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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.

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Letters to Our Community – Tom Olmstead? No thanks

I am very concerned about Tom Olmstead’s candidacy for the D38 school board. Olmstead’s appearance at the KOAA forum revealed a lack of qualifications and understanding, and an obsessed focus on personal grievances. I will not be voting for him.

Olmstead’s forum performance was marked by a stunning lack of preparedness. He seemed unfamiliar with the initiatives of the school district and offered only third-hand anecdotes to support his vague goals. It’s clear he put minimal effort into understanding the responsibilities of the board, or even how meetings function (it seemed like he’s never attended one). Rather than addressing concrete issues, his focus was railing against perceived issues such as “indoctrination” by teachers’ unions or gender issues, deeply divisive stances that detract from real issues at hand.

When Olmstead cited a student suicide, he admitted he didn’t know any details, and he didn’t connect it to any concrete proposal. When he referred to a rumored incident of a student’s sexual misconduct, he suggested that elected board members should be involved in disciplining individual students (completely inappropriate) and—despite not knowing any of the details—put the involved students’ safety and privacy at risk. This level of ignorance and carelessness is unacceptable for someone seeking to influence the inner workings of our schools.

Tom Olmstead’s candidacy falls far short of our community’s needs, and what I want for schools I send my children to. The role of a school board member requires a deep commitment to education, a solid understanding of the challenges facing our district, and a proactive approach to policymaking. Unfortunately, Tom Olmstead has not demonstrated any of these qualities and appears more interested in settling personal grievances and promoting divisive ideologies. I urge my neighbors against a vote for Tom Olmstead.

Jeremy Borgia

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Letters to Our Community – Vote for Tom Olmstead

In an effort to reach anyone interested in finding out the truth about Tom Olmstead—who is running for the D38 school board—please read carefully.

I am a regular member of a group that sits at Serrano’s coffee shop (several times a week) with Tom. I and the members of that group (roughly 10-12 people) have known Tom for several years now and will attest to the fact that what has been published in OCN and Nextdoor by his competition is absolutely not accurate!

If you would consider getting to know Tom for yourself, please stop by Serrano’s any weekday around 8:30 or 9 in the morning and learn for a fact what type of person he is and what positive new blood he would bring to the school board.

He will be happy to converse and answer questions about the issues facing the board and will not become involved in the character defamation approach being used by his opponents for the position on the board.

In my opinion, anyone affected by the D38 school board would benefit greatly from a face-to-face meeting with Tom.

Michael A. Graczyk

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Letters to Our Community – Tom Olmstead has my vote

Thank God one of our school board candidates is out and about in our community meeting people! Tom Olmstead has my vote as he’s directly been engaging the public about his ideas and drive to make D38 a great experience for all our children.

Tom makes no bones that he believes parents have the right to what their children see and learn in the district and is driven by his law enforcement background to keep our schools safe. He understands that not every student wants to go to college, and he supports trade schools as a positive alternative to college. Tom is not in favor of tax hikes—particularly for the people in Monument who are on a fixed income. But he also supports teacher pay raises and believes we’ve not given enough attention to innovative ideas to make that happen.

D38 needs a person who wants to see this community thrive! Tom Olmstead has my vote.

Sherry E. MacDonald

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Letters to Our Community – Why a ban on political yard signs?

What in the world is going on with Monument’s Town Council? They’ve put a ban on political yard signs. Come on!

Last night, I attended an emergency meeting to reverse the ban. It was all just a political charade.

Instead, the Monument mayor and other elected officials doubled down, dug their heels in, and chastised the community for wanting the never-before-enforced ordnance reversed.

I’ve lived in this community for 20 years. Political yard signs clutter our neighborhoods for sure, but they’re a Constitutional right to freedom of political speech!

And in a nutshell, political signs are the way we become educated about our upcoming elections.

Did you know there are two candidates running for D38 school board. I’ve met Tom Olmstead—he’s exactly what we need on our school board today.

Let’s pass on the word—vote for Tom Olmstead for D38!

Gary Marner

Other Letters to Our Community