taxes is not received until spring, requiring that the district maintain sufficient cash to fund its commitments early in the year.

Ridgway introduced the board to a new graphic to monitor utility expenses and how they are affected by the Schneider Electric contract. Water, electricity, and gas will be monitored separately and expenditures back to the 2018-19 school year will be included for comparison. Actual and budget numbers will be included.

Asked whether there is a guarantee of results from Schneider Electric, Ridgway responded that there is a guaranteed recovery in the agreement.

The board approved revisions to a policy regarding support staff vacations and holidays.

Board President Tiffiney Upchurch asked about an item in the consent agenda regarding a contract with Schmidt Construction at the middle school.

Executive Director of Operations and Development Chris Coulter responded that the construction at the middle school is in response to the dangerous traffic pattern resulting from buses, cars, and pedestrians accessing the same area of the lower parking lot. This construction will involve repaving and developing the upper level lot for buses only.

The board approved the consent agenda.

One student and one community member made public comments regarding the district’s treatment of transgender students. They stressed that all students should be treated with equal regard and respect and that the current situation results in unnecessary stress and sometimes results in suicide.

Student representatives

The board welcomed two student representatives from Palmer Ridge High School. Senior Kaya Kimmey and sophomore David Gallaga were seated with the board and encouraged to enter discussions on reports and initiatives. The students are non-voting members and are responsible for sharing information with their student bodies.

Students from the two high schools will alternate attendance monthly to see how local government works.

American Legion recognition

The board recognized American Legion Tri-Lakes Post 9-11 for its efforts to educate students about the Constitution. Veterans visited classrooms, discussed the Constitution, and answered students’ questions.

Above: At the Oct 23 school board meeting, the D38 recognized American Legion Tri-Lakes Post 9-11 for their work educating the next generation on the United States Constitution, American democracy, and patriotism by having veterans in the classroom. The American Legion also raises funds for high school student scholarships and sponsors high school juniors to attend the American League Auxiliary summer leadership programs. From left are board member Kris Norris, student representative Kaia of Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS), board vice president Theres Phillips, student representative David of PRHS, John Russell, Mike Christensen, Terry Carver, and Randy Fritz of the American Legion, and board president Tiffiney Upchurch, board member Matt Clawson, Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine and board member Ron Schwarz. Photo by Jackie Burhans

Vice Commander Terri Carver said it was encouraging that students got involved in the instruction and that the post has obtained 500 pocket Constitutions for distribution.

The American Legion also encourages high school juniors to apply to attend Boys State and Girls State during the summer.

Post member John Russell, action officer for Boys State, asked to meet with guidance counselors to promote attendance at Boys State and Girls State.

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The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education usually meets at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of the month. Due the school closures for Thanksgiving break, the November meeting will be on Nov. 27 at the district’s learning center, 146 Jefferson St. in Monument. For further information, contact vwood@lewispalmer.org.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education articles

D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, Sept. 12. Committee sets priorities for coming year, appoints new co-chair.

By Harriet Halbig

The D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (formerly the District Accountability Advisory Committee) set priorities for the upcoming schoolyear at its Sept. 12 meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine reported that the district was once again accredited with distinction for the previous school year. She said Lewis-Palmer High School and Palmer Ridge High School were downgraded from a performance plan to an improvement plan due to insufficient participation in the PSAT and SAT tests last spring. The state of Colorado offers parents the opportunity to request that students opt out of the testing, but the federal standard requires 95% participation. Monument Academy was also downgraded for the same reason.

Superintendent KC Somers commented that Colorado is one of 10 to 15 states with mandatory testing. He encouraged high school Building Advisory Committees (BAC) discuss the issue of participation. He said that people often think that taking the tests is not necessary if a student does not intend to go to college. About 60% of colleges require the SAT, he said.

Committee Co-chair Holly Rollins said the Palmer Ridge High School BAC discussed the issue at length and said that many requirements changed during the COVID epidemic. Each family must decide and follow the given rules. A student not taking the test may be able to enter the university of their choice but not the specific college within the university.

Strategic plan discussion.

The district’s strategic plan consists of six priorities: safe and healthy schools, academic excellence, valuing our people, operations and facilities, fiscal stewardship, and relationships and communication.

Somers said that a dashboard is being added to the district website (lewispalmer.org) which will track activity relating to each priority.

Rollins said that she wishes that the committee stress its responsibility to act in an advisory capacity to the board.

Whetstine implemented this idea by creating a large sheet of paper for each priority and having members indicate what questions they have regarding each and what they would wish to address during the coming year. Results of this exercise will be available at a future meeting.

Board of Education update.

Board liaison Tiffiney Upchurch reported that Theresa Phillips and Matthew Clawson will be leaving the board after the November election. They will be recognized at the Nov. 27 board meeting.

Beginning in October, Lewis-Palmer High School and Palmer Ridge High School will each have a representative on the board.

Regarding the November election, four seats on the board will be on the ballot. Three seats are unopposed and the fourth has two candidates.

Upchurch reminded members of the candidate forum on Sept. 28 at Palmer Ridge High School. For information on the election, please see lewispalmer.org/election.

Committee updates.

Several committees had yet to meet in the new year.

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway reported on the Financial Transparency Committee (formerly the Financial Advisory Committee). This committee is required by state statute and will consist of nine members: five from the Parent and Community Advisory Committee and four from other sources. Public members must have an administrative sponsor. Meetings will be held in public. Responsibilities of the committee include following the annual cycle of events related to the budget, recommending how to spend district resources, and recommending ways to maintain transparency by communicating district business to the community.

Committee membership will be announced at an upcoming board meeting.

Whetstine reported on the Calendar Committee. She said that the priority of the committee at this time is to construct a potential calendar if the district were to convert to four-day weeks. This calendar will be presented to the staff and they would be asked if they would stay with the district if it were implemented.

Whetstine also said that there is an active task force discussing the issue of consent. The task force is led by community members and will discuss issues such as boundaries. The group will present recommendations at the October meeting of the board.

The Wellness Committee continues to concentrate on meeting requirements for the School Lunch Program.

The Special Education Advisory Committee and Gifted/Talented Leadership Team have not yet met.

New co-chair appointed.

Rollins said that the leadership of the Parent and Community Advisory Committee is based on two co-chairs, each with a two-year term. Rollins’ term ends next June.

Renee Butler, a representative of Lewis-Palmer Elementary School, volunteered to serve and was confirmed by a vote of the membership.

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The Parent and Community Advisory Committee meets six times per year. Locations vary. The next meeting will be on Oct. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Palmer Lake Elementary School, 115 Upper Glenway in Palmer Lake. For further information, please contact tmckee@lewispalmer.org.

Harriet Halbig can be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee articles