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Lewis Palmer School District 38 Monument Academy Articles

Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 15 – Board passes mid-year budget, selects bond counsel

Highlights

  • The Monument Academy board met on January 15 to address a mid-year budget, refine its marketing structure, appoint bond counsel, discuss self-evaluation and election processes, and update curriculum evaluation policies.
  • In the budget update, Finance Director Laura Polen was absent due to illness, and the team narrowed costs for stipends and staffing between the middle and high schools, reducing the projected deficit from 180,000 to 130,000 dollars, with the board approving related budget resolutions.
  • The marketing plan was reorganized by splitting the Marketing and Communications role into two part-time positions to handle the high level of activity in January, and that change was approved unanimously by the board.
  • Bond counsel was selected, with Casey Parrot LLC engaged for the refinance work on the 2019 East Campus bonds, and the board approved the engagement letter after review by MA's legal counsel, with final sign-off pending the CFO's review.
  • Policy and elections were discussed, including self-evaluation forms for board members to be reviewed at a February work session, and an election process for two open seats with a February 1–March 31 application window and a possible community Q&A if there are more than two applicants; a related curriculum policy update and exhibit were also approved unanimously, outlining how instructional materials are reviewed and how out-of-cycle changes are handled.
  • In closing, meeting highlights noted impacts from snow on finals and events, ongoing bond refinancing work, and upcoming information nights and fundraising activities, with the next board meeting scheduled for February 12 at the East Campus.

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board met on Jan. 15 to adjust its mid-year budget, modify its marketing position, select a bond counsel, discuss its self-evaluation and election process, and update a policy on curriculum evaluation.

Mid-year budget

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle apologized on behalf of Finance Director Laura Polen, who couldn’t attend due to illness. Since the last presentation, there have only been a couple of changes, he said. They met with Director of Preschool Kirsti Hays to narrow the budget, lowering the salary they had budgeted for an additional stipend. They also modified the allocation of costs for stipends and staffing changes between the middle and high schools. The bottom line went from a deficit of $180,000 to a deficit of $130,000.

The board unanimously approved resolutions on the mid-year budget appropriation, use of beginning funds balance, fund balance change, and interfund borrowing for FY25-26.

Position adjustment and creation

Vinchattle said MA had reviewed its Marketing and Communications position and felt it was tough to do both jobs at the same time, so they are splitting the role into two new part-time positions for communications and marketing, to achieve better results in this high-demand time. He noted that MA has five to six events in January. The board unanimously approved the change.

Bond counsel selected

Vinchattle introduced an engagement letter for Casey Parrot LLC, a law firm that has been asked to serve as bond counsel to the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority (CECFA) in connection with the issuance of bonds for Monument Academy during the refinance of its 2019 East Campus bonds. He said the engagement letter was with Hester Parrot and that MA had already begun working with her in good faith. He noted that the document was reviewed by MA’s legal counsel and that Tim Farmer would be taking on the bond refinance work and this was a standard agreement.

President Ryan Graham asked if Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson had reviewed it. Vinchattle said Gustafson had been on vacation and hadn’t seen it yet. Graham noted that Vinchattle, Polen, and Farmer had reviewed it, and it looked like boilerplate template language, so he had no concerns but wanted Gustafson to have a chance to look at it. He noted that the fees and expenses were contingent on bond funding.

The board unanimously approved the engagement letter.

Board self-evaluation and election

Graham said each board member should have received a self-evaluation form from Director of People Operations Krista Pelley. The idea is that the board will review the results at the work session on Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Vinchattle asked that board members complete and return the form on Feb. 20, so Pelley has time to put it into a presentation.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton reviewed the board election process, noting that two positions would be open as both Graham’s and board member Matt Ross’ terms would end on June 30, 2026. Graham is term-limited and will not be on the ballot. The application process runs from Feb. 1 to March 31.

Applicants will have the opportunity to meet with one or two board members to ask about the position, confirm their intent to run, and attend as many board meetings as possible. They will get information about the time commitment and see if it is a fit. If there are more than two applicants, the board will schedule a community Q&A, and there will be a formal five-day election in the last week of April. Winners will be announced in May and sworn in at the June board meetings. There will be a background check and board training. The three-year board terms begin on July 1.

Policy update

Board member Jilinda Dygert introduced the IJ-MA Selection of Instructional Material Textbook and Policies Procedure and its related exhibit. She explained that the policy goes through the process of how primary instructional material and textbooks are reviewed and approved. The Governance Committee wanted to tweak it and add community feedback. One key area was the procedure for out-of-cycle needs, so that when a publisher releases a new edition, the administration may conduct an abbreviated review to see if there are substantive changes. Non-substantive changes can be approved without board approval. Dygert said the policy clarified that any change in curriculum needs to be communicated to parents.

IJ-MA(E) is the related exhibit to the above policy. Dygert said the exhibit is the form that the curriculum committee uses to evaluate curriculum, and only editorial changes had been made.

The board unanimously approved both the policy and its exhibit. Board policies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ma-policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive Director. Vinchattle noted the impact of snow on finals, projects, and concerts. NWEA testing was going well and would be input into bond refinancing reports. High school and elementary information nights were rescheduled, and there would be kindergarten, homeschool, preschool, and high performance program nights to come.
  • Finance Director. Vinchattle reported on behalf of Polen that November financials represent 41.55% of the budget, and the total loss was $155,000 because of $708,000 in deficit spending. He reviewed general, facility, foundation, and student activity fund balances. MA continues to work on capital construction of the track and field area, refinancing the 2019 bonds for the East Campus and will be mailing W2s and 1099s shortly.
  • Curriculum East. Clinton reported the committee met on Jan. 8 to review the draft proposal for field trips and to review progress on curriculum mapping.
  • Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West. Clinton reported 128 survey respondents, not enough to get participation rewards. Results were being reviewed, she said.
  • SAAC East. Dygert reported that the survey was released in December with the most effort to advertise it, but it did not meet the participation threshold. She said the committee would meet Jan. 26 to review results.
  • Resources and Development. Clinton said that gala tickets were on sale and the theme is a “Going All In for MA” casino night.

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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 Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Dec. 11 – MA retains BB- credit rating

Highlights

  • The Monument Academy board discussed its current credit rating, noting a BB- rating influenced by refinancing timing and enrollment, which affects borrowing costs and investor options.
  • Board members explained MA plans to refinance its 2019 bonds within the next 30 to 60 days and proceed with the Track & Field project, starting with a first tier that includes the track, field, and a compliant press box, followed by a second tier for bleachers and lights funded by a capital campaign.
  • A contract to move the Track & Field design into construction was approved unanimously, with RJ LaForge of Wember Inc. serving as owner's representative and Brian Risley of CRP Architects as the project architect.
  • Capturing Kids Hearts, presented by Mark McKinney, is being used to build leadership and school culture at MA, with claims of improved connection, discipline, and teacher retention based on CKH surveys and the program's EXCEL framework.
  • CKH has been implemented at the elementary and middle school levels and is expanding to the high school, which MA leaders say aligns with the district's vision of security, character, connection, growth, and excellence.
  • The board recognized a high school Turning Point USA Club America group, acknowledging student leaders who planned a 5K to honor Charlie Kirk and presenting each student with certificates.
  • Policy updates were approved in several areas, including staff decision-making, contracts and compensation, overtime, fringe benefits, and the meet-and-confer status, while a related policy on instructional materials was tabled for deeper discussion in January.
  • Updates and highlights from the meeting noted enrollment activity, fundraising plans, and financial actions, including a mid-year budget showing a deficit that is smaller than projected thanks to adjustments and anticipated refinements, with a final budget review planned for January.
  • In conclusion, the board highlighted ongoing growth initiatives, CKH implementation, and financial planning as MA advances its Track & Field project and school improvements into the new year.

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board met on Dec. 11 and heard an update on its S&P credit rating, approved a contract for its Track & Field project, heard a presentation on Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH), recognized a high school club, and updated policies.

No change to credit rating

Finance Director Laura Polen reported that she had heard back from Standard & Poor’s (S&P) on the school’s credit rating and took that information back to MA’s bond counsel. She said the BB- rating was due, in part, to the lack of refinancing but that MA had been waiting to refinance until it got its new credit rating, describing it as a chicken-and-egg situation. MA’s enrollment numbers also played a factor in keeping the bond rating at BB-, she said. S&P describes BB- as being below investment grade, in the speculative category, noting that it is less vulnerable in the near term than lower-rated entities but faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse conditions (see https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/credit-ratings/about/understanding-credit-ratings). Credit ratings can impact borrowing costs and limit the investor base and the strictness of bond covenants.

In the Finance Committee meeting report, board member Craig Carle said that in talking to other charter schools, a BB- rating was becoming common in their growth phase. He said that MA doesn’t want to lose steam of its momentum. Carle said that there are a lot of good, positive things happening, and MA is making strong progress.

Board President Ryan Graham said that MA will be refinancing its 2019 bonds and should pull the trigger in the next 30 to 60 days if not sooner. He also said MA would be breaking ground soon on its new Track & Field.

CRP contract proposal

Graham introduced RJ LaForge of Wember Inc. as the owner’s representative, while Brian Risley of CRP Architects would be the architect for the new Track & Field. Graham reminded the board that it had previously approved a schematic design. LaForge said he was seeking approval of a contract to take the design into the construction phase and was available to answer questions about funding.

Polen said the funds for the contract would come from the refinancing. Graham said that the board had some revisions that were brought back to the committee that would be implemented and that the project would be done in two tiers. The first tier would include the track, field, and a press box that meets CHSAA criteria. The second tier would work on a capital campaign to raise money for bleachers and lights.

The board voted unanimously to approve the contract with CRP for the final design.

Capturing Kids Hearts presentation

Mark McKinney, senior leadership strategist from CKH, gave a presentation about the program and how it aligns with Monument Academy. CKH is a program used at MA and D38 schools that equips teachers, coaches, administrators, and district leaders to improve school culture and academic performance. McKinney said that everything CKH teaches is in the context of leadership, and MA wants to build leaders, not followers.

CKH uses the initialism EXCEL to describe its framework: E for Engage, X for eXplore; C for Communicate, E for Empower, and L for Launch. McKinney said public schools with CKH experienced 17% more connection and 40% growth as well as a 22% reduction in discipline referrals and 18% higher teacher retention rate than the national average. McKinney said that these statistics came from surveys at the beginning and middle of the school year. Surveys go to teachers, staff, students, and families.

McKinney explained that CKH’s discipline model asks: What are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing, and what are you doing about it? MA’s vision statement talks about valuing security, character, connection, growth, and excellence, all of which fall in line with CKH, he said. A lot of programs tell teachers you need to have good relationships with your students—CKH gives specific tools, McKinney noted.

Vinchattle said CKH was brought to MA before he started and is fully implemented at the elementary and middle school levels. MA’s middle school was named CKH national showcase school in 2025. Vinchattle said that implementation was underway at the high school. Graham asked if there was board training, saying he’d like to sit through a staff presentation.Note: For more information, see www.capturingkidshearts.com.

Board recognizes high school club

Vice President Lindsay Clinton said that in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a group of high school students at MA began forming a Turning Point USA Club America chapter. They were the first in D38 to complete the process and sponsored a 5K that had 250 participants to honor Kirk, she said. Club America’s program educates young people about the importance of limited governments, free markets, and freedom, she said, encouraging students to be leaders in their communities. Clinton said this student-led club meets after school and includes students from eighth to 12th grade. She said the board wanted to honor the group of students and thank their teacher supervisor.

Above: At its Dec. 13 meeting, board Vice President Lindsay Clinton recognized the high school students who helped to found MA’s Turning Point US Club America after-school club. The club, which includes eighth through 12th grades, educates young people about the importance of limited governments, free markets, and freedom, and encourages students to become leaders in their communities, she said. From left are Serena Krell, board President Ryan Graham, Grace Dunston, board member Matt Ross, Aneliese Verones, Kainoa Smith, Joshua Deniston, Clinton, and board member Craig Carle. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Clinton called up the students in attendance and presented them each with certificates and a group photo. The students included Joshua Deniston, Grace Dunston, Serena Krell, Kainoa Smith, and Aneliese Verones.

Policy updates

The board tabled policy IJ-MA Selection of Instruction Materials and Textbook Policy and Procedures at its related exhibit after hearing from Vinchattle that there was confusion during the feedback period. Reviewers wanted a deeper discussion on pacing and the process of adopting a new textbook edition, he said. The board will discuss this policy at its January meeting.

The board unanimously approved the following policy updates as described by Vinchattle:

  • GBB-MA Staff Involvement in Decision-Making describes the system in place for teachers to communicate during the decision-making process stated in plain terms.
  • GCBA-MA Instructional Staff Contracts/Compensation/Salary Schedules speaks to how MA approaches contracts, compensations, and salary schedules. Vinchattle said that MA does not have a true salary schedule.
  • GCBC-MA Professional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans/Overtime describes how MA approaches overtime for hourly and salary staff. MA primarily uses stipends, a different approach than D38 uses for coaches.
  • GCBD-MA Professional Staff Fringe Benefits speaks to the benefits MA provides its staff, which is a little different than D38. Some benefits are mandated by the state, Vinchattle noted.
  • GCBDA-MA Licensed Staff Meet and Confer Process, which states that MA does not meet and confer, because it doesn’t have a union.

Note: Board policies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ma-policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive director. Vinchattle noted that Intent to Return forms had been sent to families asking that they fill them out, because it helps with the planning process. Enrollment was underway, he said, with some full elementary grades on a waitlist. He reported on holiday goings-on, including craft fairs, concerts, and spirit week.
  • Finance Director Polen reviewed the October financials, noting that they represented 33% of the school year. She noted that there were large dollar expenditures, which were purposeful deficit spending, which would use its Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds, including preconstruction expenses that would be recouped when MA refinances its East Campus bonds, staff bonuses, and revenue losses due to enrollment differences from the budgeted amount. On a year-to-date basis, MA is at a net loss of $591,000 but after adjusting for the ERTC fund usage, it is at $89,400 in net income overall.
  • Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West. Clinton said the school survey is live until Jan. 12, and MA is seeking responses from West Campus families. There will be rewards by grade level for 50% or higher participation, she noted.
  • Resources and Development. Clinton said save-the-date cards for MA’s annual fundraising gala went home, and ticket sales will open in January. She thanked Operations Manager Jake Dicus for his assistance in applying to the Charter School Facility Assistance Program (CSFAP) through the Colorado Department of Education.
  • Pre-School Handbook and tuition. Director Kristy Hayes said the handbook added a visitor’s policy in line with the elementary school and added information about the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program. She also proposed a small increase in monthly tuition of $100 per month. She noted that families who qualified for 15 or 30 hours of free UPK tuition would not have to pay unless they exceeded those hours. Families signing up for the Friday enrichment program would see an increase from $50 to $100 per month. The board unanimously approved the increase in tuition.
  • Mid-year budget. Polen provided an initial presentation showing a $40 increase in per-pupil revenue and a decrease of 29 in enrollment projections. The income was also adjusted for instructional fees, donations, the mill levy override (MLO), payments for Walden, and the state CSFAP grant, as well as staff bonuses. She transferred $15,000 to the preschool fund and added interest from UMB bank. The net income will be $144,000 less than the original budget. Expense changes include bonuses, staffing changes, $75,000 for the Inkyma marketing contract for the year, stipends for after-school clubs, class trips, West Campus building repair, back taxes, modulars, etc. The bottom line shows $184,000 in deficit spending, which is less than the $580,000 projected. Polen said she would bring this budget back for approval at the January meeting

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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 Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Nov. 13 – Board hears audit, marketing updates

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met on Nov. 13 to hear about its financial audit and a marketing update, spotlight its Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO), and revise policies.

Financial audit

Finance Director Laura Polen introduced Jessie Seibert, an audit manager with Hoelting & Co., who reviewed MA’s 2024-25 fiscal year audit. Seibert said that the firm has given MA an unmodified or clean opinion again this year. She noted that the work had begun in August with Polen and interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson providing the necessary items, which ensured a smooth process. The audit has two formats: government-wide and fund statements, which include capital assets and long-term debt, as well as statements reflecting the day-to-day operations of the school.

Seibert noted that the report compares the net position year on year, highlighting an increase in cash investments of $2.1 million and an increase in capital assets. She also noted a $32 million loan balance and $937,000 paid in debt services. The school’s share of $14.9 million unfunded Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) liability had decreased by $1.3 million, she said. Overall, there was a $3.1 million increase in MA’s net position.

A prior period adjustment of $481,250 for unreported capital assets net of depreciation (the value of a company’s long-term tangible assets after subtracting accumulated depreciation) and $550,000 unreported debt was made related to the new building. MA also implemented GASB 101 as required and restated its absence liability based on what was earned by employees. These changes affected the government-wide statements rather than the budget or day-to-day finances.

Looking at the General Fund balance, Seifert said that the percentage of fund balance to expenditures went from 22% to 39%, resulting in an increase in days of cash on hand from 80 to 140. She noted that charter schools generally maintained 90 to 120 days cash on hand. Revenue increased by 14% due to donations and increased state per pupil revenue, and expenses increased by 12% leading to $2.9 million increase in the fund balance, which was larger than the budgeted increase.

Seibert ended by saying that Hoelting had found no internal control deficiencies again this year.

Update on marketing

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle updated the board on marketing projects by Inkyma Marketing, the firm they contracted with in September 2025. He noted that Inkyma was close to refreshing the website with a new home page, pages for each campus, and a revamped enrollment page. There will also be a rewards and recognition section for teachers and students. There are also Google ads, Facebook, and Instagram accounts ready to launch, he said.

Vinchattle said that videographers would be on campus in December for parent testimonials and a day at MA. Inkyma is looking to place ads with QR codes leading to a landing page at ACTV Digital Marketing Network (see http://home.activ.digital) locations such as doctors’ offices. MA will also send automated emails to follow up on school tours and is in discussions on creating student-led TikTok and YouTube shorts.

The launch of the new marketing efforts is slated for late November to early December.

PTOs spotlighted

Board President Ryan Graham spotlighted the East and West Campus Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs), whose commitment and energy have had a significant impact on school culture. The PTOs create memorable experiences and build stronger connections among families, staff, and students, he said. He recognized Andrea Howard, Kristy Davis, Sarah Dorman, Jessica Paulucci, Melody Pautzke, Susanne Hoffman, Mary Varma, and Katie Campbell.

Caption: At the Nov. 13 meeting of the MA board, board President Ryan Graham recognized the West and East Campus Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) for creating memorable experiences and building stronger connections among families, staff, and students. He recognized West Campus PTO President Andrea Howard, Kristy Davis, Sarah Dorman, Jessica Paulucci, Melody Pautzke, Susanne Hoffman, Mary Varma, and Katie Campbell. From left are Graham, board member Jilinda Dygert, PTO representatives Davis, Howard, and Pautzke, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, and board member Matt Ross. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

West Campus PTO President Howard thanked the board for inviting them, saying the mission of the PTO is to support teachers, enrich student experience, and strengthen the school community. She noted that the Lynx on the Run event had achieved 190% of its goal. She thanked the volunteers, event chairs, generous donors, and the supportive and encouraging administration, saying that PTO officers are grateful to be part of the team.

Pautzke said that East Campus PTO officers were unable to attend and noted that the West Campus PTO has been very collaborative. She said it was fun to do homecoming together with West Campus and she was excited for the monthly teacher meals and the upcoming Christmas party. Pautzke said she was grateful to the board and parents.

Policy updates

The board heard a first reading of policy IJ Selection of Instructional Materials Policy and Procedures, which will be brought back in December for approval. Board member Jilinda Dygert explained that the changes clarified the curriculum committee’s intent to communicate changes or additions to primary curriculum. The policy includes the newly created educational philosophy to be used to evaluate curriculum. Curriculum is approved on a six-year cycle, and any updates must be reviewed, she said. Director of Academics Tina Leone provided input to help simplify the rubric used to score the curriculum, which should be added as an exhibit to this policy, Dygert said.

The board unanimously approved the following policy updates, which were reviewed by MA’s legal counsel:

  • 1514A MA Board Code of Conduct was renamed to BC-MA with an updated reference to Colorado Revised Statute, more specific language on offenses of misconduct, a new area specifying consequences for failure to disclose misconduct, and additional points of contact.
  • 1514B MA Board of Directors New Members Election Process was renamed BDE-MA and modified to make the voting process more specific on which votes count and what to do if there is a violation. Record retention was extended to three to seven years, and the point of contact was updated to the executive director.
  • 1522 Donating to Monument Academy was changed to DDF-MA with updated language honoring donors’ wishes so long as they are legal and fit with MA’s direction, or giving the option to withdraw the donation or direct it elsewhere. The policy language was updated as to tax receipts, specifying that donors are responsible for tax information on their end.
  • 1525 State Assessment Refusal Policy was changed to ISA-MA, updating the timeline to submit the opt-out form and adding language to counsel parents about a new state law that penalizes MA if a parent opts out after testing has started.
  • 1525 State Assessments Administrative was changed to CSA-MA, updating the timeline to publish the assessment calendar and communicate to parents. It was also updated to reflect the title of executive director.

The board unanimously voted to rescind policy 1524 Longevity Bonus Pay, noting that the amounts don’t make a huge difference, and the administration is looking for other avenues to support teachers and bring in a better approach to retention. Graham noted that the policy hadn’t been used in years and affirmed that this decision simply cleaned up the policies and would not have a negative impact on staff.

Note: Board policies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ma-policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive Director. Vinchattle reported on the well-attended Trunk and Treat event put on by the PTO and lauded the boys’ cross-country team for its state championship. He also noted the veterans’ breakfast and assemblies at both campuses. Upcoming events included “Get the Scoop” with ice cream and tours for families new to MA and “Let’s Taco ‘bout High School” with dinner and presentations to seventh- and eighth-graders on internships, leadership opportunities, clubs, athletics, and academic programming for college credits such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes.
  • Finance Director Polen reviewed the September financials by school and fund, which showed a loss of $236,246 for the high school but a net income of $98,400 across all schools. She said that MA had a rating call with S&P on Nov. 3 that went well and was awaiting results. The audit went well and had few clarifying journal entries. There have been several design and pricing meetings on the new track and field, and she is working with principals on the mid-year budget, Polen said.
  • Curriculum. Vice President Lindsay Clinton reported that Curriculum East reviewed campus field trips. The big project, she said, was a communication plan in five phases over a year to guide teachers toward a full implementation of core knowledge. This relates to policy IJ-MA which was given a first reading.
  • Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West. Clinton said the committee received a presentation on marketing and communications from Kendra Kuhlman and reviewed questions for the mid-year survey to be sent out on Dec. 5 with a deadline of Jan. 5. She noted there would be rewards for classes with more than 50% participation, such as a free dress day. Clinton also noted that MA hosted the Nov. 18 meeting of D38’s Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) at the west campus.
  • SAAC East. Dygert reported that the committee heard about the hiring process from Director of People Operations Krista Pelley. The committee reviewed a handout on how to make survey questions statistically relevant in anticipation of the upcoming mid-year survey. It also heard from Samantha Caputo on Gifted and Talented (GT) programs and funding, including a comparison with D38’s programs.

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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 Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Oct. 16 and 23 – Board appropriates ERTC funds

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met twice in October to appropriate money from the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds it received, spotlight Finance Director Laura Polen, hear the October Count report, and revise policies.

Finance director recognized

Board President Ryan Graham recognized Polen, who recently achieved her Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations from the Association for School Business Officials International. The certification is granted to highly qualified individuals and has multiple requirements, from work experience to education, as well as a comprehensive exam that tests competency in business management topics and a commitment to high ethical standards. Recipients commit to ongoing professional development and recertification every three years. Graham congratulated Polen on this significant accomplishment.

Above: At its Oct 15 meeting, board President Ryan Graham recognized Finance Director for her significant achievement in becoming a Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations from the Association of School Business Officials International organization. From left are board members Craig Carle, Jilinda Dygert, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Polen, Graham, and board member Matt Ross. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Funds appropriated for academic proposal

MA received a total of $2.2 million in non-recurring ERTC funds available to certain employers for payroll taxes paid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although public schools were not included since they are governmental entities, MA was eligible through its building corporations, which are 501(c)(3) organizations.

At its Oct. 16 meeting, the board unanimously approved appropriating ERTC funds for the academic proposal that had been previously presented at a special meeting on Aug. 25 with financial costs submitted later.

The academic proposal totaled $19,650 and included:

  • Class trips to help attract and retain middle and high school students – $6,000
  • Stipends for 10 after-school clubs to attract and retain students – $10,000
  • Digital message board for communications, ads, and events – $3,000
  • High school information day for eighth-grade students – $650

Athletic proposal detailed

The athletic proposal generated additional questions at the Oct. 16 meeting, and the decision was postponed until the Oct. 23 special meeting. Questions covered the possible inclusion of a 15-person bus, the cost of uniforms and helmets, facility rental costs, coaches’ stipends, as well as a discussion of which sports programs might be added.

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said the team had drilled down into the data and refined the proposal with survey data, program information, and a budget. Athletics are expensive, he said, but are important to families and students. Although MA is more of an arts school, athletics make a difference, he said.

Athletic Director Lannie Vance summarized the survey, which received 152 responses on four questions: student grade level, current sports involvement, desired sports to add, and influence on family decisions to stay at MA. For the 73 families with students in eighth grade or higher, 62% indicated adding athletics would make at least a slight difference in their decision.

The top high school sports requested were Boys Golf, Football, Girls Golf, Girls Soccer, and Lacrosse. Vance reviewed each sport, showing team size, equipment costs, pros, cons, and other items of consideration. She also showed how many athletes were currently participating in sports at the middle and high school level, as well as the number of males and females by grade level.

Vance said the recommended high school sport additions were broken into Tier 1: cheer, eight-man football, boys and girls golf, and Tier 2: boys’ and girls’ soccer, girls flag football, and boys volleyball. There was a lot of discussion with the board about eight- vs. 11-man football, varsity vs. junior varsity, and the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) cycles. The board also talked about grants, having the only boys volleyball team in the district, having enough practice space, and a concern about pulling students from other sports due to seasonal schedules.

Graham asked about startup costs such as equipment versus recurring costs, such as stipends and tournament fees. For 2026-27, the total costs would be about $92,000 with recurring costs of around $60,000, Graham said. Vance noted that some sports do more fundraising and pay for their own personalized equipment and uniforms, while others are provided by the school. She said she was waiting to hear details on costs for golf practice facility usage. Graham asked about increases in liability insurance due to sports like football; Operations Manager Jake Dicus said he would reach out to MA’s representative.

Graham said MA needed to move forward with athletics because they have promised families to build an athletic field. He asked Polen about MA’s ability to cover recurring costs after the first year. Polen said ERTC funds would cover the first year, but recurring costs might impact other items and decrease interest income. It would depend on the debt service resulting from refinancing MA’s East Campus bonds and the results of MA’s investment in marketing on enrollment.

Graham suggested appropriating funds for fiscal year 2026-27 to start, so MA can get more information on insurance and course costs for golf. He moved to approve appropriating funds for Tier 1 sports (cheer, eight-man football, boys and girls golf) from the ERTC funds, not to exceed $125,000. The board unanimously approved the motion.

Staff bonus approved

Vinchattle noted that MA could not increase salaries for staff this year due to concerns about enrollment and state budget shortfalls. He said the windfall of ERTC funds and other budget aspects allowed MA to propose a 5% bonus for returning staff that would be excluded from the Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) plan.

Graham noted that Vinchattle had asked to be excluded from the bonus but proposed that he be included. The board unanimously agreed to approve the staff bonus pool capped at $250,000. The board then unanimously approved the corresponding resolution authorizing bonus pay for fiscal year 2025-26 for eligible staff. The bonuses were paid on Oct. 26 so that the monies are available ahead of Christmas.

October Count report

Registrar Lena Gross presented the October Count report to the board, showing final numbers for the schools and discussing trends for the 2025-26 school year. She said MA met its goals of increased communication to enhance the understanding of parents and families of the importance of October Count, saying it ties into the state plan for funding schools. MA was able to account for every fully enrolled student and had a 98% attendance rate on Oct. 1, with additional students documented as attending during the two-week count window.

Gross said that East Campus has 451 full-time-equivalent (FTE) students, including 16 High Performance Program (HPP) students, and West Campus has about 564 students, noting that students participating in the Monument Academy Homeschool Partnership (MAHP) program and half-day kindergarten students are counted as ½ FTE. The 2025-26 budget had called for 476 at East Campus, including 25 HPP students, and about 569 students at West Campus.

Gross said MA’s decline in enrollment was consistent with state enrollment trends, noting that Colorado’s birth rate was declining faster than the national average. One report showed that K-12 enrollment has fallen for the last five years and is at its lowest since 2014.

Gross said that 25.84% of MA’s students reside outside of the D38 district, including Cheyenne Mountain School District, showing MA’s regional appeal. Graham said that people were leaving Colorado because of legislation against parental rights.

Policy updates

The board unanimously approved the following policy updates, which were reviewed by MA’s legal counsel:

  • 1512 – Open Records Policy. Renamed to KEC-MA with updated language, job title, and hourly charge.
  • 1513 – Staff File Access Policy. Renamed to BHC-MA with more technical language, changes in procurement, more specificity, allowing only relevant portions, and a confidentiality statement as well as a job title change.
  • 1516 – Personal and Property Search. Renamed to JIHS-MA with updated language on cell phones, interrogation by law enforcement, and notification of parents. Parts C2 and C3 were combined.
  • 1529 – Non-Smokable Marijuana Administration. Renamed to JLCDB-MA with updated technical language and a change to the role of the school nurse. Board member Jilinda Dygert noted that non-smokable marijuana is not kept on school grounds, so a parent or medical professional would come to campus to administer the substance.
  • 1530 – Parent Notification of Alleged Criminal Conduct by a School Employee. Renamed to KDBA-MA with new technical language and changed format to include bullet points.

Board policies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ma-policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive Director. Vinchattle reported on homecoming, concerts, athletics, and parent-teacher conferences, along with updates on Phase 2 expansion of East Campus.
  • Finance Director Polen reviewed the August financials by school and fund and said MA has final audit papers that it will present next month to D38. She said MA is waiting for a meeting with S&P to get its financial rating.
  • Curriculum. Vice President Lindsay Clinton combined the report for both the East and West Campus, which had a similar agenda. The committees reviewed board policies, examined proposed edits to the core curriculum and rubric, and discussed pacing, scope and sequence, supplemental curriculum requests, and field trip evaluations.
  • Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West. Clinton said the committee received a human resources presentation from Director of People Operations Krista Pelley and was reviewing edits to its bylaws.
  • SAAC East. Dygert reported that the committee is looking for a vice chair, heard from D38 about the budget, saw a presentation on gifted and talented, and brainstormed how to increase participation in the mid-year survey.

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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 was moved to Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy School Board articles

Monument Academy School Board, Sept. 11 – Board selects marketing firm, transfers funds

By Jackie Burhans

At its regular board meeting in September, the Monument Academy (MA) board heard a proposal from a second marketing firm and voted to transfer residual equity between its campuses.

In addition, the board heard updates on Academic Achievement and the West Campus carline.

Marketing firm selected

Audrey Kerchner, chief marketing strategist for Inkyma, presented a marketing proposal for services in the 2025-26 school year. Kerchner discussed the strategic plan her team put together for MA, which includes goals to enroll 125 students by 2027 focused on the high school, to invest in athletics and a new gymnasium, to describe MA’s unique program edge, and to take this strategy across multiple channels.

Kerchner further spoke on developing a brand identity and messaging using StoryBrand so MA’s message stays unified. Multi-channel campaigns would include Facebook and Instagram toward parents, and Google, YouTube, and TikTok for students, she said. She anticipated seasonal campaigns around open enrollment, open houses, breaking ground, and opening the new facilities. Campaigns would include ads, email, social media, and placement on TV screens inside waiting areas, doctors’ offices, coffee shops, etc.

Inkyma’s content strategy would be video-based with parent testimonials and student spotlights, Kerchner said. She suggested student ambassadors for TikTok or YouTube shorts to allow sharing of the student perspective. The website would be updated with the brand identity to highlight how MA prepares students with a call to action to schedule a tour. Inkyma will boost visibility and usability via search engine optimization (SEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO), which uses artificial intelligence platforms.

Kerchner said that Inkyma was results-oriented and would report on key strategic outcomes while offering ongoing oversight and optimization. She said that Inkyma was ready to move and set up a kickoff and implementation dates within 30 days.

The board asked questions about the implementation timeline, noting the importance of the October count window, five days before and after Oct. 1, and the school choice decision timeframe. Funding depends on enrollment figures.

Kerchner addressed questions about the feasibility of meeting the 125-student goal by 2027 and noted that the biggest challenge was the newness of the high school and the need to demystify charter schools.

At the end of the regular meeting, the board went into executive session for negotiations regarding selection of a marketing contract. When it returned, the board voted unanimously to move forward with Inkyma. Vice President Lindsay Clinton expanded on the comment about social media content and student involvement, saying the board would further clarify the need for parent authorization and would respect the “no media” option some parents had selected.

Equity transfer between campuses approved

Chief Financial Officer Glen Gustafson told the board that government accounting allows for residual equity transfer. Gustafson said he had used this method in District 11 to transfer funds between accounts but had never seen a charter school use it to transfer funds from one school to another inside the general fund. He consulted with general counsel Brad Miller and bond counsel to ensure this was a legal maneuver, and they confirmed that they believed it was. He proposed that the board transfer $1.8 million in reserves from West Campus to East Campus by resolution, noting that the board could reverse it at any time and ensure that MA stays in compliance with all bond covenants.

Gustafson added that a couple of years ago, West Campus had lent the East Campus $300,000, and this transaction would undo that as it was a temporary loan, reiterating that both the bond counsel and general counsel had approved this. He said that this would be an important piece of the puzzle when MA refinances its bonds in about six to seven months. He thought it would buy MA one year or more to increase enrollment to meet the additional debt service related to the refinancing of bonds.

Board President Ryan Graham confirmed he had reviewed the proposal, asked about counsel input, and had no objections. He moved to approve the resolution, and the board passed it unanimously.

Academic Achievement

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle provided an overview of the fall academic assessment data, which used data from the beginning of the year DIBELS and NWEA assessments. Vinchattle highlighted positive results at the elementary level, with 68% of students on grade level, noting that those grades are when kids are learning to read.

He noted that NWEA and SAT tests had both changed the goalposts. The bar was raised for reading and language and lowered for math and science to adjust to national norms. He said that reading and math were both at 68% achievement.

Vinchattle said this was a new baseline of data, and goals will be created and reviewed in the winter assessment.

Elementary carline

Elementary Principal Jessie Davis noted that safety is the number one priority and asked that carline drivers remain attentive, pull all the way forward, follow directions for an orderly and efficient flow, and use the merge zone to avoid backups.

Davis emphasized that MA families should not use the church driveway as an exit and encouraged students to exit the school through the main doors rather than the gym entrance to avoid congestion. She noted that the biggest day for carline is Tuesday, which sees an average carline time of 38 minutes. In the best conditions, carline wait times have decreased to 33 minutes.

Davis said she was working on having people park in the dirt lot and walk to pick up their students to avoid creating congestion. Vinchattle said he had heard feedback that some people don’t feel comfortable using that lot since there is no sidewalk, and offered to research costs.

Davis said she used ParentSquare and letters to parents and teachers to communicate about carline. If anyone has suggestions or questions, they should contact Davis directly.

Policy updates

The board unanimously approved the following policy updates:

1517—Internet Use. Minimal changes after tech team feedback, added that use is a privilege and can be revoked, changing a job title, and renaming the policy to GBEE-MA.

1519 – Advertising. Updating mediums, changing a job title, legal wording about not creating contractual obligations, ability to reject ad at discretion, and renaming policy to KHB-MA.

1520 – Public Comment to the Board. Minimal changes in the signup sheet, changing a job title, consolidating some language, and renaming policy BEDH-MA.

1521 – Student Fees. Updating forms of payment, changing a job title, adding waiver information, and renaming policy to JQ-MA.

Board policies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ma-policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive Director. Vinchattle reported on Back to School Night, athletics, and homecoming events, including the Powder Puff game.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen reviewed the July financials by school and fund, saying that total income for all three schools was $170,000 in its first month. She confirmed that audited financials would be needed for the S&P rating.
  • Student Accountability and Advisory Committee—West Campus. Clinton reported that the SAAC had met on Sept. 4 to review its bylaws and suggest edits to bring to the board.
  • Buildings and Facilities. Graham reported that the noisy HVAC unit had been fixed thanks to Operations Manager Jake Dicus.
  • Resources and Development. Clinton said the committee met on Sept. 3 to review last year’s measures, analyze the purpose of the committee, and brainstorm areas to focus on for the current year.

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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 was moved to Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy School Board articles

Monument Academy School Board, Aug. 14 and 25 – Board moves forward on facility plans, hears marketing proposal

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) school board held two meetings in August to advance planning for East Campus facility upgrades and review proposals to expand high school programming. The board also heard an external marketing presentation and considered joining Colorado’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program.

In addition, the board approved decisions related to partnerships, policies, waivers, stipends, and other operational matters.

East Campus expansion strategy

President Ryan Graham opened the meeting by highlighting his five-year involvement with MA’s facility planning. He said MA is pursuing a phased build-out at East Campus, including track and field, a regulation-size gym, classrooms, library, an 800-seat auditorium, and expanded student common areas.

Graham noted MA cannot complete all projects at once but is preparing for a multi-year campaign. He reminded the board of a $29 million balloon payment due in June 2026 and said MA is working with a bond advisor to restructure its debt.

CRP Architects President Brian Risley and Wember Inc. Vice President Dusty Black were available to present the Phase II design. Graham said MA formed a Design Advisory Group last month, including board members, staff, parents, and project partners, to gather stakeholder input.

MA has received $200,000 in donations toward the track and field project. Graham said the school is exploring financial options to prioritize the new gym and convert the practice gym into a performing arts black box. That would allow time to raise funds for the auditorium.

MA will continue working with its bond advisor and will launch a capital campaign targeting high-net-worth individuals. Graham said naming rights and other recognition opportunities will be available.

Graham introduced a proposed contract with CRP Architects for a schematic design package to clarify project costs and support donor outreach. He said the blueprint would help MA engage donors. The board voted unanimously to approve the contract.

Partners present expansion master plan

Black said Wember Project Manager RJ LaForge led planning efforts for MA’s East Campus expansion, coordinating with the board and CRP Architects to set priorities and align budgets with cash flow. The team is moving quickly through schematic designs to support contractor engagement.

LaForge is preparing a request for qualifications for general contractors (GC) that’s expected to go public soon. Black said MA aims to onboard a GC by mid-September to provide accurate cost estimates. Surveying and soil testing are underway to confirm site feasibility.

The school plans to break ground on track and field in spring, with phased additions including bleachers, restrooms, press box, and concessions to bring it into Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) compliance. Bleachers would hold up to 1,000 spectators, and there is room around the track for jumping and throwing pits. In the future, overflow parking could be built where the current field is located.

Risley said the master plan includes three expansion zones—north, east, and west—originally anticipated in the campus design. Existing utility access and building openings will support phased construction.

The revised layout proposes a 13,000-square-foot gym on the east side, featuring locker rooms, a main court, two cross courts, and seating for 800. The gym would have its own restrooms so it could operate independently for after-school events.

West of the gym, MA plans to expand common space by 3,000 square feet, connecting to an 835-seat auditorium with full stage and backstage facilities.

Classrooms and a media center would shift west to maximize views. The two-story wing with a central gathering space would support academic growth.

If the auditorium is deferred, MA might convert the current gym into a black box theater, offering a flexible performance venue with seating in the round, which could flex from 249 to 286 occupants. Black said the team is excited to help shape a campus that reflects the school’s long-term vision.

Presentations on arts, athletics, and academics

Department heads’ ideas for building out their high school programs and estimating the costs involved were presented at the Aug. 25 special meeting.

Academics

Secondary campus Principal Angela Duca reviewed academic programs with a focus on student retention. Her team surveyed eighth-graders and high school students about why they stay or leave, especially after middle school.

Students who stay cited strong relationships with teachers, internship opportunities, upcoming new facilities, student council, and a sense of community. Middle school students often leave to attend high school with friends and teammates, join sports teams not offered at MA, or follow siblings to other schools for easier transportation.

High school students leave due to limited class options, few electives, a small number of AP courses, and the lack of an auditorium. Some seek a different experience. Students also face scheduling conflicts that prevent them from taking preferred classes. They requested a library, more after-school clubs, and greater separation between middle and high school programs. Upperclassmen asked for off-campus lunch privileges, especially for student drivers, and supported a block schedule and expanded foreign language offerings, including American Sign Language.

Duca outlined immediate steps to improve retention, including educating middle-schoolers about high school offerings and planning senior class trips. She proposed stipends for staff to organize trips and lead fundraising, starting with domestic travel and expanding to international options tied to curriculum. She encouraged parent volunteer involvement.

She also recommended launching after-school clubs immediately, with stipends for teacher sponsors. If a teacher volunteers to lead a club, MA would be obligated to offer it, she noted.

Duca suggested reviewing MA’s four-year math graduation requirement, noting that some students may not need it. Expanding beyond the current five AP classes would be costly, but students can still take AP exams independently. She proposed educating students about the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and encouraging enrollment during Academy Time. She also recommended exploring a scholarship program to support post-secondary education.

For long-term improvements, Duca supported adding sports and arts facilities, hiring more teachers for AP and electives, and building a separate high school academic wing. She also suggested collaborating with District 38 to expand AP offerings and explore opportunities at its new Career Innovation Center.

Fine Arts

Strings teacher Cristin Patterson proposed that MA consider offering biennial European trips through the College Ambassadors of Music program. She reviewed MA’s current arts offerings, which include 2D and 3D Visual Arts, Drama, Theater, Film Study, and Theater Tech.

Patterson recommended organizing the arts program into three dedicated rooms: ceramics in the Kiln Room, digital multimedia in the Tech Room, and visual arts in the current Choir Room. To support the expansion, MA would need to hire an additional art teacher, purchase supplies and digital applications, update curriculum, and build a new choir room.

She cited past strategic plans that identified fine arts, music, and drama as MA’s strengths, but noted the lack of a performance space as a weakness. MA currently uses the East Campus practice gym for some performances.

Patterson said the school’s greatest need is an auditorium with space for set construction and storage, a music pit, dedicated sound and lighting, and comfortable seating. She estimated a new auditorium would cost $15 million, while converting the practice gym into a black box theater would cost $1 million-$2 million, plus staffing and utility expenses.

She praised the quality of MA’s arts classes and faculty but said the school needs more students to form a band and more programs to retain students. MA hosts the only strings program in the district but currently rents space at district-operated high schools for concerts and choir performances.

Athletics

Secondary school Athletic Director Lannie Vance said MA must invest in its own athletic facilities to retain eighth-grade students, noting that Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer High Schools offer strong programs. MA’s high school identity is underdeveloped, and students lack a dedicated field and gym, she said.

Vance called athletics a magnet for retention, saying it builds pride, leadership, and community. She said MA could offer a personalized, character-first sports experience focused on agility and culture rather than program size. Without athletics, MA risks losing a key cultural anchor.

Now in her second year on staff and third year coaching, Vance helped grow the girls’ basketball program and unify boys’ and girls’ team culture to increase parent engagement. She is working to launch Matchwits and Speech and Debate teams and is exploring six- or eight-man football, a high school cheer program, and varsity boys’ volleyball. MA has some of the needed equipment and would fundraise to reduce costs.

Vance’s mission centers on putting students first, with athletics as a tool for character development. Her vision is for MA to be recognized statewide by 2030, develop leaders, and win with integrity. She said MA’s small size allows for high leadership potential and greater varsity opportunities. The program is character-first, agile, and community-driven, with an integrated K–12 pipeline. Expected outcomes include a 20%-30% increase in high school retention within three years, stronger student engagement, leadership development, and enrollment growth.

She recommended using social media to highlight teams and engaging students and parents to identify interests. She urged investment in facility upgrades, coaching staff recruitment and training, digital infrastructure for visibility, and scholarship and sponsorship programs. A Booster Club could support fundraising and manage scholarships.

Board Treasurer Craig Carle asked about D38 contributions to coaching stipends for CHSAA-sanctioned sports, noting that District 11 pays him to coach at Coronado High School. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said MA must fund its own programs or contract with the district. He added that, as the only boys’ volleyball program in the district, MA might qualify for additional funding.

Marketing proposal

At the Aug. 14 meeting, Carle said he and Vice President Lindsay Clinton have a goal to increase enrollment by 125 students by 2027 and would need to partner with a third-party firm on a multi-year basis to achieve this target. He described a recent meeting with MA’s internal marketing team as energizing and said the team is aligned with the goals. He emphasized the importance of investing in the current team while leveraging external expertise and said he would present more details at the upcoming special meeting.

At the Aug. 25 meeting, the board heard a presentation from principal consultant Josh Yancey of the Yancey Group, who partnered with Jesse Lange of Fish Bite Creative and Bill Roberson of MyCommTeam to develop a marketing proposal. Lange attended to answer questions.

Yancey said MA faces brand confusion, digital gaps, and inconsistent messaging, which hinder enrollment. Competing schools tell clearer stories, while MA’s value remains unclear to families. He emphasized that clarity would drive enrollment growth and strengthen the pipeline.

He described his team as culturally aligned professionals with local parental insight and traditional values, experienced in StoryBrand marketing for education and nonprofits. Proposed deliverables include discovery sessions, a messaging playbook, digital audit, opportunity map, and strategic roadmap.

Phase 1, a 9-to-12-week discovery process, would cost $20,000. Phase 2 implementation would cost $35,000, with timing based on deliverables. Phase 3 ongoing support did not include a defined cost.

Carle said MA’s internal marketing team would focus on retention, while the external team would target new enrollment. Clinton asked about timeline flexibility and the use of AI in content creation. Yancey and Lange said several of their tools leverage AI as an assistant and emphasized the iterative nature of their process.

Graham asked if the timeline could be shortened to four to six weeks. Clinton noted that other schools are already active on social media, and MA aims for December “intent to return” commitments. Yancey and Lange said they would explore a faster timeline with Roberson.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten

Director of Preschool Kristi Hays proposed MA opt in to Colorado’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program, which funds 15 hours per week for all 4-year-olds at $608.56 per month, or 30 hours for qualifying children at $1,080.71. Parents of non-qualifying children may choose 30 hours but must pay the cost difference.

MA currently charges $450 per month for half-day preschool, increasing to $500 with enrichment. Full-day preschool costs $950, or $1,000 with enrichment. Thirty-four MA students qualify for UPK, which would generate $240,000 in funding. Hays noted UPK is funded by a sin tax on cigarettes and is not subject to federal or state education cuts.

Clinton said parents have expressed strong interest in MA joining UPK. Hays reported four UPK sites in D38 and additional providers nearby, including Bright Start, Hope Montessori, Antelope Trails Elementary in D20, and Tri-Lakes Community Preschool. El Paso County has 237 UPK providers: 74 school-based, 57 home-based, and 105 community-based.

MA has faced declining preschool enrollment and staffing shortages, resulting in limited breaks and no lunch coverage. Clinton said the program is not meeting its revenue goals this year.

MA previously opted out of UPK due to curriculum concerns. Hays confirmed MA’s curriculum currently meets UPK standards, and commitment would be limited to one year, allowing flexibility if future changes conflict with MA’s philosophy.

The board unanimously approved MA’s immediate participation in UPK.

Board decisions

The board unanimously approved an updated organizational chart that reverts to a more traditional format showing the chain of command. It also approved the middle and high school athletic handbooks along with the 2025-26 school board meeting calendar.

The board approved a Kindergarten School Readiness Waiver that allows MA to opt out students from six to eight required assessments in the first 60 days. Vinchattle said the assessments took away from instruction time, and MA already has its own tools that are more concise.

The board approved its yearly memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pikes Peak Business and Education Alliance (PPBEA) for career exploration and training. It also approved a one-time stipend for an employee who put in extra duty due to extenuating circumstances.

The board unanimously passed policy IJRB-MA Parental Notification and Opt-Out for Curriculum Materials Potentially Conflicting with Religious Beliefs after making some minor changes based on parental feedback.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Expulsion upheld. The Aug. 14 meeting started with an executive session to conduct a student expulsion appeal hearing. Upon return, Graham moved to affirm the decision of the administration regarding the expulsion, and the board unanimously voted to do so.
  • Executive Director. Vinchattle thanked the Design Advisory Committee for its ideas, discussion points, and tough decisions that helped to guide the discussion with CRP Architects. He also thanked the board for supporting the staff breakfast and board member Jilinda Dygert for training on foundational points like core knowledge and MA’s educational philosophy.
  • Financial. Graham announced that MA had received a $1.375-million anonymous donation, which was used to buy the parking lot at the West Campus and to pay for the modulars at East Campus. He also noted that MA would receive $2.2 million from the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) and would use some of that money to pay returning teachers a one-time bonus since they had had to freeze salaries.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen reviewed the June financials by school and fund, saying that total income for all three schools was $2.9 million. The preschool fund had a slight loss of $64,000 for the year.

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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 is scheduled for Thursday, Sep. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, July 17 – Board prioritizes marketing plan, passes policy on religious opt-outs

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) school board met in July to elect officers, and appoint committees, urge the creation of a marketing plan, and pass a policy to allow for religious opt outs to curriculum, take other board actions and hear reports. There were no committee updates.

Board organization

Board member Craig Carle was sworn in for his second term and the board voted to retain its leadership positions with President Ryan Graham, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Secretary Jilinda Dygert, and Treasurer Carle.

The board confirmed the following committee assignments:

  • Curriculum West – Clinton
  • Curriculum East – Matt Ross
  • SAAC West – Clinton
  • SAAC East – Dygert
  • Governance – Dygert, Graham
  • Finance – Carle, Graham
  • Building and Facilities – Graham
  • Resource Development Committee – Carle, Clinton
Above: Craig Carle was sworn in for his second term on Monument Academy’s school board by President Ryan Graham. Carle continues in his role as Treasurer and was appointed to the Finance and Resource Development committees. From left are: Board members Matt Ross, Jilinda Dygert, Carle, Graham, and Vice President Lindsay Clinton. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Swift action urged on marketing plan

Clinton pressed Executive Director Collin Vinchattle to act urgently on a long-delayed marketing plan, citing concerns about upcoming refinancing decisions and declining enrollment.

Vinchattle said the team has been evaluating data, identifying top-performing channels such as social media and Google banner ads, and developing a plan following a three-hour strategy session earlier that day. Some initiatives are expected to launch with the new school year.

Clinton expressed concern over the lack of visible progress, pointing out that marketing was identified as a top need at the board’s retreat over a year ago. Clinton also questioned whether any external marketing firms were evaluated. Vinchattle confirmed that while pricing had been researched for social media content creators, no full-service marketing firm had been considered, citing budget constraints.

Current marketing efforts are handled primarily by the school’s marketing director, who oversees social media, tours, events, the website, and more, he said.

Graham supported a more aggressive approach, urging collaboration between Vinchattle and board members Clinton and Carle over the next 30 days. “We cannot get to August and then punt to September,” Graham said. “We are at a very critical juncture.”

The board discussed reallocating Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds to bolster the marketing budget, which currently includes $10,000 for content creation.

Board members agreed to reconvene in August to review a revised marketing plan and updated budget, with input from Clinton and Carle. The plan is expected to guide outreach ahead of key fall events and MA’s upcoming thirty-year anniversary.

Dygert said she appreciated the foundational work Vinchattle had done on the seven tenets and educational philosophy that could go into the marketing plan.

First read of religious opt-out policy

Graham introduced and read policy IRJB-MA Parental Notification and Opt-Out for Curriculum Materials Potentially Conflicting with Religious Beliefs in its entirety.

The policy allows parents to opt their children out of any curriculum that may conflict with their religious beliefs per a recent Supreme Court ruling. Schools must notify parents in advance when instructional materials pose “a very real threat of undermining” the religious beliefs parents wish to instill in their children. Teachers must identify sensitive content and provide alternative assignments. The policy lays out guidelines, training, and processes, saying it will be implemented neutrally for any religious or secular perspective. The policy says the school will continue to comply with Colorado anti-discrimination laws and ensure that all students feel safe and supported. The draft policy is available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs for the July 17 meeting.

Graham noted that some of the wording needed to be revised as it said “district” and should say “school.” He also said it should be explicit that kids who are opted out will be taken to a different classroom. Clinton expressed concern that it had an exception for spontaneous selection of curriculum, saying that there were processes for curriculum selection and review. Carle asked if teachers were being trained on what topics might raise concerns and Vinchattle said he was working with lawyer Brad Miller to explore what the guidelines might look like. Dygert asked if there was a list of current curricula available for parents. Vinchattle noted that there were documents on the scope and sequence for core knowledge, and some loose documents on what High School students read but said those could be formalized.

Graham said the topic would come back to the board in August.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Executive Director. Vinchattle updated the board on his action plan that resulted from the organizational audit that was performed in the past year, highlighting accomplishments in academics, budgeting, professional development, educational philosophy, job descriptions, and curriculum.
  • Finance. Director Laura Polen reviewed May numbers by school and fund, saying that total income for all three schools is $707,000 less the cost of the modulars and the parking lot purchase. There was a loss of $58,000 overall for May, but MA is still ahead on a year-to-date basis. Polen is preparing for the 2024 audit.
  • Staff Welcome Breakfast. The board unanimously voted to authorize up to $2,000 to provide breakfast to the staff on the first full day of work on Aug. 7. Vinchattle invited the board to come in and introduce themselves to new and returning staff at the West Campus.
  • AeroLab Contract. The board approved a contract with AeroLab, pending legal review, to provide programming for MA’s homeschool enrichment program for middle and high schoolers. See www.falconaerolab.org for information.
  • Design Advisory Committee. In anticipation of the build-out of phase 2 facilities at the East Campus, the board approved the creation of a committee to include two board members, Carle and Graham, two executive administrative members, two staff members and two parents.
  • Executive Session: The board ended its meeting with an executive session for negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding the legal engagement and fee structure for a lawsuit in support of girls safety and equal opportunity. No action was taken after the executive session.

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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 is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, June 12, 27 – Board passes sports fairness policy, joins in suit against CHSAA

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met twice in June to pass a policy and join a lawsuit related to gender in sports, discuss increasing roof insurance costs, take actions, and hear committee reports.

Sports policy

Board member Karen Hoida presented a proposed policy along the lines of parental rights and protection. Identical to policies passed in several other districts and charter schools, JBA-MA Preserving Fairness and Safety in Schools asserts that boys have physical advantage over most girls that are significant enough that they would displace girls if permitted to compete.

It also cites safety and privacy concerns, access to scholarships, and a presidential executive order threatening to rescind educational funds. The policy asserts that genetics are determined at birth. The policy forbids boys from playing on girls’ teams and girls from playing on boys’ teams. It also forbids sharing locker rooms or hotel rooms.

The board voted unanimously to pass policy JBA-MA. Board policies are available at bit.ly/ma-policies.

MA joins lawsuit

Board President Ryan Graham provided background on the D49 lawsuit against the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), saying that MA has observed increasing tension between Title 9 and CHSAA bylaws. He also noted that the Colorado Anti-Discriminatory Act (CADA) says that students must be allowed to participate in sports teams based on their gender identity. MA believes those requirements violate Title 9 and therefore has implemented the policy JBA-MA, and he suggested adding MA’s name as a plaintiff noting that this might bring federal scrutiny.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton moved to approve joining the lawsuit saying that doing so codifies MA’s conviction. She encouraged parents to ask questions, send emails, and make public comments if they are unsure where their school stands. Treasurer Craig Carle said that, as a father of two daughters who are athletes, he is deeply concerned with CHSAA’s policy. He fully supports the inclusion of all students but feels that women’s sports were created so they could train, compete, and excel without being at a biological disadvantage.

The board voted unanimously to add MA’s name as a plaintiff to the lawsuit, which names CHSAA, the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and the state attorney general.

Insurance increases

At the June 10 meeting, the board heard about hail coverage changes in MA’s building insurance policy and reviewed a presentation of coverage options for the following year. Finance Director Laura Polen presented options from HUB International insurance brokers noting that the policy would change from a $25,000 deductible to 5%, which would be an increase to over $2 million. There was an option to buy down the deductible to 3% at a cost of $53,627 she said would save them $800,000 or to buy it down to 2% at the cost of $83,537 and savings of $1.2 million. Polen asked for the board’s guidance. Graham asked if MA could exclude some insurance due to the rubber membrane roof. The board agreed to set a special meeting to discuss this and asked for more information on the current condition of the roofs, and a history of claims over the last 20 years.

The board met again on June 27 to discuss insurance options.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Spotlight. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle spotlighted outgoing board member Karen Hoida, whose term ends on June 30. Vinchattle cited Hoida’s dedicated service and valuable contributions, saying that she saw beyond the conventional and sparked meaningful discussions that led to innovative solutions
  • Executive director. Vinchattle reviewed the year’s accomplishments, which included the organizational audit, development of the education philosophy statement, forging community partnerships, and financial improvements.
  • Finance. Polen said MA completed its budget and shared with D38. She reported that MA had received five quarters of the requested Employee Retention Tax Credit funds and deposited that money into its high-interest COLOTRUST accounts. The board approved removing Glenn Gustafson from the Integrity Bank signature process, leaving Graham, Polen, Carle, and Finance Assistant Dawn Bartlett.
  • Curriculum East. Clinton shared that the committee met on May 20 to review supplemental literature for the high school ethics and morals class, reminding the board that material that is less than 25% of the curriculum does not come to the board for approval. The board approved the Colorado History curriculum.
  • Facilities: The board accepted a proposal from E&K Paving for $37,500 to grade and compact asphalt millings on the West Campus parking lot.
  • Contracts: The board approved a contract with Elevate Education, a company that works with Program Manager Janyse Skalla on the homeschool enrichment program.
  • Handbook updates: The board unanimously approved the modified 2025-26 combined Student Handbook, added a workplace bullying section to the Staff Handbook, and heard the first read of the proposal to modify the Athletic Handbook for middle and high school.
  • Compensation. The board approved a stipend for homeschool enrichment staff who developed the program curriculum and activities. It also increased half-day/Friday pay to $80.
  • Board planning: The board set its retreat date for July 15 from 9 to 3 at MA’s East Campus and moved its regular meeting to Thursday, July 17.
  • Executive session: The board ended its June 10 meeting with an executive session for negotiations regarding contracted financial services. The board ended its June 27 meeting with an executive session to discuss contract negotiations regarding the executive director.

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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 has moved to Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

Above: Executive Director Collin Vinchattle spotlighted outgoing board member Karen Hoida for her service and contributions, saying her contributions led to meaningful discussions and innovative solutions. Hoida’s term ended on June 30. In the front row from left are Vice President Lindsay Clinton, President Ryan Graham, Hoida, Treasurer Craig Carle, and board member Matt Ross. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

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Monument Academy School Board, May 8, 9 and 29 – Board adjusts budget for low enrollment, anticipates tax credit revenue

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met on May 8 to review the 2025-26 budget, advisory committee recommendations, curriculum, and policies. The board held a special meeting on May 9 to approve its adjusted budget and hear about its Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) claim and hold an executive session.

Budget

At the May 8 meeting, Finance Director Laura Polen presented the proposed 2025-26 budget, based on the Colorado Department of Education’s confirmation that the School Finance Act set per pupil revenue (PPR) at $11,080. The budget assumed a projected enrollment of 1,090.12 full-time equivalent (FTE) students.

Polen reported that General Fund revenues increased by $156,000 due to donations and fundraising, while expenses dropped by $1.4 million following completion of dirt lot and modular purchases. The budget allocates $13 million in local, state, and federal funds, balancing expenses across schools, programs, and object codes. By campus, West Campus shows $178,000 in income, the middle school reports a $183,000 loss due to a large student bubble moving through, and the high school shows $4,798 in income.

At the May 29 meeting, Polen presented an adjusted budget, lowering projected enrollment to 1,075 FTE, reflecting two fewer students in homeschool enrichment, two additional middle school students, and 15 fewer high school students. The high school donation budget was increased to offset PPR, instructional fees, and mill levy override share decreases. She said current full-time equivalent FTE stands at 1,052, with additional enrollment needed to meet projections: 20 more students for the High Performance Program, 8.5 (17 students) for homeschool enrichment, and preschool tuition revenue of $25,000 to balance its budget. Elementary and middle school enrollment exceed projections by five students each, while high school is under by four.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson said this year’s budget was tight with the decline in enrollment. He said he knew the board would have liked to give bigger compensation increases and that there were other tight spots in the budget, but he was hopeful that the enrollment would come in as projected. With other things in the hopper, he thinks the budget will work out and he noted that this adopted budget can be modified in December or January after the final enrollment counts.

The board unanimously approved three resolutions:

  • Interfund borrowing to loan funds to the preschool for payroll.
  • Use of beginning fund balances to disclose deficit spending for preschool.
  • Appropriation resolution setting maximum expenditures by fund.

Once signed, MA will post the budget on its website and submit it to District 38, its charter authorizer. Gustafson emphasized the need to develop a sustainable financial model for preschool, as it is currently subsidized by the academy.

Employee Retention Tax Credit approved

Gustafson announced that MA’s ERTC claim was approved for the first of five quarters. The IRS approved $450,000 for the first quarter, plus $150,000 in interest due to processing delays, for a total of $600,000 expected by the end of June. The remaining quarters were smaller, but the total payment could range between $1.8 million and $1.9 million.

He noted the appropriation resolution did not include ERTC funds since approval was uncertain. MA spent $100,000 working with a consultant to submit the claim. He suggested the board prepare for a supplemental appropriation in an upcoming meeting, work session, or retreat.

For short-term management, he recommended placing the funds in a segregated account at COLOTRUST, an investment fund for government entities, to earn interest. Long-term, the board will determine potential uses, such as adding gravel to the West Campus dirt parking lot, increasing staff bonuses, or supporting capital construction efforts. He urged prudence, emphasizing the funds are a one-time resource.

Gustafson stressed that next year will be a critical time for MA as it prepares to refinance its bonds by June 2026. He noted the current unfavorable interest rates and uncertainty about future improvements. He plans to work with Polen to draft a supplemental budget amendment for the fall.

Curriculum

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle introduced two new curriculum proposals for Colorado History and High School Leadership.

For history, he directed the board to documents outlining the course structure, its alignment with state academic standards, and a recommendation from the East Campus Curriculum Committee. A high school teacher proposed the two new courses. The Colorado History course will be available at the West Campus library for parental review over the next three weeks before returning to the board for a vote.

Vinchattle noted that the High School Leadership course will follow a similar review process. While it lacks a specific textbook, a teacher developed a collegiate-level syllabus as a foundation for an emerging leadership program. He said information will be shared through the board’s Simbli platform, where stakeholders can submit feedback via an online form.

Policies

The board reviewed and unanimously approved the following policies:

  • 1501HS High School Dress Code: Updated from a previous proposal after feedback from parents and students. It will be renamed later when other dress code policies are updated.
  • AEP Educational Philosophy: a statement of philosophy as noted in previous discussions.

The board held the first reading of AE-MA Penmanship policy emphasizing MA’s cursive-first approach.

MA’s approved board policies can be found at http://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Spotlight: Board member Craig Carle recognized the process champions team, announcing Monument Academy Middle School as a national showcase school for the Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) program. Team members include Thomas Herndon, Lisa Rich, Jesse Davis, and Angela Duca.
  • Executive Director: Vinchattle celebrated the CKH recognition, student capstone presentations on truth and beauty, the high school information night, and the fourth-grade visit to the Colorado History Museum.
  • Finance: Polen reported on March financials noting all three schools had positive income and MA remains on track to meet bond requirements.
  • SAAC East: Board member Jilinda Dygert shared that the Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) for East Campus submitted recommendations after reviewing survey results. Priorities include hiring, training, and mentoring staff, improving communication, encouraging consistent Canvas use, directing funds toward infrastructure, and expanding academic offerings.
  • Operational Audit: Vinchattle reviewed completed goals and outlined remaining objectives.
  • Contracts approved: The board finalized its food services agreement with D38 for the 2025-26 school year and approved its Memorandum of Understanding with Monument Police Department for school resource officers.
  • Handbook updates: Vinchattle proposed adding a workplace-bullying section to the staff handbook and will present revisions after legal review. He also led a first reading of a combined student handbook to streamline policies, with a final vote set for June.
  • Campus expansion: The board unanimously approved an Owner’s Representation Agreement with Wember Owner’s Representation as MA prepares for phase two additions at East Campus.
  • Board planning: Members will complete a self-assessment survey ahead of their July retreat, following operational audit recommendations.
  • Executive session: The board closed its May 29 meeting with a session to receive legal advice on HP25-1312, Protecting Transgender Individual Rights, and potential policy decisions regarding girls’ sports.
Above: At its March 17 board meeting, the D38 board honored Laurie Caves of Care. At the May 8 school board meeting, board member Craig Carle recognized the process champion team, highlighting Monument Academy Middle School’s selection as a national showcase school for the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program among 7,000 participating institutions. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle praised the team for fostering strong student relationships. Team members include Thomas Herndon, Lisa Rich, Jesse Davis, and Angela Duca (not pictured). In the front row from left are Davis and board member Jilinda Dygert. Standing, from left, are board members Matt Ross, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Thomas Herndon, Lisa Rich, board member Karen Hoida, Carle, and board President Ryan Graham. 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, June 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy School Board articles

Monument Academy School Board, April 10 and 24 – Proposed high school dress code draws concerns

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board received student and parent feedback on proposed high school dress code changes at its regular meeting on April 10 and returned to the discussion at a special meeting on April 24. The board also heard a report from its Library Review Committee and approved numerous other policies.

High school dress code changes debated

During Citizens’ Comment, students voiced concerns about proposed dress code changes. While praising MA’s community and academics, they opposed the changes, citing financial burdens, loss of self-expression, and blurred distinctions between middle and high school. They feared the uniform-like code could hurt enrollment or lead to student departures. Others suggested better enforcement of the current code and urged the board to reconsider. Board President Ryan Graham commended the students for speaking.

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle announced the first reading of the proposed policy, noting that the board could consider changes in future meetings. He shared results from 100 responses to the dress code survey sent to students and families and acknowledged students’ strong interest, demonstrated by their attendance and comments. Vinchattle proposed collaborating with Principal Angela Duca to engage students further.

The proposed policy refines the structure and wording, acknowledging the Colorado CROWN Act and outlining a process for applicable cases. It removes gender-specific annotations, stating that students must wear attire aligned with their gender. A new section on tattoos and markings prohibits drawing on skin, requires tattoos to meet respect guidelines, and prefers that they remain covered. Pajama bottoms are explicitly banned.

The survey asked students and parents about removing sweats and hoodies from the high school dress code. Comments echoed concerns raised at the meeting, noting that “smart casual” mentioned in other communication felt more restrictive and punitive.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton questioned whether parents understood the differences among prior communications, the survey, and the proposed wording. Vinchattle explained that “smart casual” was introduced at a “new high school” event. Clinton also expressed concerns about removing gender annotations, especially around makeup. Vinchattle acknowledged that dress codes often feel more punitive toward females and noted some respondents preferred business casual.

Board President Ryan Graham highlighted the policy’s ambiguity and requested changing “gender” to “sex” in the first paragraph, removing markup, and itemizing changes in a clean draft. Board Member Jilinda Dygert suggested discussing the changes with students, which Vinchattle agreed could be done during study hall, and the board could review the policy again in two weeks.

Library Review Committee report

Secondary Assistant Principal Jesse Davis reported that the Library Review Committee held initial meetings to review the form submission process and book scoring rubric. With seven books queued before its formation, the committee has reviewed three so far. The following books were examined:

  • A parent, citing Facebook groups focused on children’s innocence, deemed Smile by Reina Teigemeier inappropriate for elementary students due to topics like attracting boys, bras, puberty, and kissing. They argued it conflicted with MA’s classical philosophy and noted that hygiene discussions for fifth-graders require parental permission. The committee removed the book from West Campus, placing it at East Campus for better alignment with middle school audiences.
  • A parent found Cat Kid on Purpose by Dave Pilkey inappropriate for a third-grader after her sixth-grader raised concerns. She cited sections showing characters screaming and appearing on stage in underwear. She argued it conflicted with MA’s character-building values. The committee retained the book at West Campus, citing its positive teamwork, conflict resolution, and perseverance themes.
  • A parent reviewed Cat Kid Collaboration by Dave Pilkey after reading Cat Kid on Purpose, citing similar concerns about detrimental character-building themes, including characters and parents screaming. The reviewer labeled the author’s message on “global sameness” and references to the deaths of Batman’s and Superman’s parents and Spider-Man’s uncle as adult topics. The committee retained the book at West Campus, highlighting its alignment with MA’s moral vision and positive themes.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton noted all the books were graphic novels and asked about future purchasing priorities. Librarian Kelly Huffman emphasized supporting teacher curriculum while addressing gaps in graphic novel series and ensuring balance. Graham clarified that the board votes only to override the committee’s recommendations, with a two-year wait before a book can be challenged again.

Additional policies discussed

The board reviewed and unanimously approved the following policies:

  • 1500A Board of Directors Governance Policy renamed BA-MA; 1500B executive director renamed to CED-MA.
  • JG-MA Enrollment and Placement: added a lottery process and aligned with D38’s proof of residency requirements.
  • IKE-MA Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Student: merged IKE and 1527 policies, added definitions, and aligned with MA’s mission and vision.
  • KE-MA-E(1) Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Student: retention form used in the IKE-MA policy.
  • 1527 Student Retention: rescinded, as it merged with IKE-MA.
  • IJ-MA Selection of Instructional Materials & Textbook Policy & Procedures: removed the statement requiring alignment with federal and state standards but emphasized monitoring standards through state/national assessments.
  • IJ-MA-E Selection of Instructional Materials & Textbook Policy & Procedures: Governance Committee flagged rubric “Eduspeak” for clarification and requested an additional, parent-friendly rubric.

MA’s board policies can be found at http://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted the Monument Academy Gala team for their contributions.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen reported that the February financials show that MA is well-positioned to meet bond ratios. She credited People Operations Director Krista Pelley for staffing projections and noted collaboration with the registrar on FTE enrollment tracking for budgeting.
  • Graham requested the removal of the Highway 105 Committee report, as the work around West Campus is complete.
  • Clinton reported that the Curriculum East Committee reviewed last month’s approved policy and proposed edits for a vote. It will present the History and Leadership rubrics to the board in May.
  • Board member Jilinda Dygert said the Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) for East Campus reviewed survey results and will share recommendations at the May board meeting. She urged parents to attend the final meeting on May 5, 3:30-5 p.m., or email saacsecondary@monumentacademy.net for details.
  • The board heard a presentation on the upcoming graduation activities, reviewed the gala and other fundraising activities, got an update on the enrollment numbers, and reviewed progress on academic goals.
  • The board approved a Reimbursement Resolution to reimburse itself for $15 million in capital expenses ahead of bond refinancing. Interim CFO Glenn Gustafson highlighted a $26 million balloon payment due June 2026 and plans to refinance $60 million in bonds to consolidate campus debt and fund East Campus projects.
  • The board unanimously signed a letter to the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) demanding rules barring boys from competing in girls’ sports, warning of escalation to state and federal authorities if demands are unmet.
  • After an executive session on property acquisition, the board approved a Letter of Intent to purchase Grace Best Education Center for $100,000, directing Vinchattle to present it to D38 Interim Superintendent Amber Whetstine.
  • The board approved an updated Staff Handbook, incorporating audit-recommended wording on the Seven Tenets, revising Title IX and leave policies, and updating renamed policy references.
  • Clinton announced that board applications closed in March with only one applicant, Craig Carle, eliminating the need for an election. The board unanimously re-elected Carle by acclamation.
  • Graham shared a community letter on House Bill 25-1213, which mandates that MA accommodate students’ chosen names, pronouns, and cross-dressing, while defining misgendering and dead-naming as discriminatory. He urged families to engage by signing petitions, contacting officials, and preparing to testify. Graham stated that if Gov. Jared Polis signs the bill, the board will discuss next steps, but he encouraged a veto if Polis plans a presidential run.
  • Vinchattle provided the board with a first draft of policy AEP-MA Educational Philosophy for its review. It describes MA’s philosophy and instructional approach and emphasizes parental involvement. The policy references several supporting documents.
Above: At the April 10 School Board meeting, Executive Director Collin Vinchattle recognized the Monument Academy Gala Team—Allena Baker, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Operations Manager Jake Dicus, and Amanda Peters—for organizing a seamless event at Falcon Stadium. He highlighted the year-long planning to secure vendors and volunteers and praised their dedication to this unique tradition. The photo features, from left, board member Matt Ross, Dicus, Baker, Clinton, board member Jilinda Dygert, and board President Ryan Graham. Peters was absent. 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, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 26 and March 13 – Board returns focus to gender ideology, hears concerns about discipline enforcement

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board held a special meeting on Feb. 26 to make another resolution on gender and hear from its consultant on its educational program. At its regular meeting on March 15, the board heard a parent’s concern about discipline and approved updated policies.

Board directs review to ferret out gender ideology

Board President Ryan Graham moved to adopt a resolution recognizing only two sexes and rejecting gender ideology. The resolution reiterates that the board supports natural law, moral truth, and protecting the innocence and safety of every student at MA. It also believes that there is a clear distinction between “sex” and “gender expression” or “gender identity.”

The resolution notes that the president of the United States, on Jan. 20, signed an executive order “defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government” and “Federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology” which puts at risk federal funding to this school should policy or practice fail to recognize and honor biological sex. Another executive order, signed on Jan. 29, titled “Ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” declared the intent to eliminate federal funding for K-12 curriculum, instruction, programs, or activities in schools that even indirectly support the advancement of gender ideology or social transition of students.

Therefore, the resolution authorizes and directs the executive director (ED) to update any relevant administrative policy, procedures, facility agreements, and usage guidelines to be consistent with the knowledge that there are only two sexes and consistent with the right to privacy and security in restrooms and locker rooms and consistent with the right to fair competition in sports. It further directs that the ED ensure restrooms and locker rooms separate males and females and that males are not competing as females in sporting events and to decline to participate in sporting events when males may be competing as females for competing teams.

Graham then explained that this resolution rendered the JRT-MA Parental Rights policy null and void. The board unanimously approved the removal of this policy.

Parent Kristy Davis, who serves as vice president of the MA West PTO and serves on other MA committees and is the chapter chair for Moms for Liberty of El Paso County, expressed gratitude to MA for its continued dedication to upholding its mission statement and valuing parental rights.

Educational program update

Lis Richard of Helping Schools Thrive (HST) provided a training presentation on education principles, patterns, programs, and protection. MA hired HST in April 2024 to provide an operational audit, which resulted in a special meeting in October of the same year to share the results and to recommend that MA return to its charter foundations. See the November 2024 issue of OCN at https://wp.ocn.me/v24n11d38ma/.

Richard spoke of the seven tenets of education that MA should follow: Traditional, Classical, Character in Action, Caretakers of the language, American and Patriotic, Caretakers of the Mind, and School for the Arts. She said these are principles MA should stand on; if it didn’t, she had covered that in her audit. Richard noted that it broke her heart that MA’s secondary campus did not have a library, saying it was necessary to support a classical education with literature. She said she knew it was on MA’s radar.

She stated that the goal is to produce virtuous citizens with the ability and tools to think for themselves rather than robots who know rote memory facts. Richard said these principles are what MA should discuss rather than the lack of a gym or other things. She asserted, “There has been such a revival of classical education recently, and even Moms for Liberty and groups who stand for the past ideas of our country and embedding that into our young people—that is what all these groups are so passionate about because we have lost so much of the past.”

Richard spoke about the educational patterns that follow the principles. Referred to as trivium and assigned to grade levels since MA must conform to the public education system, she lists them as:

• Grammar—elementary school—the facts a student needs to be successful, including parts of speech, pronouns, nouns, spelling rules, and math facts.

• Logic—middle school—connecting knowledge to the world around them and engaging in narrative.

• Rhetoric—high school —thinking analytically and critically about the world, internalizing and synthesizing to determine where they might fit.

She said that MA wanted to develop an appreciation for truth, beauty, and goodness through field trips, community involvement, and literature and ideas that have stood the test of time. Libraries should not worry about the most popular contemporary author, as they may not align with MA’s principles, she said.

Richard noted that annual state assessments would monitor and measure objective standards, though MA would not teach to the standards or tests. She then described the education programs for preschool through eighth grade with its core knowledge sequence and ninth through 12th grade as a liberal arts program with vibrant leadership emphasis. She spoke of the benefits of vertical alignment.

Finally, she discussed education protection as being the responsibility of the School Board and executive director who needed to emphasize teaching how to learn rather than what to learn, ensuring teachers are held accountable for good instructional practices, keeping the target on core virtue implementation, supporting the library needs of each campus, protecting policies supporting education at MA, providing funding, and enabling annual staff training.

Discipline concerns

Justin Kaminsky, the spouse of an MA substitute teacher and the father of three MA students, said he was proud of the community and MA and what it stands for. He said that children come to MA for the fundamental purpose of transitioning them from their happy homes to the expanses of the real world. He noted that MA buildings are training centers for challenged thinking, broadening experiences, and the realization of accountability they will be held to.

In light of recent events that allege serious physical harm to students, Kaminsky stated that the majority of parents supported and encouraged discipline. There are consequences when discipline is not maintained. He urged those in charge of disciplinary hearings, including the executive director, to enforce parental expectations and honor MA’s handbook rules, which say that qualifying for expulsion includes behavior on- or off-property detrimental to the welfare or safety of students or school personnel. Likewise, he noted that the handbook says that the commission of one of these offenses, if committed by an adult, would qualify as assault under Colorado Statutes and should be direct grounds for expulsion.

Kaminsky stated that parents do not want MA to continue using resources for undue charity toward people threatening the growth and transition he alluded to earlier. He said if MA continues to hold young women and men accountable as children, they will stay children and that one day they will all hopefully be accountable men and women.

Additional policies passed

The following policies, reviewed at the Feb. 26 meeting, were brought back for a second reading on March 13 and were unanimously approved by the board:

• IJ-MA Selection of Instructional Materials and Textbook Policy and Procedures.

• IJ-MA-E Selection of Instructional Materials and Textbook Policy and Procedures.

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said the previous rubric was too broad and he had sought feedback from the community on improving the tiers.

• GBK-MA-E Staff Grievance and Conflict Resolution. This is a form to be filled out by the employee presenting the grievance.

• KE-MA Student/Family Conflict Resolution. This was formerly policy 1518B.

• KE-MA-E Student/Family Conflict Resolution. This is a form to be filled out by the complainant.

MA’s board policies can be found at http://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted MA’s registrar, Lena Gross, and assistant registrar, Amanda Bennett, for their hard work registering families for the upcoming school year. Bennett created streamlined processes, he said, supporting families with questions and making MA a welcoming place.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen highlighted January financials, showing positive income across all three schools and detailed reports for each campus and fund. She expressed optimism about receiving Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds. Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson shared that while he sought Rep. Jeff Crank’s assistance, progress with the IRS might remain slow.
  • Gustafson described the state budget as gloomy, citing voter-approved reallocation of $300 million to law enforcement without new taxes, forcing cuts in other areas. Proposed reductions include reducing enrollment averaging for schools with declining numbers, and cutting optional state grants, fifth-year programs, and homeschool enrichment funding. He plans to present a draft budget in April when there’s more clarity.
  • Board member Matt Ross shared recommendations from the West Campus School Advisory and Accountability Committee parent survey. Parents raised concerns about fifth-grade academic rigor, requested greater club involvement, and questioned the effectiveness of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. They urged the board to implement urgent text notifications and expressed strong interest in enhancing lunch options.
  • Vinchattle announced updates to the staff handbook, incorporating MA’s operational audit recommendations and details on its educational philosophy. Revisions include policy numbers, personal appearance guidelines, and field trip language. Awaiting legal review, he requested the board delay approval until the April meeting.
  • The board unanimously approved changes to the 2024-25 calendar, extending half-day Fridays in April to full days to compensate for snow days and a plumbing issue. If more days are needed, eLearning days will be considered. It also approved updates to the 2024-25 and 2025-26 calendars, finalizing the last day for staff.
  • The board unanimously approved hiring a leadership teacher and revising the secondary school administrative assistant job description. Vinchattle acknowledged he had overlooked these changes, which aim to enhance principal support.
  • The board unanimously approved an hourly payment proposal for HST to train the board and staff and evaluate MA’s progress on its audit recommendations.
  • Graham reported that the board’s legal counsel was still drafting a letter of intent to D38 for the potential purchase of the Grace Best Education Center. He noted community questions and assured that, if D38 accepted the letter, MA would have time to conduct due diligence with its inspectors.
Above: At its March 13 Monument Academy School Board meeting, board member Craig Carle spotlighted MA’s registrar, Lena Gross, and assistant registrar, Amanda Bennett (not shown), for their hard work registering families for the upcoming school year. They created streamlined processes, supported families with questions, and made MA a welcoming place, Carle said. From left in the photo are board President Ryan Graham, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Gross, Carle, and board member Jilinda Dygert. 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, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe;; for the agenda and packet, see https://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

Other Monument Academy School Board articles

Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 13 – Board expresses interest in Grace Best building

By Jackie Burhans

At the Monument Academy (MA) board meeting on Feb. 13, the board agreed to draft a letter of intent to purchase the Grace Best Education Center building. It heard an update on its Homeschool Enrichment Program, learned about a proposed aerospace program, and approved new modular buildings.

Intent to purchase Grace Best

At the beginning of its regular meeting, the board amended its agenda to add an item for “negotiations for real property” to the executive session. When the board returned from the executive session, board President Ryan Graham said the board saw an incredible opportunity to potentially partner with D38 and utilize Grace Best for some of MA’s programs. He moved that the board direct legal counsel to draft a letter of intent to purchase Grace Best and have Executive Director Collin Vinchattle contact the D38 administration team to advise it of MA’s interest.

The board unanimously passed the motion, and Graham said that MA would still have a due diligence opportunity to inspect and review the findings with Grace Best but would like to use the facility for MA programs. See the PCAC article on page < 6 >.

Homeschool enrichment program update

At the beginning of the meeting, Graham read two public comments submitted electronically from parents who praised the Monument Academy Homeschool Partnership (MAHP) program. They said it provided the opportunity to socialize, gave access to reading and math tests and field trips, and was a great supplement to homeschooling.

Vinchattle said they had been planning for 15 students in the first year of MAHP and were currently at 35 and looking to grow next year. He said MA had adjusted so it could accommodate 108 students at the K-5 grade levels. MA has been marketing at events like the school choice fair and was looking to create relationships to offer classes at small businesses. Graham said he had the opportunity to meet with Program Manager Janyse Skalla to catch up.

For more information on MA’s homeschool enrichment program, see https://www.monumentacademy.net/homeschool/.

Proposed aerospace program

Vinchattle introduced the Falcon Aerolab Program for preliminary discussion, saying that he hoped to bring a contract to the board in March. He said the program focuses on flying and aeronautical offerings such as drones, mechanics, and understanding flight. MA is looking to bring the program to high school students. More information on the program can be found at https://www.falconaerolab.org/.

Additional modulars approved

Vinchattle reviewed the opportunity to acquire up to three modular units from D20, noting they could be used for High Performance Program (HPP) students or other new or existing programs and storage for athletic or drama equipment.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson said the cost for each modular would be $1, but they would cost $15,000 to $20,000 to move and would need carpet, paint, ramps, and electricity. Vinchattle said that it had cost $120,000 to $150,000 for the infrastructure for the existing modulars but that it should be a little less for this new set.

Gustafson said portables provide schools with flexibility and that it was critical that MA could expand as it builds programs for the school. This would give new program capacity and provide temporary space during capital construction. He said that if MA refinances its bond and starts construction in summer 2025, it would take one year to 15 months to complete. MA would need space to accommodate kids since it would need additional students to pay for the debt on the bond refinancing.

Vinchattle said the work would start in the next fiscal year, and he would designate Operations Manager Jake Dicus to take the lead on the project and secure bids.

The board unanimously approved the budget to acquire and set up three modular units.

Highlights

Above: At its Feb. 13 Monument Academy School Board meeting, board member Craig Carle spotlighted MA preschool teachers and teacher assistants for recognition. A colleague nominated them, he said, saying they had worked hard to build enrollment, recently completed the annual inspection with zero violations, and were licensed by the Colorado Department of Education. Preschool teachers and assistants who received certificates included Anaya Hagger, Asha Nada, Sydney Heher, Stephanie Pontius, Brittany Robertson, Jeanette Tanguma, and Dyann Wenckus. From left in the photo are board member Karen Hoida, Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Wenckus, Robertson, Tanguma, board President Ryan Graham, and board members Jilinda Dygert and Carle. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted MA’s preschool team, including preschool teachers and assistants Anaya Hagger, Asha Nada, Sydney Heher, Stephanie Pontius, Brittany Robertson, Jeanette Tanguma, and Dyann Wenckus. Carle said a fellow staff member nominated the group, noting that the preschool had just completed its annual Colorado Department of Education licensing. He said the teachers use daily checklists and had worked hard to build enrollment, recently completing an inspection with zero violations.
  • Vinchattle said that MA was starting to run low on snow days, with only 2.5 left at secondary school. His first choice would be to transition to full days on Fridays, then to e-learning days.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen reported that net income was positive at elementary, middle, and high school.
  • Board member Jilinda Dygert reported for the East Campus School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) that MA had hosted Dr. Michael Brom, the D38 assessment coordinator, for a presentation on student assessments. Parents reported feeling more prepared to help their students prepare for a college career. She said SAAC East hopes to offer more informational nights.
  • Vice President Lindsay Clinton reported that the Resources and Development Committee was focused on the upcoming gala event, which would raise funds for a field for athletes, field day, and community events.
  • The board unanimously approved the 2025-26 school calendar and the proposed 2026-27 school calendar for preschool, elementary, and high school.
  • The board approved the BTR-MA Teacher Representative to the Board. It was renamed from policy 1515, and the reference from chief executive officer to executive director was changed. Graham asked if there were any incentives for teachers to participate; Vinchattle said no, it was optional.
  • The board unanimously approved policy JCS-MA (formerly 1523) Class Size, adding a limit of 15 students for half-day kindergarten and 18 for full-day kindergarten.
  • The board unanimously approved changing JG-MA Enrollment and Placement policy to move the cutoff date to Oct. 1 from Aug. 15 to match D38. Bryce Carlson of Miller Farmer Carlson Law, the school’s law firm, added proof of residency requirements and additional reasons for enrollment denial.
  • The board unanimously approved modifications to MA’s Bylaws in section 2.1, defining members to include each parent of a child currently enrolled in MA’s traditional brick-and-mortar program.
  • Vinchattle reported that the HPP oversight committee had met twice and was focused on better understanding but was leaning toward a flexible model that would have the opportunity to gain the greatest number of students.
  • Clinton noted that the School Board election applications would remain open until the end of March.

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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, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe;; for the agenda and packet, see https://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 6 and 9 – Board hears bond refinancing, action plan

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held a work session on Jan. 6 where it discussed bond refinancing, the proposed high-performance program, and board bylaws. At the Monument Academy (MA) regular meeting on Jan. 9, the board voted on the High-Performance Program (HPP) and heard from the executive director about his action plan.

Bond refinancing discussed

At its Jan. 6 work session, Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson reminded the board that MA has a $27.7 million balloon payment or “bullet” coming due in April 2026 for its 2019 bonds for the East Campus and that it would have to refinance that debt. Although he was initially very critical of this financing, bond underwriters told him it was a very common structure because entities are reluctant to issue 30-year bonds when unsure if a school will succeed. He said this financing structure was an industry norm, although no one anticipated that the market would go from low to high interest as it has.

Gustafson noted that the 2014 bonds cover the West Campus while the 2019 bonds cover the East Campus, and MA is required to account for them separately. Each school is responsible for its own bond. He noted that MA has a couple of alternatives.

MA could pay off the 2019 bond with a longer-term issue of up to 40 years to lower debt service. However, this would not yield much in the way of construction funds. Gustafson noted that MA’s West Campus has a lot of equity. MA could cross-collateralize and use that equity to subsidize the East Campus. MA would not have two sets of bond compliance rules, as only one bond issue would exist. He liked that idea because it fits the “One MA” notion.

MA asked the firm that initially built the East Campus to cost out a new academic wing, athletic facilities, fine arts facilities, and additional cafeteria space. Gustafson noted that the total cost would depend on what MA picked but that it could not afford everything. He said that once MA issued bonds it was locked in for 10 years and could not go back to the market for more money.

Timing-wise, Gustafson said MA was in a high-stakes game of poker and needed to hit its bond ratios as of June 30. He said MA had always had the required 45 days of cash on hand but had never hit its debt service ratios based on the East Campus’s net income. He said that the finance team has been targeting these two ratios and was on track, but MA can’t spend more money. He said it is a pass/fail test, and the budget is built to achieve that depending on the amount of fundraising from the gala and other efforts. The better MA’s financial position, the lower the interest rates would be, he said. Although the state has a moral obligation program that would guarantee the loan, MA’s finances would have to be much better to qualify.

Gustafson referred to the packet that analyzed eight scenarios with various interest rates and terms, the impact on debt service, and the number of students MA would need to add to pay the debt service. He noted that the board would have the moral obligation to pay the bondholders whether or not they have the students, even if they have to cut staff or pay. If MA were to default on the bond, he said, they would never again be able to issue bonds. He noted that MA needs 12 more kids at the West Campus, which should be no problem. He said that, depending on the amortization schedule, MA might be able to raise $25 million for construction, but its capital plan is $32 million, so it would need to come up with grants or fundraising. If MA could raise $25 million, it would need to add 213 kids to East Campus. He said the new facilities could attract kids, and they would have to do a lot of marketing. The proposed HPP could help to add kids, but they would be counted as 0.7 full-time equivalent students.

Gustafson said MA had about 13 months to pull the trigger. Interest rates should fall in the spring, and the fall audit would show whether MA had met its bond ratios. This timing would allow MA to issue bonds and begin construction to open the new facilities in August 2027, he said.

High-Performance Plan revisited

At the Jan. 6 work session, the board returned to the proposed HPP they had discussed in November. See https://wp.ocn.me/v24n12d38ma. The HPP is a program to educate students developing athletic and creative skills at the highest levels who need more flexibility.

Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov, the program’s founder, returned to provide additional information and answer questions. He felt the timing was perfect and could generate numbers to offset the additional students needed. He offered to commit to between 50 and 75 kids, depending on how committed MA is to making the program grow.

The board discussed the size of the pool of students who might be interested, the concern that this might distract from MA’s efforts to return to its charter, and the impact on teachers, among other concerns. Izboinikov said the pool was smaller than Denver but not too small. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle noted that his action plan focused on the academic vision and the curriculum, which would be the same for HPP with some added flexibility. Izboinikov said there would be a learning curve, but he didn’t see a huge spike in what teachers must do. Vinchattle said MA had foundational pieces in place and that teachers already work with the Canvas system that HPP uses and already are flexible with students who take long vacations or miss classes for athletics.

After additional discussion about whether equipment would be needed, getting feedback from teachers, the need for more portables, and adjusting the proposed agreement, the board directed Vinchattle to bring the topic back to the regular meeting with the requested information.

At the Jan. 9 regular meeting, Vinchattle said he was in favor of HPP, feeling that it would be beneficial to MA and aligned with its vision by providing a high level of education to marginalized students who, because they were pursuing their skill in one area were being limited in their education. He reported that he spoke to high school teachers who said it was work they do for all students who miss class and thought it was a neat program. They did express that science labs might take more work, as would Socratic discussions, but teachers felt they could make it work. Vinchattle noted that the program would have a liaison, and that MA would dictate how the program was structured. He said that MA would create an oversight committee and asked the board to provide direction to proceed with building the program model.

The board unanimously voted to approve the HPP direction and creation of an oversight committee.

Action plan

At its Jan. 6 work session and again on Jan. 9, the board heard from Vinchattle about his action plan to address issues raised by MA’s organizational audit. See previous articles at https://wp.ocn.me/v24n11d38ma/ and https://wp.ocn.me/v24n12d38ma.

Board President Ryan Graham said this had been in the works and had been created by Vinchattle and the leadership forum. Vinchattle noted that the leadership forum came together after the organization audit performed by Lis Richard and created an action plan with action steps. Graham said the board had discussed using this as the strategic plan and asked if it would be uploaded to the website. Vinchattle said it would be uploaded to the board page.

The board unanimously voted to approve the action plan as presented to be the strategic plan.

The strategic plan and action steps can be found https://www.monumentacademy.net/school-board/.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Jilinda Dygert reported that the School Accountability and Advisory Committee for East Campus met on Dec. 16 and discussed the parent survey, which closed on Jan. 21. The next meeting on Feb. 3 will focus on survey results and teacher evaluations. Dr. Michael Brom, Lewis-Palmer District 38 Coordinator of Assessment and Accountability, presented on Jan. 28 about the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS).
  • The board unanimously approved minor edits to its bylaws to update the title of chief operating officer to executive director and to add the Simbli platform where MA hosts its board documents as a location for record storage. MA board documents can be found at https://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.
  • The board unanimously voted to change the number of voting directors from 7 to 5, which means the board election will have one position to fill.
  • The board modified its calendar to remove a proposed retreat on Jan. 17 and set 6 p.m. as its start time for the work session on Feb. 27 at the East Campus. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton said she would start pushing out information about eligibility requirement and the application deadline.

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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, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe;; for the agenda and packet, see https://bit.ly/ma-boarddocs.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Dec. 17 – Board hears academic dashboard report

By Jackie Burhans

At the Monument Academy (MA) regular meeting on Dec. 17, the board heard an academic dashboard presentation, updated board policies, signed an agreement on career-connected learning, and discussed the mid-year budget.

Dashboard presentation

Jennifer Strawbridge of Analytical Discoveries connected remotely to present two quarters of academic dashboards. She reviewed data from the fourth quarter of the 2023-24 school year because they didn’t get to it last year, followed by the first quarter of the 2024-25 school year. She expressed appreciation to all the staff.

Strawbridge covered the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) results for first through fifth grade, indicating that the goal was to see a larger percentage of students at or above benchmarks. She noted that, even though it had plateaued, there was an improvement for fifth grade at the end of the year. She noted that third through eighth grade reading scores were much improved from the beginning of the 2023-24 school year and that math was very similar, although there was a lot of catching up to do from the COVID impact on a national basis.

She also covered the North West Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) results, looking at growth target attainment and pointing out that eighth grade looked really good.

For behavior data, the unduplicated behavior counts were too low to be publicly reportable for elementary, middle, and high school. This, she said, was reflective of a school with a strong culture of positive behavior.

For the 2024-25 school year, she reported on both DIBELS and the NWEA MAP results. Board President Ryan Graham asked about the cause for low second-grade scores. Strawbridge noted that she did not have a national comparison and that COVID would not have impacted these students, so she wasn’t exactly sure. Still, she said that the NWEA exams change in second grade from what was seen in kindergarten and first grade. She noted that behavior data was too low to be publicly reportable again.

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said there would be dashboard reports after each quarter, with testing in January and the next presentation in February. Graham asked him his opinion on reading and math scores. Vinchattle said that different issues come up. First grade will see a dip in scores due to new tests and skills. The second-grade scores indicated that focusing on reading took away from focusing on testing. He suggested that the transition between first and second grade would be an area to focus on, and the same is true at the fifth-grade level.

Board signs agreement with PPBEA

Graham introduced a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pikes Peak Business and Education Alliance (PPBEA). PPBEA provides services in the El Paso County region to work with schools by supporting career-connected learning through tools, resources, and opportunities for internships.

Vinchattle noted that providing internships was part of the original charter for high school juniors. Board member Craig Carle connected them with this resource, he said. PPBEA has partnerships with over 500 area businesses and has an intern program. The MOU was reviewed by Brad Miller, MA’s legal counsel, who had some comments on background checks and dealing with personal information.

Board member Karen Hoida asked if MA needed additional insurance; Vinchattle said students could be added to the MA’s worker compensation plan and that the businesses would also carry insurance. Vinchattle said there would be three years to investigate the details of internships for juniors. However, in the next two years, the focus would be on understanding what colleges seek regarding work experience connections and bringing community members into the school. He noted that PPBEA had partnered with Districts 11, 20, and 49 for some time.

The board unanimously approved the MOU.

Updated policies

The board considered and approved a number of policies as follows:

  • DB-MA annual budget—Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson noted that this was an approved policy with proposed additions of small contingency funds for each school, which will be reported monthly.
  • GBJA-MA disclosure of information to prospective employees—Vinchattle forwarded the policy to Bryce Carlson of the Miller Carlson law firm who rewrote the policy to indicate that MA would refrain from providing information to employers or anyone requesting teacher records as much as possible unless it was about a safety issue for students.

Monument Academy board policies can be found once they are posted at www.monumentacademy.net/school-board/ by selecting the Board Policies link.

Mid-year budget

Gustafson provided a brief presentation of the mid-year budget for approval, noting that there had been a line-by-line discussion in the previous board meeting. He said the Colorado Department of Education has lowered the per pupil revenue by $43; therefore, he reduced the projected revenue by $11,000 while increasing other fundraising and interest line items to bring the budget back in balance. Gustafson said there was still a possibility for a supplemental appropriation but was not optimistic as the state budget is tight.

Gustafson reviewed his experience with MA’s budget since he started in 2023, saying that this is a budget MA can be proud of, which is resourcing MA’s mission and taking care of students and staff.

The board unanimously approved the mid-year budget.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted Librarian Kelly Huffman and Assistant Librarian Linh Kuo for enriching the library resources available to students and staff, implementing a successful book fair with a new company, fostering a love of learning, and providing input into the new library review process meant to increase the alignment between the library and MA’s educational pursuits.
  • Vinchattle provided an updated action plan to address MA’s recent operational audit recommendations. He thanked the leadership team who helped expand the action steps, focusing on resources, barriers, timelines, and responsibilities. Graham suggested the board review the plan and bring it back to the proposed workshop and regular meetings in January.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen presented the October financials using a new template, saying the information would be posted on MA’s financial transparency page. She indicated that the Internal Revenue Service is processing the Employee Retention Tax Credit, but there is a backlog of 1 million claims. Gustafson said MA had filed a request with Rep. Doug Lamborn, who responded immediately and said he will investigate this and turn it over to incoming Rep. Jeff Crank.
  • Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton said the Curriculum East Committee had discussed the curriculum map and pacing guide.
  • Board member Matt Ross said the School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West committee held a well-attended meeting where Polen presented a budget update and Operations Manager Jake Dicus presented on security.
  • Board member Jilinda Dygert said that SAAC East met to finalize the mid-year survey questions, noting there would only be one survey this year, which will be distributed electronically.
  • Clinton reported that the Resource and Development Committee was moving full steam ahead with gala planning and marketing. Sponsors are confirmed, and ticket sales are going up, she said. She also noted that Dicus was spending a lot of time researching grants.
Above: At the December board meeting, Craig Carle highlighted Monument Academy Librarian Kelly Huffman, along with the Librarian Assistant Linh Kuo, for providing enriching resources, fostering a love of learning, spearheading a new book sale, and providing input to a library review policy that helped align the library with MA’s educational goals. Top row, from left: board members Matt Ross and Karen Hoida, Kuo, Huffman, board President Ryan Graham, Vice President Lindsay Clinton. Kneeling in the front row, from left, are board member Jilinda Dygert and Carle. 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 board workshop will be on Monday, Jan. 6, at 4 p.m. at the East Campus. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Nov. 18 and 21 – Board responds to organization audit

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board held two meetings in November. Its first meeting on Nov. 18 consisted solely of an executive session for legal advice regarding matters related to contract compliance, policies, and human resources matters regarding administrator roles and responsibilities of school and central office leaders. No action was taken on return from the executive session.

At its regular meeting on Nov. 21, the board set the context of its organization audit, heard a more detailed presentation, and discussed the executive director’s action plan. The board also listened to a proposal for a proposed high-performance program.

Above: At the November board meeting, Craig Carle highlighted Monument Academy’s cross-country team, led by coaches Tom Eller and Cathy Owen, for its accomplishments at the 2A State Meet, where the team placed 18th of 20 teams who competed. Carle read a letter from Athletic Director Mike Svendsen, who noted that with 83 teams within the state, MA is in the top 20% of 2A schools. Carle read out of a list of cross-country team members, highlighting Matthew Start, who placed third and was named to the 2A all-state team; Joseph Beck, the lone cross-country runner in his freshman season; and Sharon Krein, the lone female member of the team. Top row, from left: board Vice President Lindsay Clinton, Matthew Start, Jace Greer, Levi Deniston, Ethan Reardon, coach Tom Eller, board member Karen Hoida, and board President Ryan Graham. Bottom row, from left: board member Jilinda Dygert, Thomas Rauschenberg, Sharon Krein, Josh Deniston, Joseph Beck, and board member Craig Carle. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Organizational audit context

Board President Ryan Graham read a prepared narrative explaining that after hiring Collin Vinchattle as executive director (ED) in May of this year, the MA board contracted with Helping Schools Thrive LLC (HST) to provide an extensive audit of the school’s academics, operations, and governance based on the school’s charter and philosophy documents.

The goal, he said, was to help the board and the ED to have a clear understanding of where the school finds success and to identify areas to improve. This information is invaluable to creating a strategic plan, and it’s worth noting, he said, that placing blame has never been the focus or goal of this audit.

He quoted Jim Collins, author of From Good to Great, saying the difference comes from avoiding complacency and loss of identity and instead remaining laser-focused on an organization’s foundational core or center. Graham noted that MA’s academic and philosophical components were, in essence, its constitution as described in its charter application. The documents put forth MA’s values and distinguishing attributes; all MA policies and practices should stem from it, he said. As a result of the audit, MA has a call to action, Graham said.

He said that moving forward, MA’s goal is to realign the school in every way with its foundational academic and philosophical components. Graham noted that MA will re-establish and maintain proper order within its organization, ensuring that any proposed changes are supported by the direction outlined in its charter and that current practices not in alignment will be removed. He acknowledged that MA has seen at least nine turnovers in top leadership positions in the past seven years, which has caused unease, confusion, a lack of consistency, and a lack of trust.

Graham acknowledged the need for a renewed focus on academic achievement and philosophical alignment, which the board had not clearly understood. There has been a sense of the “tyranny of the urgent” in recent years with a focus on protecting MA from legislative attacks as well as financial burdens, Graham claimed.

Graham declared that MA would achieve a charter and educational philosophy alignment on both campuses, prioritize academic achievement and excellence, and return to clearly defining what distinguishes and makes MA different. MA will build a culture of trust and leadership, he said, focusing on measures to retain and build on its current and future student body and bring clarity and simplicity back to MA’s traditional and classical approach. Graham said that MA is in a solid and stable position as it approaches its 30th year but has the potential to achieve excellence. He thanked everyone who participated in the audit.

Detailed organizational audit

Graham then introduced Lis Richard, lead consultant for HST, and reviewed her extensive experience in education. Richard, who previously served as the principal of Monument Academy, was chosen, Graham said, because of her background and knowledge of MA.

At a special meeting on Oct. 24, Richard delivered a summary of her internal review audit. See https://wp.ocn.me/v24n11d38ma/ for more information.

Richard thanked the board, noting that it had had comfortable and uncomfortable discussions. She said the board had genuine hearts and a deep desire to understand. She gave kudos to Vinchattle, who she called a special leader, and expressed gratitude that the board picked a leader from within. Richard said she would cover history, lessons learned, and the purpose of the audit and then delve into academics, operations, and governance, ending with concluding remarks.

MA was started in 1995 by a group of parents. It had humble beginnings and a pioneer spirit, Richard noted. Over time, MA moved from a dentist-owned building to its West Campus and added clubs, sports, football, cheerleading, dance, drama, and orchestra. Those were exciting times, and enrollment kept moving forward. She said what was unique about MA was parent participation, input, and trust. The curriculum was the choice of the school rather than the district, and MA chose the Core Knowledge (CK) sequence with an emphasis on core virtues. There were high expectations for students and staff, class size was small, and student achievement was notably higher than MA’s counterparts, Richard recalled.

Regarding lessons learned, Richard said that a great education does not require first-class facilities or new textbooks. She said that magic happens in the classroom with the right curriculum, teaching method, and relationships at home. It requires that staff have ongoing professional development that excites and energizes them in the mission and philosophy, she said. Success brings hope, and hope brings new students, Richard said. She noted that MA had some wonderful leaders but has struggled with leadership turnover that is higher than the state average. She said that the charter environment is very challenging and underpaid.

Richard said the audit aimed to examine academics, operations, and governance, comparing current practices and policies to the original intent of the charter and philosophy documents and offering the board and leadership some tangible reflection and resources. In addition to Richard, the audit team included HST employee Barbara Montoya as the evaluator on site and Andy Franko of the Minga Education Group who focused on operations.

For academics, Richard focused on philosophy, instructional policies, curriculum, and discipline. She reiterated that staff and leadership have only a basic understanding of MA’s philosophy and did not receive annual training. Grades 6 through 12 have a core method of instructional practice, and teachers are evaluated and expected to improve. High school staff are new to the program, and elementary school is in the adoption phase. For curriculum, her greatest area of concern was pre-kindergarten through fifth grade where many supplemental materials do not align with CK. There is strong CK implementation at the secondary level, she said, but the arts program could better follow the CK sequence and needs more budgetary support.

There is no annual training on CK for new teachers and leadership, she noted. For discipline, MA has adopted Capturing Kids Hearts, which has the support of school leadership, but it is not fully supported by all staff, and parents question its effectiveness.

Richard touched on teacher support, student achievement, and character development. Teacher support is critical to retention, professional development is lacking, teaching teams are functional but siloed, and there is no solid method for teacher improvement and ongoing coaching, she said. It is a work in progress, she said, noting that there is no instructional coaching and that while collegiality and teamwork are great, teachers do not make enough money, earning 20% less than their peers. For student achievement, Richard recommended student assessments be given once students are admitted and given to their incoming teacher. She said there is no accountability method for using assessment data with students and parents, and its purpose is unclear in preschool.

MA’s elementary school is no longer competitive with other district schools, but they are working on it, she noted. The middle school is in the upper quadrant of success but has room to improve, while the high school has performed very well in the few years it has existed.

Finally, while character development was called out as MA’s most distinguishing trait, Richard noted that most schools have a program for this. MA uses Character First in elementary school, while the secondary school has the Peak System (like Harry Potter houses) to build camaraderie and uses the Leadworthy program from Capturing Kids Hearts. It would benefit all stakeholders to see the character of the month, have parent resources posted online, and have a method of accountability for teacher implementation, she said.

Concerning Operations, Richard reported that MA has more than adequate space for Pre-K through fifth grade, with lots of empty, unused space at the West Campus. Space is needed at the secondary level. MA should consider staffing for kindergarten support, fine arts at the secondary level, and content-specific teachers at the high school. Class size needs to be addressed, especially in kindergarten and core classes; MA is very aware of this and is working on it, she said. Richard noted that Monument and Palmer Lake saw a 67% population growth from 2010 to 2021, while MA saw a 34.5% increase in those 10 years primarily by adding more grades. However, the average grade size had dipped. Adding grades also adds expenses in teachers, infrastructure, and debt, she noted.

Richard encouraged parents to support staff as they focus on MA’s foundations and move from good to excellent. She said MA is on a path to becoming the best school in the state. All stakeholders should learn to articulate MA’s programs, philosophy, and core virtues, she said. Richard recommended that MA focus on enrollment, highlight MA’s distinguishing traits, and stabilize its leadership.

Governance is about the board, Richard noted, saying that the board is made up of parents who are dedicated to the success of the school. They are willing to learn and have been doing their best, she said. Richard said that when she left MA, she left thumb drives and notebooks with information, but her mistake was not getting the school philosophy into policy. She said board responsibilities should be reviewed annually, new member training should be consistent, and the board needs a better understanding of governing by policy and setting direction. She noted that specific policies need addressing, and there should be a standard procedure for reviewing policies, which is underway. An academic philosophy policy that includes penmanship is needed, and teacher representatives to the board should be inducted, she said. The board is firmly committed to stabilizing the right leadership, which is now in place, Richard said.

Overall, Richard noted that academics has some red (bad), governance has a little red, and operations is green (good) and yellow (needs work). The MA board is aware of the audit results and is working on addressing all the issues, she said. The next steps are in place. She encouraged the stakeholders to tap into the pioneer spirit and support all efforts to move forward.

Executive director action plan

Vinchattle thanked HST and all who participated in the audit. He provided a preliminary action plan to the board for approval, changes, and adjustments. He proposed that 12 stakeholders, staff, parents, administrators, and student advisors meet in early December to create action steps, which he will bring to the board. The initial focus would be on educational philosophy and implementing policies to inform training and curriculum decisions, he said.

The board expressed support for the audit and for MA’s leadership and unanimously approved tonight’s action steps and directed Vinchattle to present the final action plan in December.

High performance program described

Franko, who, through his company Minga Education Group, provides services to charters and the choice sector, introduced Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov as instrumental in founding and developing the High Performance Program (HPP). The program started in D49 in the Springs Studio for Academic Excellence (SSAE), a blended learning environment. SSAE offers HPP, a hybrid program to educate students developing athletic and creative skills at the highest level. Izboinikov serves as the program coordinator. For more information, see https://ssae.d49.org/school-info/high-performance-program-hpp.

Franko explained that HPP is looking to expand into brick-and-mortar schools and that MA has some unique characteristics that make this an opportune time to consider the program. HPP shares its name with a program at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) program that provides resources and funding to national sports governing bodies to ensure competitiveness.

Franko said new opportunities within Colorado public education funding allow for an alternative instruction model. This allows the school to provide online or hybrid education without going to the state Board of Education to achieve multi- or single-district online certifications. Franko said Vinchattle noted that several students at MA fit this model.

Franko proposed developing the program by working with organizations like USA Wrestling, USA Boxing, USA Hockey, and others to bring whole teams into it. MA is unique, he said, because the Tri-Lakes area has many club sports and different opportunities for students to achieve at a high level, requiring a lot of travel and training during the school day.

He said his organization, Izboinikov, and an implementation specialist would work with MA’s team to develop the program. He noted there is room for increased enrollment but a need to be flexible with the space in the school. Students in the HPP program would not have the same space obligations as a typical student. He said he had met with the Daniels Fund, a state-based nonprofit that provides opportunities for public education and amateur sports, and it is interested in partnering on this. Franko said they are seeking funding from Daniels to incubate this program at brick-and-mortar schools.

Board member Karen Hoida wondered how HPP might impact MA’s direction of realigning its curriculum to its charter. Franko said the goal is to provide the same core instruction in an alternative structure. Hoida also asked if Minga Education Group would get 10% of the per pupil revenue (PPR) for 50 students even if they only enrolled two or three. Franko said they would only get 10% of the PPR for enrolled students and confirmed that HPP students would be funded at 100% of PPR.

Board member Jilinda Dygert asked what age ranges were covered. Franko said the program doesn’t work well at the elementary level and can work at middle school, but he expects the demand to be at the high school level.

Graham expressed concern that this not add to the current teacher workload. Franko said he identified the need for on-site staffing and the cost of facilitating the program. The director role and the implementation specialist would work with the leadership team. The director would work with partner programs. These positions would be funded via the 10% of PPR.

Board member Craig Carle asked if MA could limit the number of kids accepted into the program if MA runs into space limitations. Franko said there would be lots of flexibility, and the focus would be on partners looking for organizations close to where they are training. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton asked if Minga’s staff would also attend training in MA’s philosophy. Franko said the goal is to work closely with staff to understand the academic piece.

Graham noted that the intent was not to take action but to get consensus on whether the board would ask Vinchattle and Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson to look into this going forward. Hoida expressed concern that with all the changes MA was trying to implement, this might burden the already stressed system too much. Vinchattle acknowledged that it could be additional stress or an opportunity to bring the program in and grow together. Graham directed Vinchattle and Gustafson to explore this and bring information back in December or January.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Finance Director Laura Polen congratulated Registrar Lena Gross on winning her arbitration over two students in the October count, reducing MA from 5.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) students under budget to 2.5 FTE, thus preserving some PPR revenue.
  • Vinchattle acknowledged MA’s efforts in the Harvest of Love event, collecting food and money for Tri-Lakes Cares. He thanked families for contributing and showing why MA is a special place.
  • Gustafson led the discussion on the mid-year fiscal year 2024-25 budget, with a vote to come in December. There was a net income increase of $300,000, including increases in PPR, fundraising, gala, Colorado Gives campaign, athletic gate receipts, and decreases in interest and special education funding. Expenses were increased for professional development, consulting fees, bond expenses, building insurance, and initial funding of contingency reserves. Savings came from the custodial contract, parking lot, and copy machine leases. He added some money. He also added money to cover the costs of recommendations from the organization audit. Total changes netted out to $16,000, he said.
  • The board unanimously approved policy GC-MA Professional staff, reflecting that MA has year-to-year contracts rather than the traditional three-year probational periods done at most schools.
  • The board unanimously approved policy GBJ-NA Personnel Records and Files, which discusses the records needed for classified and unclassified staff and which parts of those files can be viewed publicly.

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The MA School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The December meeting has been moved. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Oct. 17 and 24 – Board hears financial audit, improvement plan, internal review

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board held two meetings in October. In its first meeting on the 17th, the board heard its financial audit, unified improvement plan, and October enrollment count report. It passed several policies.

At its second meeting on the 24th, the board heard an internal school review audit from a consulting firm and entered an executive session to discuss possible actions.

Financial audit

Tom Sistare of Hoelting & Co. Inc., MA’s audit firm, dialed in to remotely present a summary of the financial audit presentation, giving MA an unmodified or clean opinion. Sistare said his team had been on-site in July testing internal controls and believes MA’s financial statements are presented fairly.

He said the audit covers both fund statements, which are how the school keeps its books on a day-to-day basis, as well as government-wide statements that roll all funds together and add capital assets, debt, and other liabilities.

In the government-wide statement, the statement of net position is the balance sheet for the entire school, Sistare said, indicating that cash and investments were up, capital assets decreased due to depreciation, and grants receivables were down due to fewer grants being available. The long-term liability is $55.5 million with a $39.1 million loan balance. MA paid $922,000 in debt service through the building corporation fund which manages the bonds for the West Campus and has $16.2 million in liability due to the Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) unfunded liabilities. MA’s net position decreased by $798,000 primarily due to PERA.

For the fund statements, Sistare said the ratio of ending general fund balance to total expenditures for the year was similar to last year, maintaining a balance equal to 80 days of expenditures. For the current year’s activities, he said local revenues increased due to increases in donations and state per pupil revenue. Federal revenue fell as COVID grants wound down. Revenue was up about 4% with expenditures up 5% with a resulting $243,000 increase in fund balance. This compares favorably with a budgeted $790,000 decrease in fund balance. Sistare concluded by saying there were no findings of deficiencies on internal controls or other areas.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson added a three-year high-level comparison. He noted that for government agencies MA uses full accrual, while for day-to-day purposes it uses a modified accrual. Over three years, Gustafson said, the general fund revenues increased from $10.8 to $13.8 million due to School Finance Act revenue or per pupil revenue (PPR) while enrollment has been flat. Expenditures have grown due to hiring and raises, but the difference has gone from a $131,000 loss to a $243,000 profit. MA is trying to come into full compliance with its bond covenants, he said, and ending fund balance, which is the reserve, has increased by $653,000, which is a good position for a bond refinance.

The preschool fund had a small loss, but MA has made changes to bring it back to financial stability. It drew down the balance from $99,000 to $66,000. The building corporation and the foundation funds handle the bonds for the West and East Campus respectively and function with a fairly straight flow through from the state’s intercept program. Bank balances are invested aggressively and have seen good interest returns. Finally, the Student Activity Fund totals $125,000, has had a lot of cleanup, and is used only for Student Council expenses. He said he was very pleased with Hoelting, a local firm that has done a lot of work with charter schools.

Non-financial audit summarized

At a special meeting on Oct. 24, Lis Richard of Helping Schools Thrive LLC (HST) delivered a summary of her internal review audit which she emphasized was focused on academic, operational, and governance review rather than a financial audit. A more detailed presentation will be presented at the Nov. 21 meeting.

Richard, who served as MA’s principal until 2017, said her objective was to compare current practices and policies with the original intent of the school charter and philosophy documents and offer the board and leadership some tangible reflection and resources. For her summary, she focused on academics, philosophy, and student achievement.

For philosophy, she said PK-12 staff has only a basic understanding of the philosophy of MA and that no one could give an elevator speech explaining it. The foundational principles, practices, and virtues are not trained annually nor understood by leadership, which she found concerning. Understanding philosophy could aid in ensuring that it is a pillar of practice, she said.

Her greatest area of concern was that PK-5 did not have a solid curriculum direction and had too many supplemental materials that do not follow Core Knowledge (CK) practices. There is a strong implementation of core subjects in secondary school, which was a stellar start, she said while noting that the arts curriculum could better follow the CK sequence and work to support interdisciplinary practices. CK is spiraling and vertically aligned, Richard said. Training on curriculum is lacking for staff and leaders, she said.

Regarding student achievement, she said there are no current methods for new student assessment, which would be a good practice to provide to teachers. The assessment data has fallen to lead teachers or administration and is not used as a method of accountability for instruction and utilization with students and parents. The purpose of assessment is not clear in PK, Richard said, and MA’s elementary schools are no longer competitive with other district schools. There is a spirit of “That may be OK,” she added. Middle school achievement is in the upper quadrant but has room to improve, she said, and it was encouraging that the high school has performed well in its few years of existence.

In respect to operations, Richard said there is adequate room for PK-5, but that obviously the secondary school needs more room. Documentation of standard operating procedures are in progress, she said, and handbooks need to become cohesive across the campuses. Graduation requirements meet statutes. Enrollment has remained stable but does not reflect growth, Richard noted, displaying a screen show depicting that the Tri-Lakes area from 2010 to 2021 had grown 50%. MA’s enrollment trends show the highest growth when the school expanded to K-8 and had a large class size in 2018, after which class sizes started to go down.

This year is the lowest class size since 2013, she said. Population in the Tri-Lakes area has increased by 67% while class size at MA has dipped 7%, she said, with enrollment increases being due to adding grades. D38 saw a growth of 9% over that same time frame, she said. With an increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) students, there has been an increase in staff and debt. The greatest need for sustainability in the future is to increase student enrollment, Richard stated.

On governance, she noted that MA board members are parents dedicated to the current and future success of the school. Board roles and responsibilities should be reviewed annually, and new member training should be consistent, she said. The board needs a better understanding of governing by policy and setting direction. She noted that the board had begun reviewing policies and said that an academic policy is needed that includes penmanship. Teacher representatives should be inducted as was done in the past, Richard advised.

Overall, Richard gave academics a mixed score of green, yellow, and red while operations was mostly green with some yellow and governance was 1/3 green with the rest mostly yellow and just a little red. She recommended that leadership identify an action plan, involve staff, and establish a timeline, saying that HST has a system for developing an excellent school and could return for quarterly benchmarks or annual reviews.

The board went into executive session for one hour for advice on specific legal matters regarding the external audit report and for discussion of personnel matters arising from the report. Upon returning, it took no action.

Unified Improvement Plan

East Campus Principal Angela Duca presented a draft of MA’s secondary school Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) for the board’s approval at its Oct. 10 meeting. The intent, she said, is to create goals based on student data as required by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The process began by attending a workshop with D38 and analyzing the data from the school performance framework to inform academic goals. By evaluating the SPF, NWEA, and Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) data, MA identified the need to improve math growth in middle and high schools. The principals met to determine priorities and challenges.

For middle school, there has been a high turnover of math teachers and therefore inconsistent implementation of curriculum Duca said. She said the major strategies to improve include teacher retention and data-informed instruction. MA plans to use mentor teachers throughout the school year and provide support through frequent check-ins and monthly instruction and revised teacher training. MA will partner with colleges to recruit highly effective teachers, and math teachers will work together to create vertically aligned curriculum.

For high school, schedule constraints and lack of access to student data before the school year mean that instruction was not tailored to student needs, Duca said. The root focus is limited math programs and placing students in the right class. MA will implement data-informed instruction and work to vertically align curriculum and content. Duca said MA will use PSAT and NSMQT scores to help and will re-evaluate its math placement tests. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle had a 13% teacher loss rate, which sounds high but is about average, she said.

Elementary Principal Kurt Walker said West Campus improved by 18 points, moving from an “improvement” to a “performance” category, which is the highest category. The school rose in all areas except for math growth where scores went down, as did all D38 elementary schools, he said. Last year’s UIP goals were two-year goals, he said, so they would continue with those. They focused so much on English and Language Arts that they neglected math. The West campus started trainings on data analysis of the math scores and had a professional development session with both campuses, which opened his eyes to what was missing, he said.

The board unanimously approved the UIP plans for MA elementary and secondary schools. The plans go to D38 to be approved and sent to the state.

October count presentation

Registrar Lena Gross presented on the final enrollment after the October count. She explained that the October count encompasses Tuesday, Sept. 24 to Tuesday, Oct 8. If a student is absent on Oct.1, the official count day, MA could review the attendance record to prove a student was in attendance for five consecutive days before or after. If that wasn’t possible, MA gathered letters on extenuating circumstances from parents or letters from teachers affirm their attendance. The following week, MA was scheduled to present its numbers to D38 for submission to the CDE.

Gross explained that the homeschool partnership had 30 students, who are counted as half of a student for a total of 15 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. West Campus was just under the budget projection of 546 at 544.5 FTE including half-day students. East Campus was seven below the projection of 547. Middle school was budgeted for 407 and had 408 while high school was budgeted for 140 students and had 132. Overall FTE is 1099.6, which is 3.9 under the budgeted target of 1103.5.

Gross said it was possible that MA would be entering arbitration and was under discussion with two other districts about two students. This would bring the final FTE to 1097.6, but MA won’t know the final CDE determination until December.

There were a lot of additions and withdrawals during the October count, Gross said, with West Campus growing by two but then losing seven, and East Campus growing by one and losing seven. She said MA had been in touch with families who left and sent them exit interviews to capture as much data as possible to understand their reasons for leaving. Gross noted that last year about 26% of K-12 students resided outside of the district, and that had increased to 27% this year with more districts being represented in MA’s population. Gross said MA would use that data to inform its marketing strategy going forward.

Gross said that MA had held its first Community Connections night at its West Campus and were encouraged that several families attended. The team was hard at work planning events for the upcoming enrollment season including moving students to middle and high school, she said.

Policy updates

The MA board unanimously adopted and updated several policies at its Oct. regular meeting:

  • KECL-MA Library Policy – As discussed in previous meetings.
  • GBGG-MA Staff Leave – Explains types of leave and how it can be used.
  • GBGH-MA Sick Leave Bank – Placeholder as MA does not have a sick leave bank.
  • GBGH-R-MA Sick Leave Bank Regulation – Placeholder as above.
  • GBGI-MA Staff Military Leave – Updated to reference executive director.
  • GBGJ-MA Staff Bereavement Leave – Through paid or sick leave, not separate.
  • GBGK-MA Staff Legal Leave – Standard modified to suit MA.

Board President Ryan Graham said he was grateful to have a library policy in place and that, if revisions are identified during implementation, it can be brought back to the board. Board policies can be found on the MA website at http://bit.ly/ma-boe by selecting Board Policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Graham spotlighted outgoing West Campus school resource officer (SRO) Dustin Williams. He expressed gratitude for Williams ensuring safety while building impactful and heartfelt relationships.
  • Vinchattle reported that the field fundraising campaign had raised over $70,000 so far.
  • Gustafson said there was a $68,000 loss in August due to upfront expenses, but that year-to-date MA is $285,000 ahead with $3.5 million in the bank and investment accounts. Finances are looking good, and he feels MA has turned the corner.
  • Graham reported that, with MA’s completion of its recirculation construction, parents should sign up for project updates by emailing hwy105aconstruction@gmail.com.
  • Board member Matt Ross and Vice President Lindsay Clinton reported for their respective campus curriculum committees that both are looking to focus on vertical alignment after they get the results of the school audit due in November.
  • Ross and board member Jilinda Dygert reported for their respective campus School Accountability and Advisory Committees (SAAC) that they were working on an annual parent survey. Dygert said the East Campus SAAC is focused on providing support on the UIP and asked that input on direction, board priorities, goals, and survey topics be emailed to saacsecondary@monumentacademy.net or communicated to Vinchattle. She asked that parents consider volunteering for lunch duty and car line to free up teachers’ time.
  • The board unanimously agreed to modify its Integrity Bank signature cards due to the departure of MA’s business manager Diane Smith. They removed Smith and added Finance Assistant Dawn Bartlett, who has agreed to pitch in, picking up the financial slack in addition to her human resources duties.
  • The board unanimously approved changing its November meeting from the 14th to the 21st so consultant Lis Richard can present the full non-financial audit.
  • The next district Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) will be held at MA’s East Campus on Nov. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m., with an optional tour starting at 5:30 p.m.
Above: At the Oct. 17 Monument Academy school board meeting, board President Ryan Graham spotlighted outgoing West Campus School Resource Officer (SRO) Dustin Williams. Graham is on the left, with Williams on the right. 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 November meeting has been moved to accommodate a detailed school audit presentation. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other D38 Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Sept. 12 – Board discusses parental review of library materials, adopts management system

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board met on Sept. 12 to discuss its library materials parental review policy and adopt a new board management system. The board also heard a citizen comment on discipline, updated several policies, and spotlighted a teacher for her engaging and innovative lessons.

Library materials parental review policy

The board returned to discussing its policy KECL on parental review of library materials. Board member Karen Hoida said the Governance Committee had made some changes and wanted to discuss some new proposals that would allow more books to stay on shelves. She noted that the committee had received a lot of public comments, and many of the changes were related to those. Board member Jilinda Dygert said the review form and process were not yet available.

Board President Ryan Graham asked what a reasonable amount of time it would take for the Review Committee to review a book that a parent suggested. Dygert said it would depend on how often the committee meets. Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said the length would depend on how many books were submitted for review.

Dygert said that parents could volunteer for a two-year term on the Review Committee without a specified term limit as long as their kids were in school. Graham noted that the policy says parent members are appointed by Vinchattle, asking if they would have to be re-approved for an additional term. Vinchattle noted that many people are interested in the committee, saying he would have to work out the process.

Dygert added that the Governance Committee had removed item 22 because the library system cannot notify parents as their child checks out books. She said the librarian can show parents how to access the system and see their child’s checkout history. The librarian can also add a note if the parent prefers their child not access the library.

Graham said he wanted a summary of the parental feedback before approving the policy. He expressed concern that a book could not be challenged for five years and that limiting the number of books parents could challenge would limit their voice. He proposed that the board delay this approval until next month and have the opportunity to react to a redline version of the policy that shows its changes. Hoida and Dygert agreed to the delay with Hoida specifying that MA has a wonderful librarian, and she does not anticipate a large influx of books to review.

New board management system

Vinchattle and Vice President Lindsay Clinton reported that they had reviewed three options and preferred Simbli Board Management Software to help manage meetings, policies, and board documents. Vinchattle said all this information is currently on the board website but is not very well organized or easy to manage. Simbli would also host other essential documents, such as MA’s original charter and its latest charter agreement with the district. Clinton cited its security, organization, and efficiency, saying that staff and parents could find everything in one spot.

Vinchattle said that the software has different modules with different pricing. The company would prorate the costs and offer a 25% discount if purchased in September. He suggested using available funds for board professional development for this purchase.

Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson confirmed that funds were available for professional development and technology. He said he came from an environment with a robust board management system and felt this was a great investment.

The board unanimously approved purchasing the Simbli meetings, policies, and documents modules. For more information on Simbli, see www.eboardsolutions.com.

Citizen comment on discipline

A parent spoke, first thanking the board and school for their efforts, about a growing concern with school discipline, especially the difference between West and East Campus. He said parents were aware of physical altercations involving teachers, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers. He noted that children knew the limits of discipline and consequences of breaking the rules and that he knew certain teachers who felt helpless.

He said that as a parent, it’s unnerving to know that children may be entering situations where adult intervention does not solve the problem. He said he wasn’t looking for strictness or authoritarianism, but if there was any decision-maker concerned about the impact on budgets or lawsuits, the school should know it had the support of parents whose kids wanted to attend the school.

He pointed out that losing one child because of discipline meant the loss of one child’s funding, but not defending the other children could result in losing the other 22 students. He noted that homeschooling had become much easier since COVID-19 but asked what parents could do better in their homes to align with classroom expectations.

Graham said he would share the parent’s email with Vinchattle to follow up.

Policy updates

The MA board unanimously adopted and updated several policies at the regular meeting. Vinchattle said new policies were adopted so they could be modified to fit MA. Hoida said any legal questions were brought to counsel for review. She said the Governance Committee would bring five policies to each monthly board meeting:

  • GBEB-MA Staff Conduct – new policy concerning rules of conduct.
  • GBGA-MA Staff Heath – speaks to how MA would cover the cost of required special physical exams.
  • GBGA-R-MA Staff Health regulation – placeholder in case MA wants to vary from the district policy.
  • GDE/GDF-MA Support Staff Recruiting/Hiring – minor edit on hiring guidelines such as non-discrimination and finalization.
  • GDE/GDF-R-MA Support Staff Recruiting/Hiring regulation – covers procedures for hiring, including background checks, credit reports, fingerprinting, and state reporting.

Board policies can be found on the MA website at http://bit.ly/ma-boe by selecting Board Policies.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted eighth-grade history teacher Casey Heinbuch for creating engaging lessons and finding an opportunity to work with the El Paso County judicial system for students to participate in a mock trial.
  • Vinchattle said he had received the school performance framework for both schools and congratulated principals and teachers for increasing the schools’ ratings.
  • Vinchattle read a letter that was sent out to parents kicking off fundraising for a new field with a track to enhance students’ athletic experience. Families are invited to participate in fundraising; the initial goal is $100,000 to win a matching grant from the Daniels Fund. The initial bid totals $3.5 million broken out as $1.5 million for the field, $500,000 for the track and another $1.5 million for concessions, lights, and stands.
  • The board unanimously approved awarding a contract to Abacas LLC for accounts payable processing as requested by Gustafson, who noted that MA’s business manager would be retiring at the end of the month.
  • Vinchattle asked the board if there was additional information it wanted to ask in the Student Accountability Advisory Committee (SAAC) surveys. Vice President Lindsay Clinton suggested asking how parents feel about fundraising efforts and how they prefer to give.
  • Dygert suggested a combined presentation to East and West Campus SAACs on the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP). She said the two SAACs could review their bylaws separately and come together to make modifications, or they could do that in the reverse order.
  • The board unanimously agreed to revise the staff handbook to specify that classroom displays and decorations must have a connection to the curriculum or content of the coursework being taught. Any potentially divisive material must have a curricular purpose, be balanced, and be approved by an administrator in advance.
  • Vinchattle asked the board to perform its yearly review of the Emergency Operating Procedures and provide feedback, noting that it had minor modifications around school resource officers and the Fire Department.
  • The board approved a special meeting on Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to have consultant Lis Richard of Helping Schools Thrive present to the board.
  • The board held a short executive session to discuss specialized details of security arrangements and returned without acting.
Above: At the Sept. 12 MA board meeting, board member Craig Carle, right, spotlighted eighth-grade history teacher Casey Heinbuch for her engaging and innovative teaching methods. 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, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Aug. 8, 16, and 29 – Board sets non-legal name change policy

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board held one regular meeting and two special meetings in August. At its regular meeting on Aug. 8, the board discussed non-legal name changes, reviewed a proposed library policy, and accepted a board resignation. At its online special meeting on Aug. 16, the board met to discuss its charter contract with D38, which was subsequently approved by the district at its Aug. 29 meeting. See D38 board article on page < 12 >.

Finally, at its online special meeting on Aug. 29, the board authorized President Ryan Graham to execute documents related to acquisition of property next to its West Campus to be used for a parking lot.

Non-legal name change

Graham noted that MA must comply with recently passed legislation he disagrees with, known as HB24-1039 Non-Legal Name Changes. He noted that section five says that a local education provider shall implement a written policy outlining how [it] will honor a student’s request to use a chosen name and may include a process for including [that] on school records while complying with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974.

The law defines “chosen name” as any name that a student requests to be known as that differs from the student’s legal name to reflect the student’s gender identity. Graham said that MA’s policy, JNR-MA Non-Legal Name Change for Students, would ensure that parents are included. The corresponding regulation, JNR-R, lays out the procedure for appealing to the executive director should the name change be denied and includes a notice of nondiscrimination.

Executive Director Colin Vinchattle said he had communicated with the administrative team regarding this policy and that the regulation would be included in the student handbook so families would have access. Board member Matt Ross noted that the policy limited name changes to once per semester and required that students have the mental capacity and intent to forgo their legal name. Vinchattle said School District 11 had had an enormous number of name changes that impacted staff and that any concerns about capacity would require communication with the legal team.

The board unanimously approved these new policies, which can be found on the MA website at http://bit.ly/ma-policies. Read the House bill at https://bit.ly/co-hb24-1039.

Library policy

Board member Karen Hoida led the discussion of the new policy KECL Library Materials Parental Review, noting that a draft was in the board packet. The policy briefly outlines the process for reviewing library materials if a parent or legal guardian of a current MA student has an objection or concern. She said the librarian would make a review form available.

Materials would be removed from shelves or blocked while under review by a Library Review Committee (LRC). The LRC would consist of three parents or legal guardians of a current student (excluding board members) and serve a two-year term. One teacher of the appropriate grade level and one appointed administration member would also serve on the committee. The LRC would report to the board.

Parents and legal guardians may submit no more than three requests for review; after a book is reviewed, it will not be reviewed again for five years. The MA board also reserves the right to exclude books, magazines, or other papers they deem inappropriate.

Graham asked the board to take time to review the policy, send comments to Vinchattle, and be prepared to take action at the September meeting.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Emily Belisle resigned because her family is moving out of state. She thanked the board, staff, teachers, and parents, saying that representing them was an honor. The board unanimously agreed to run as a six-member board rather than replace Belisle and reorganized its board duties and committee memberships.
  • The board unanimously approved the East and West Campus Student/Parent Handbooks with minor edits to the bullying policy and parent communication.
  • The board approved the Athletic Handbook for Middle School and High School.
  • Vinchattle reported that Operations Manager Jake Dicus had recommended purchase of wireless microphones, an easily managed video recorder, and a visual board per the approved budget.
  • Vinchattle led a discussion about the new position of major gifts officer, noting the pros and cons of incentive-based, salaried, or hybrid compensation models. The position would report to the Dicus, as they both work on fundraising. The board asked Vinchattle to return with a tiered approach to compensation and a detailed description of the job duties to be voted on at the September meeting.
  • The board set its board retreat and meeting dates for fiscal year 24-25, maintaining the second Thursday of each month with some exceptions for conflicts and holidays.
  • After an executive session on Aug. 8, the board unanimously voted to replace its security training partnership with FASTER Colorado from Able Shepherd.

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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, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, July 11 – Board resolution related to Title IX

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting in July to consider its response to changes in Title IX, to receive an update on finances, set board committee assignments, and hear committee reports.

Board responds to Title IX changes

The July 11 meeting started with a short executive session for legal advice regarding Title IX policy options. Board President Ryan Graham noted that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) had released its final rule changes to Title IX and indicated he had a resolution that was being used in multiple school districts.

The resolution, which can be found in its entirety at bit.ly/ma-title-ix-res, specifies in part that the board believes parents, not schools, have the fundamental responsibility for their children’s education, supports natural law and moral truth, believes the ED’s changes run afoul of federal and state laws, and that Title IX refers to biological sex, which is “an immutable characteristic that cannot be changed, fluid, or altered.” The resolution says that the ED’s unlawful attempt to change the definition would have disastrous emotional and safety impacts to girls and women.

Therefore, the document resolves that “sex” is determined at birth and is an immutable characteristic that cannot be changed, fluid, or altered; commits to protecting female sports and ensuring the safety, privacy, and protection of all students, acknowledging the importance of single-sex facilities.

Finally, the board values and condones the numerous legal challenges to ED’s rule changes to Title IX and commits to making no policy or procedural changes while legal challenges ensue.

Graham moved to approve the resolution; Vice President Lindsay Clinton seconded it, and without discussion, the board passed the resolution unanimously.

Finance update

Acting Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson reported that D38 had unexpectedly qualified for a state mill levy override matching program, which yielded an additional $30,000 for MA.

Gustafson said he had convinced MA’s auditor not to accrue the cost of seeking the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is supposed to process applications within six months, but it’s taking a long time due to concerns about program fraud. Some entities are suing the IRS due to the delay.

Gustafson said the payroll system he inherited has a mix of pay dates for employees, but he decided to get everyone synced up to the end of the month for payment. He is also moving the pay date to the 26th to align with payments to MA from D38. Some staff will see a double paycheck initially. That will not incur an additional expense but will simply reduce the liability accrual. Gustafson said he had made a lot of fixes and would be communicating and reminding staff of this change.

Committee assignments

The board agreed to add a separate East Campus curriculum committee, similar to the separate School Advisory and Accountability (SAAC) committees, and stand down the Human Resources committee. The board discussed and agreed upon the following committee assignments for board members:

  • Highway 105 – Graham; the project should end in about a month.
  • Curriculum West – Emily Belisle.
  • Curriculum East – Clinton.
  • SAAC West – Matt Ross.
  • SAAC East – Jelinda Dygert.
  • Governance – Karen Hoida, Belisle.
  • Finance – Craig Carle, Graham.
  • Building and Facilities – Hoida, Graham.
  • Resource Development Committee – Carle, Clinton.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Graham reported that curbs and gutters were installed on the new road on the south side of the West Campus and that Executive Director Collin Vinchattle and Principal Kurt Walker would communicate the new plan for the car line.
  • Clinton reported on the SAAC East recommendations, noting that two new questions about summer workbooks were added to the survey, but only 60 responses were received. SAAC East recommended the board continue to think outside the box regarding electives, school spirit, and streamlining communication.
  • Registrar Lena Gross reported on enrollment, including retention numbers, noting that exit interview data was pending. Kindergarten enrollment is slightly down, she said, due to the birth rate and the impact of universal preschool in the state. Gustafson noted the preschool fund would have a loss and should be reviewed for viability during the mid-year budget discussion.
  • Hoida reported that the Governance Committee was working on the library policy and expected to have a draft by the next board meeting.
  • The board unanimously approved removing leggings as approved wear for free dress days.
  • The board unanimously approved minor formatting changes to the staff handbook.
  • After discussion, the board unanimously approved Vinchattle’s request to modify MA’s graduation requirements to provide additional state-approved options for math. He noted that MA would still require students to pass the capstone requirement.
  • The board unanimously approved using $1,000 in board funds to put on a Staff Breakfast on Aug. 6.

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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, Aug. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy (MA) articles

Monument Academy School Board, June 13 – Board members sworn in, budget re-adopted

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting in June to swear in board members and assign board positions, re-adopt the 2024-25 budget, approve the purchase of its East Campus modulars, and update policies.

Board members sworn in, positions assigned

Board President Ryan Graham swore in returning board member Lindsay Clinton and incoming board member Jelinda Dygert. Clinton’s second term and Dygert’s initial term begin on July 1. The board discussed, nominated, and confirmed members for the following positions:

  • President Ryan Graham
  • Vice President Lindsay Clinton
  • Treasurer Craig Carle
  • Secretary Jelina Dygert
Above: At the June board meeting, President Ryan Graham (not pictured) swore in returning board member Lindsay Clinton and incoming board member Jelinda Dygert, whose terms begin July 1. Clinton retains her position as board vice president, and Dygert will be the board secretary. Pictured are Clinton, left, and Dygert. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

2024-25 budget re-adopted

Acting Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson requested that the board re-adopt the 2024-25 budget. This was not an amendment, he said, but a replacement for the budget they adopted last month. He said he had the final information on staffing for the Home School Enrichment program and wanted to appropriate the money to buy out the modular units. Finally, given that MA has adopted new health benefits he wanted to put the Health Reimbursement Agreement money into the right account. Although he had already posted the budget and submitted it to D38, he let Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway know there would be changes.

Graham made the three standard budget motions for appropriating funds, inter-fund borrowing, and using beginning balances, which the board unanimously approved.

Modular purchase

Gustafson noted that MA had entered into a lease agreement rather than a lease-purchase agreement for four modular units. The units are essential, he said, and are combined to make four classrooms. The lease conditions are not favorable, Gustafson noted, saying that the rental cost of $52,000 per year was significant and could increase annually and there was no option to buy. The space will always be used, he said, even after the expansion of the campus. After negotiations, he came to an agreement with the vendor to purchase the modular units for $175,000, which would take three years to pay off.

Graham said that when the lease was approved in 2022, it was supposed to be short-term while they refinanced to do the buildout, but that had not happened. Though he understands it’s a lot of money, even when MA breaks ground it would take 12-18 months to complete construction.

Gustafson said his goal was to cut a check in the first week of July so that MA would have no lease payments in FY24-25. The board unanimously approved the purchase of modulars.

Major Gifts and Corporate Sponsorships program

Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said he received a lot of feedback that the MA community would like to expand facilities, high school programs, and electives. He and Gustafson are working with the administration on a five-year capital improvement plan. He said that bond refinancing would not be able to cover all projects.

Vinchattle requested the board consider a donation coordinator position to focus on large gifts to MA. This person would reach out to donors, keep legacy donations moving forward, and possibly run a capital campaign. He noted that MA could consider different compensation structures from a percentage to a base salary plus percentage and the position could be evaluated semi-annually. He said things to consider include the initial cost, role clarification, definition of a major gift, and end goals.

Graham asked Vinchattle and Gustafson to explore this and bring back a proposal. He expressed appreciation for Operations Manager Jake Dicus and all he has done over the years and appreciates that these two roles would work collaboratively. Vinchattle said he would touch base with each board member to gather their input.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

Above: At the June 13 MA School Board meeting, board member Craig Carle spotlighted outgoing interim Executive Director Kim McClelland. McClelland, who also serves as executive director of the New Summit Charter Academy, has served since the departure of Merlin Holmes. Carle thanked her for her steady leadership, saying she had left a legacy at Monument Academy. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton joined Carle to present a certificate and gift to McClelland. From left are Clinton, McClelland, and Carle. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
  • Carle and the entire board recognized outgoing interim Executive Director Kim McClelland. Carle presented McClelland with a certificate and gift. McClelland thanked the board for the opportunity to serve in her own backyard.
  • Vinchattle reported on the excitement of the first graduation from Monument Academy’s East Campus, which included 21 high school students. He noted that it was a beautiful day on the school’s front lawn, with speeches by Graham and valedictorian Scott Kohlhase.
  • Vinchattle reported that the secondary school administrative team was in place with Angela Duca as principal and Jessie Davis as assistant principal.
  • The board approved changes to Policy 1500B Executive Director to update the position title, noting it would not be renumbering the policy. It also approved Policy 1500C Chief Financial Officer, removing the information on procurement, which has been moved to a separate policy.
  • Finance Director Laura Polen presented the April financials, highlighting three streams of revenue that are still outstanding. She reviewed expenses and revenues highlighting the general fund, bond repayment funds for each campus, and the student activity fund.
  • Graham confirmed that construction on Highway 105 and around the West Campus should be completed by the time school starts in August. However, construction on Highway 105 itself will continue.
  • The board unanimously approved a resolution to change the authorized signatures for its ColoTrust account to add Polen. It also approved signature authorizations for its Integrity Bank accounts to add Polen and Business Manager Diane Smith.
  • The board unanimously approved a contract with Gustafson as interim CFO for fiscal year 24-25.
  • The board unanimously approved a contract with the Monument Police Department for school resource officers with a small price increase and other changes to reflect the makeup of each campus.
  • Vinchattle asked to delay the vote on the MA/D38 contract until the July board meeting to give him more time to review the contract since he was new in his position. The board agreed to wait for the vote.
  • The board voted unanimously to approve a contract with All Copiers, its current company, upon the recommendation of Dicus based on the negotiated cost per copy and the relationship established with the company.
  • The MA board will hold a retreat on July 12 at 9 a.m. in the Platinum Group conference room.

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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, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. For more information, visit bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, May 9, 14 – Board approves alternative health insurance benefits

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting on May 9, followed by a special meeting via Zoom on May 14. The board heard about plans to change to an alternative plan for health benefits, announced its new board members, reported on fundraising efforts, and provided an update on personnel changes.

Health insurance benefits changing

Acting Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson reported that MA faced high claims and an increase in healthcare costs of 10% to 15% with its current vendor, Cigna. MA started looking for different options, surveyed staff, and decided to pursue an alternative to the traditional insurance model. Noting that UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Kaiser Permanente make billions of dollars and are seeing steep increases in their stock values, he brought his expertise from managing the $30 million insurance plan at D11. Krista Pelley, director of People Operations, did a lot of work pulling in logistics, he said.

Pelley said that Cigna employer and employee premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and maximum out-of-pocket costs have increased dramatically. With MA’s contribution of $770 per employee, employees might pay nothing for the employee alone to over $18,000 for the employee plus their family. With the proposed plan and a reduction in MA’s contribution to $700, employees would pay nothing for the employee alone to up to $6,000 per year for the employee plus their family. This would leave more money in employees’ pockets, she said. MA would also save about $30,000 annually.

An evaluation team consisting of Pelley, incoming Executive Director Colin Vinchattle, Gustafson, Operations Manager Jake Dicus and Secondary Campus Registrar Laura Polen formed to explore a non-traditional plan alternative. The new plan leverages a Littleton-based company called Peak Benefits (www.getpeakbenefits.com), a consultant for healthcare plans that claims to disrupt the health insurance industry, to pull together cost-saving alternatives. MA employees and dependents will have access to Pinnacle Network (www.pinnacleapc.com), which offers subscription-based primary care that claims to provide a higher level of quality medical care than traditional insurance plans.

Medical and prescription benefits will move from Cigna to Redirect Health (www.redirecthealth.com), which requires the use of a member app to coordinate care virtually or in person, navigates the healthcare system, and provides follow-up. MA will also offer a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) where the employer provides the plan funding and employees can request reimbursement for actual medical expenses incurred up to that amount. Employees who use all their HRA before year-end must cover subsequent health bills out-of-pocket or using a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA).

Pelley said she wanted to start by speaking to staff, getting emails out to them, and giving them opportunities to ask questions. Pelley made use of technology to solicit feedback and questions. One question raised a concern about a conflict of interest since the CEO of Pinnacle, Dr. John Dygert, is the husband of an incoming board member. Pelley contacted MA’s legal counsel, who noted that the incoming board member’s term doesn’t start until July but that after that, she should recuse herself from voting on anything to do with insurance or providers.

Gustafson said that change is hard, especially when discussing healthcare, and acknowledged that people have primary care physicians (PCPs), specialists, and prescriptions that are near and dear to their hearts and health. MA took this leap, he said, knowing it would be difficult. Team members from the health benefit companies and MA fielded questions. Redirect will work with PCPs who do not accept this coverage to try to sign them up. Dialysis is covered, but organ transplants are not; if the employee is rejected for that, it is considered a loss of coverage, and the employee would be able to get a plan in the individual market and have their premiums reimbursed via the HRA. Gustafson said the two biggest changes are the savings for employees, equivalent to a 10% raise, and needing to plan procedures with Redirect ahead of time.

Staff members who attended the board meeting noted that they didn’t receive much information, didn’t have time to research, and felt a lack of clarity. A staff member said that staff do not understand this type of program, having never heard of it and were feeling panicked that this might be approved at the board meeting. Pelley said MA was going to hold four meetings of 20-30 employees so that they could have a discussion so employees could understand what was going on. Another staff member echoed concerns of feeling rushed, pushing back on negative statements about UCHealth, which had supported her financially.

Asked if staff would be able to provide input before a vote, board President Ryan Graham said the board was being asked to take action tonight. Gustafson noted that staff would leave soon and must complete open enrollment by June 30. Pelley said the board could wait until Monday or Tuesday. Graham asked the board to consider a special meeting on Tuesday, allowing employees at both campuses to meet to discuss the proposal. Pelley said the first session with employees would be held the following day, and a recording would be available.

The board unanimously approved a special Zoom meeting on May 14. Vinchattle reported good attendance at the employee meetings at both campuses and a mostly positive response from attendees. The board unanimously approved moving their health benefits from Cigna to Peak Benefits and authorizing the executive director to sign the necessary documents.

Board election results

At its regular meeting, board member Matt Ross announced the results of its board elections, which saw the re-election of Vice President Lindsay Clinton and the selection of Jelinda Dygert. Their three-year terms will start on July 1.

Fundraising update

Dicus began by thanking the sponsors of MA’s gala, which raised over $134,000 for MA. He also thanked staff and board members for their help with the event and its silent auction. The gala is the biggest fundraiser. MA will always have its Lynx fund, but it was not as successful as last year. Other fundraisers include facility rentals and the school store. The community donated over $50,000 to teachers in gift cards they can use to buy supplies and science kits.

Dicus said MA raised $215,000 overall, including upcoming facility rentals, exceeding its $200,000 goal.

Personnel and organization chart changes

Pelley reviewed personnel changes, noting that 14 staff members are not returning. Three of those are retiring, and one was cut due to budgetary constraints. She said reasons for leaving included “personal” and “leaving the profession,” noting a 90% retention rate. MA has filled the middle school English and Latin positions and extended an offer for a custodian position at its East Campus. MA has a newly proposed job description for athletic director/dean, having decided to use existing staff for middle school mental health, saving $50,000 for a middle school counselor. Pelley said math and tech applicants are needed, and there were three applicants for registrar assistant. The hiring committee for the secondary principal comprises four parents and six staff members.

Regarding employees changing positions, Pelley said in elementary, one teaching assistant was moving to a teacher position, a third-grade teacher was moving to physical education, a full-time kindergarten teacher was moving to part-time, and a tech teacher would move to the position of tech assistant support. She also noted that Laura Polen would move from Registrar to Finance, and Vinchattle was moving from middle school principal to executive director. Pelley confirmed that she had spoken to legal counsel to verify the rules about posting positions internally or externally as required.

Pelley noted that the proposed organizational chart had been discussed and showed proposed reporting structure changes and position removals or additions. She explained the meaning of the colors and said the board needed to review the job descriptions for the athletic director and dean assistant. The board unanimously approved the organizational chart along with the job descriptions.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Carle was excited to spotlight Scott Kohlhase, the first valedictorian from Monument Academy East Campus High School. Kohlhase could not attend because he was participating in a Senior Sunset event, so Vinchattle accepted his certificate.
  • The board awarded Haynes the HVAC contract for the West Campus to replace two of its units which are nearing their end of life. The board unanimously approved a contract for $160,323 with Haynes and agreed to draw down the Preschool Fund balance by $82,000 to help pay for it. Gustafson suggested meeting with the board about a five- to 10-year capital plan.
  • The board unanimously approved the FY24-25 proposed budget, along with resolutions for the appropriation of funds, use of beginning fund balances, and inter-fund borrowing.
  • The board unanimously approved policies DJ Purchasing and Contracting and DK Payroll Procedures. The purchasing policy creates a hierarchy of who can sign contracts. The payroll procedures policy is a recommended best practice and provides controls for position changes, additions, and deletions, which must go to the board for approval. MA board policies can be found at http://bit.y/ma-policies.
  • The board agreed to hold its annual retreat on July 12 at 9 a.m., the venue of which will be determined.
  • Ross reported that the West Campus School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) only received 37 responses to its end-of-year survey compared to 140 in the past. The West Campus SAAC wrote a letter raising questions about the organization’s nature and purpose and the possible benefits of combining with the East Campus SAAC.

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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, June 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, April 4, 11, and 25 – Vinchattle named executive director

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held two special and one regular board meetings in April. The special meeting on April 4 was a public interview of executive director finalists. At its regular meeting on April 11, the board questioned board candidates, discussed the employee handbook, and presented committee reports. At its April 25 special meeting, the board announced its executive director decision, reviewed financials, and heard a proposed budget for FY24-25. The board also considered updating its organization chart and moving employees into different positions.

Executive director

MA had planned to interview all the finalists for its executive director position at its April 4 meeting. Board President Ryan Graham noted that 278 applications came in and that the hiring committee had narrowed it down to fewer than 10, and the board narrowed it down to three: Joshua Yancy, Colin Vinchattle, and David Stanfield. He said that Yancy and Stanfield had withdrawn their applications. Graham said the community voice matters, so the board should proceed with the interview.

Vinchattle thanked the board for the opportunity to be part of the process and team, saying that MA was important to his family, with two children attending and his wife working as an elementary teacher. He spoke of his 17 years in education, including his time as MA’s middle school principal for the last two years. He has a teacher, coach, principal, school board member, and superintendent background. He has worked in charters and traditional public schools in small communities and large school districts. He looks forward to working with the board to care for staff, students, and families.

In response to board questions, Vinchattle said his leadership style was that of a shepherd, prioritizing resources to benefit students and providing the tools teachers need. He said meeting academic growth goals boils down to quality instruction and that he would hire teachers based on their love for children and, if necessary, teach them to teach. He felt it essential to get principals in the classroom and allow them to coach the teachers. Vinchattle said the MA community already wants to invest and that he would build relationships with the district and get out in the community to make connections.

He said his strengths are passion, loyalty, and hard work, adding that his weaknesses are an inability to say no, learning to make tough decisions and have tough conversations, and pausing to celebrate the wins. MA’s biggest challenge, Vinchattle noted, is ensuring it is fiscally sound and invests in its strategic growth. He closed by saying that public speaking is not his greatest strength but that he is a man of action.

The board went into executive session to receive legal advice on specific legal matters related to an employment investigation and for personnel matters regarding school administrators. When it returned, the board did not take action on the executive director position. It announced that Vinchattle would be the interim building principal for both the middle and high school until the end of June in light of the unexpected recent resignation of the high school Principal David Kennington.

At its April 11 meeting, the board unanimously approved having the HR subcommittee and legal counsel enter contract negotiations with Vinchattle.

At the April 25 special meeting, the board went into executive session for legal advice regarding administrator contract matters and advice to negotiators regarding executive director contract and consultant contract matters, and related discussion of personnel performance and evaluation. The board returned after an hour and unanimously approved the employment agreement, a proposal by Lis Richard of Helping Schools Thrive for mentorship services, and decided to have Vinchattle start as executive director on June 1.

Note: Lis Richard served as principal at Monument Academy until 2017, when she left to become superintendent at Creede, Colo.

Graham noted that Interim Executive Director Kim McClelland had been brought on initially for six months but had served for 18 months. Graham said it was a blessing to have her and that MA has been a family to her.

Board election

At the regular meeting, board member Matt Ross announced that there had been six candidates for the two open board seats, but one had pulled out. The remaining candidates are Lindsay Clinton (current board vice president), Jelinda Dygert, Jeffrey Henry, Christina McLuckie, and Wendi Pacheco.

The candidates introduced themselves in opening statements and answered questions from the board, with each candidate getting a chance to answer first. Candidates fielded questions about how long they had been at MA and why they wanted to run; MA’s greatest challenges and strengths; how they would support current school policies and board resolutions with regards to parental rights and student privacy; what strengths they would bring to the board; ideas for additional funding to support MA; how to balance board decisions with teacher and parent input; their view of classical/core knowledge programs; and how to find unity when facing a difficult board decision.

Candidates also answered what their top three goals were; the primary role of school administrators and to what degree they should be free to make decisions based on MA’s philosophy and policies; whether they believed parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children; what was their moral standard; a time when they were attacked for an unpopular decision; the role of schools in providing for the mental health of their students; and whether they were prepared for the pressure of public life.

The questions and answers are available on YouTube at https://bit.ly/ma-special-04Apr2.

At the end of the questioning, Ross thanked the candidates. He said he would solicit additional community questions for the candidates to answer in writing. The MA board election opened on April 22 and closed on April 30, listing the candidates randomly. The board clarified that each stakeholder in a household would be able to vote for up to two candidates, and the top two vote-getters would fill the open seats.

Financials and budget

At the April 11 meeting, financial consultant Glenn Gustafson had Laura Polen, secondary campus registrar, present the February financials. He noted that MA had collected $15,000 of $47,000 in delinquent student fees.

Gustafson said he had met with three bond firms that could refinance MA’s bonds and cross-collateralize both campuses if needed. The bad news, he said, is that interest rates are high at 6.9%, but MA has until 2026, and he feels interest rates will come down. He noted that MA could refinance its 2019 debt structure for the East Campus, free up some money to acquire a parking lot for the West Campus, and add an academic wing on the East Campus and possibly some athletic facilities.

Gustafson noted that he is working with Operations Director Jake Dicus to get requests for proposals (RFPs) for copiers, IT support, snow plowing, and more. He noted that it cost MA $28,000 for snow removal at the East Campus after the big storm in March.

Polen reported on the General Fund, Preschool Fund, Facilities Corporation for the West Campus Bonds, Foundation Corporation for the East Campus Bonds, and the Student Activity Fund. She noted that MA is awaiting five revenue streams: Gala fundraising; Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds of $12,000; an IRS Refund from FY21-22 of $120,000; the shared Mill Levy Override (MLO) funds from D38; and the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds of $1 million. Gustafson noted that the ERTC funds were in limbo, citing a Gazette article about the IRS dealing with fraudulent applications.

At the April 25 meeting, Polen presented the March financials as well as the Q3 financials. Gustafson noted that MA paid some big bills in April. He thanked Polen for her work, saying she continues to grow and do more of the process as he does less.

For the draft proposed FY24-25 budget, Gustafson said most districts and charters use incremental-based budgeting, showing the difference from the past year. He noted that the School Finance Act is still pending, but he is projecting per-pupil revenue (PPR) at $10,791, nearly $700 more per student. His best guess on enrollment shows a big drop of 40 students due to the bubble at fifth grade, which is moving to sixth grade and, hopefully, to the East Campus. He noted that $10,000 per student represented about $400,000 in lost revenue. He expects MA to stabilize and gently grow. Middle school is very steady, and MA is looking at an increase of 22 students in high school. He expects an overall decline of 12 students, but MA must account for each school separately according to bond agreements.

For expenses, Gustafson noted that previous pay raises were big, but MA would have to dial back to hit its bond targets. He said MA is looking at an average 3% salary increase, which will cost $181,000 plus another $211,000 in benefits. MA will have to deficit spend about $10,000 on its new home school enrichment program for the first year, but he expects it to break even in the long run and become a pipeline to bring kids into the school. MA will reallocate expenses for administrators, information technology (IT), and human resources (HR) between the West and East Campus as enrollments shift.

Next, he added requests from administrators and principals on the West Campus and other necessary items. He added another one-half school resource officer (SRO) and expects the cost from the Town of Monument to increase significantly. MA expects to lose two teachers at West Campus from attrition due to the drop in enrollment. Gustafson added funds for professional development and to acquire land for a parking lot on West Campus, which is critical.

The “big gorilla” in the budget for West Campus is the failing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units. There are nine units, and each will cost $100,000 to replace. He is requesting to add funds to replace two of them in next year’s budget, asking for a thumbs up so he can get started with a formal vote at the May meeting. The West Campus budget has a surplus of $118,000 without the HVAC units. Gustafson, noting that the Preschool Fund has $100,000, proposed moving a significant portion to the General Fund to cover the HVAC units.

The budget increases snow plowing and maintenance, adds a school psychologist, increases marketing, and adds money to improve board technology. The new budget hopes to spend less on legal and to account for software subscriptions and supplies used by HR. MA is also considering adding classes such as physics and teacher assistants to take the load off Middle School teachers who teach during their planning period, which is not a best practice, he said.

Other expenses include half of a custodial assistant, additional instructional supplies, restoring professional development to East Campus, and a budget for Title 9 investigations. The total costs at West Campus are $1.1 million, and there is only $900,000 in new revenue, so the difference would have to come from reserves, Gustafson said.

For East Campus, Gustafson said he wanted to make it a priority to start building MA’s bond compliance reserve. MA should budget 10% as its debt service coverage ratio is 1.1. With $7 million in revenue, the reserve should be $700,000. MA has never made that ratio and hasn’t had any pushback yet, but it needs to start being a good steward and meeting its bond covenant agreement. Gustafson proposes to budget $200,000 as a start that the bond company would applaud.

Clinton asked why the budget prioritizes a social worker/psychologist over a teacher. Vinchattle noted that the responsibility fell on him and Assistant Principal Angela Duca in some areas where they lacked the skills and time. He said that a mental health professional is needed to help with a threat assessment or a suicide assessment.

Finally, Gustafson said he hopes to lower the school’s contribution to insurance by leveraging Peak Benefits. He said the total premium could drop for employees and save up to $1,000 monthly. The transition will be gentle, so people won’t be required to change their primary care physician, but if they go to the Pinnacol Group, there will be several benefits. It is hard to break away from the current broker, but this seems a win-win as staff would get better health care at a lower cost. It moves from being fully insured to having employees more invested in their health care. It is not self-funding but is heading that way to cut out the middleman. He hopes to bring a contract to the May meeting to be approved.

Gustafson said MA needed to get its budget to D38 a month ahead of D38’s June deadline and will ask the board to approve the budget at its May meeting.

Reorganization

McClelland said that the most significant change to the organizational chart was not having two principals at the secondary campus but having one principal, one assistant principal, and one dean to save money. Graham said a parent asked at a recent coffee chat if that was a good idea. Vinchattle said it would result in one vision, one line of communication, and one resource for teachers and students. He also said it avoided competing interests and noted it made sense from a fiscal standpoint, but that might change as MA gets to full capacity. McClelland said MA should post the secondary principal position as soon as possible and could decide the structure at the May board meeting.

Gustafson asked if the board needed to approve other organizational changes involving current employees, such as moving Polen into the finance director position. Vinchattle said hiring a principal might require filling other positions if internal staff applied, saying the new principal would decide who to hire for assistant principal and dean. After some discussion, Graham and Clinton emphasized their concern that the process be legally compliant. Director of People Operations Krista Pelley said she would review the posting requirements with legal counsel.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • The board approved updates to the Employee Handbook, which designates the executive director as the approver and sets a schedule for paying out unused leave.
  • Graham said the road in front of the school would be completed in the fall and would create a second loop in front of the building. MA will remove the temporary fence, and the gates to the back part of the school will be closed during the school day.
  • Ross reported for the School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) on the West Campus that Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) participation had increased from 60% to 80%. The PTO has been busy and has many volunteer opportunities, and the end-of-year survey was closed on April 29.
  • Clinton reported that the SAAC East surveys would be out shortly.

**********

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, May. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Above: After a lengthy search, the Monument Academy (MA) school board selected Colin Vinchattle from a pool of 278 applicants to be its next executive director. Vinchattle (left), who has served as MA’s Middle School principal for the last two years, will step into his new role on June 1. The board interviewed Vinchattle on April 4, followed by a meet-and-greet event with parents. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Other D38 articles

Monument Academy School Board, March 10, 14, and 21 – Board selects executive director candidates

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held two special meetings and one regular board meeting by Zoom in March. Both special meetings consisted primarily of executive sessions, the second of which yielded finalists for MA’s open executive director position. The board also updated policies and heard administrative and committee reports.

Executive director finalists named

The MA board held a special meeting on Thursday, March 21 to go into executive session to interview and discuss candidates not yet named as finalists for the position of executive director. Before entering the executive session, it added another item “to discuss personnel matters re: an employee grievance and legal advice related to the grievance process.”

The board returned after two hours and unanimously advanced the finalists for the executive director position: Joshua Yancy, Colin Vinchattle, and David Stanfield. Vinchattle is currently MA’s middle school principal.

A special meeting will be held on April 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the East Campus Gym to hear from the finalists.

No action was announced regarding the grievance issue.

Policies updated

The MA board unanimously approved an update to its policy IKE-MA Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Student. Interim Executive Director Kim McClelland said this came to her attention from a registrar and she noticed some red flags in the processes which required a replacement policy. She spoke of the need to use the school’s Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) to ensure proper interventions and support. She noted that in the past, parents had wanted to hold students back so they could do a sport again. The policy addresses how to handle cases for students who have an educational support plan such as an IEP, 504 or ALP. It also requires that elementary students be administered the Light’s Retention Scale before any final retention decision.

The board also unanimously approved the updated policy 1525 State Assessments Refusal Policy. The changes include updating the form and deadline information and by adding the requirement for counseling should a parent/guardian choose to excuse their student from testing once it has begun.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights included:

  • MA held a special board meeting on Sunday, March 10 to go into executive session for legal advice on specific legal matters related to personnel contracts, investigations, and processes and for negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding employment contracts and agreements; and for personnel matters related to the high school and central administration. The board reconvened after an hour and half, taking no action.
  • The board went into executive session after its regular meeting on March 14 for negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding executive director interviews and contract discussions and to discuss specialized details of security arrangements or investigations. They returned after more than two hours, taking no further action.
  • McClelland spoke with D38 interim Superintendent Amber Whetstine about adding language to its charter contract to confirm that MA can offer homeschool enrichment. The board unanimously approved the language proposed by its legal counsel.
  • The board unanimously approved funding of $99 for election software for the upcoming board election and asked the Governance Committee to amend the policy so that the authorization would be automatic for future elections.
  • Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported that he was very optimistic that financial plans are coming together and that MA is poised to finish the year on target for its budget. His number one priority for the FY24-25 budget is to restore East Campus to financial viability.
  • Gustafson said the School Finance Act was still in limbo but task force recommendations would result in a reduction in D38 funding, though that might get delayed until FY25-26. Board President Ryan Graham pointed out that could impact MA to the tune of $700,000 and suggested the community reach out to representatives.
  • Graham said that when school starts in August, both circulation roads should be available.
  • Board member Emily Belisle said the Curriculum Committee proposes pausing the implementation of the new math curriculum to discuss changes in the curriculum adoption policy. Board member Karen Hoida said the Governance Committee supports this proposal.

**********

The MA School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The board will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 4 with the executive director finalists. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, April 11, 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.

Monument Academy School Board, March 10, 14, and 21 – Board selects executive director candidates

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held two special meetings and one regular board meeting by Zoom in March. Both special meetings consisted primarily of executive sessions, the second of which yielded finalists for MA’s open executive director position. The board also updated policies and heard administrative and committee reports.

Executive director finalists named

The MA board held a special meeting on Thursday, March 21 to go into executive session to interview and discuss candidates not yet named as finalists for the position of executive director. Before entering the executive session, it added another item “to discuss personnel matters re: an employee grievance and legal advice related to the grievance process.”

The board returned after two hours and unanimously advanced the finalists for the executive director position: Joshua Yancy, Colin Vinchattle, and David Stanfield. Vinchattle is currently MA’s middle school principal.

A special meeting will be held on April 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the East Campus Gym to hear from the finalists.

No action was announced regarding the grievance issue.

Policies updated

The MA board unanimously approved an update to its policy IKE-MA Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Student. Interim Executive Director Kim McClelland said this came to her attention from a registrar and she noticed some red flags in the processes which required a replacement policy. She spoke of the need to use the school’s Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) to ensure proper interventions and support. She noted that in the past, parents had wanted to hold students back so they could do a sport again. The policy addresses how to handle cases for students who have an educational support plan such as an IEP, 504 or ALP. It also requires that elementary students be administered the Light’s Retention Scale before any final retention decision.

The board also unanimously approved the updated policy 1525 State Assessments Refusal Policy. The changes include updating the form and deadline information and by adding the requirement for counseling should a parent/guardian choose to excuse their student from testing once it has begun.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights included:

  • MA held a special board meeting on Sunday, March 10 to go into executive session for legal advice on specific legal matters related to personnel contracts, investigations, and processes and for negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding employment contracts and agreements; and for personnel matters related to the high school and central administration. The board reconvened after an hour and half, taking no action.
  • The board went into executive session after its regular meeting on March 14 for negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding executive director interviews and contract discussions and to discuss specialized details of security arrangements or investigations. They returned after more than two hours, taking no further action.
  • McClelland spoke with D38 interim Superintendent Amber Whetstine about adding language to its charter contract to confirm that MA can offer homeschool enrichment. The board unanimously approved the language proposed by its legal counsel.
  • The board unanimously approved funding of $99 for election software for the upcoming board election and asked the Governance Committee to amend the policy so that the authorization would be automatic for future elections.
  • Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported that he was very optimistic that financial plans are coming together and that MA is poised to finish the year on target for its budget. His number one priority for the FY24-25 budget is to restore East Campus to financial viability.
  • Gustafson said the School Finance Act was still in limbo but task force recommendations would result in a reduction in D38 funding, though that might get delayed until FY25-26. Board President Ryan Graham pointed out that could impact MA to the tune of $700,000 and suggested the community reach out to representatives.
  • Graham said that when school starts in August, both circulation roads should be available.
  • Board member Emily Belisle said the Curriculum Committee proposes pausing the implementation of the new math curriculum to discuss changes in the curriculum adoption policy. Board member Karen Hoida said the Governance Committee supports this proposal.

**********

The MA School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The board will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 4 with the executive director finalists. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, April 11, 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

Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 8 and 22 – Board passes parental rights policy 6-1; member resigns

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting on Feb. 8 where it passed a parental rights policy after much discussion. It held a special meeting on Feb. 22 to reorganize after a board member’s resignation.

In addition, MA reviewed its Q2 academic dashboard, approved moving forward with its homeschool program, heard administrative and committee reports, and discussed its assessment opt-out policies.

Board passes parental rights policy

Board President Ryan Graham reviewed the history of MA’s parental rights policy, which describes how to handle transgender students. Based on past discussions, the current version strikes out the example of trying out for sports and the statement that parents may view their child’s Fourth Amendment right to privacy as being violated by the actions of the transgender student and are encouraged to seek legal counsel. Graham read the entirety of the policy JRT Parental Rights Policy which can be found at bit.ly/ma-policyJRT.

Earlier, several public comments were made by members of the audience supporting the board, its resolution, and encouraging it to pass this policy. Commenters included former El Paso County State Rep. Tim Geitner, who is the board president for Liberty Tree Academy which is having similar conversations.

The board’s legal counsel, Brad Miller, of Miller Farmer Carson Law, spoke, and while declining to give detailed legal advice in a public meeting responded to some of the concerns that were raised at the previous board meeting. He noted that there was discussion on whether student rights trumped parental rights and whether the case cited, Troxel v. Granville, was on point. He said we live in a society where courts have sided with the rights of children in multiple instances and claimed that the Colorado Legislature was trying to eliminate the role of parents. He said that even if the board was the Rosa Parks of this current age, what they are proposing wasn’t direct civil disobedience nor a blatant violation of the law which is yet to be clarified.

Miller went on to say that, speaking of religion, the board might get accosted with the idea that Romans 13 and other New Testament verses say that the government is an extension of God’s authority, and [MA] should be subject to it. But if the board looked to Acts and Ephesians it would be reminded that while it is subject to human institutions it should also obey God rather than men. The Colorado Legislature, he said, has placed schools like MA in the role of being accessories to a very consequential moral redefinition of individual identity. His view, he added, is that every society that has attempted to redefine personhood has failed.

He went on to address the concern for risk avoidance, saying he had consistently informed MA that the proposed policy would elevate MA’s risk of being sued. It could be that the cost would be significant, he said, or potentially the adoption of this policy could augment MA’s enrollment and encourage various forms of support and money. He also suggested that non-action could force families to consider whether the risk of public education could outweigh its convenience.

Miller said that concerns about needing policies on sports and bathroom monitoring could be addressed by administrative regulation and that MA did not need to remove its statement that affirmed a parent’s right to sue over perceived violation of their child’s privacy, although it had already done so. Finally, he noted that the legislature was considering proposals that would directly conflict with this policy and the board might need to reconsider it next year.

Board Treasurer Joe Buczkowski pointed out that the policy did not prohibit “biological males” from competing on girls’ sports teams or from using girls’ bathrooms. Two issues, he said, serve as his opposition to this policy. Firstly: How many different battles of parental rights are the school willing to take on, and what is the cost of those battles. Secondly, he felt that the policy could be considered to be prejudiced against the voluntary contact student because it requires a principal to call home even if that is against the express wishes of the student.

Buczkowski noted that the rights of a student who wants to transition might conflict with their parents’ rights, and he wasn’t sure MA wanted to get into that battle. He went on to say that enforcement of the policy required staff and teachers to know a student’s biological sex, which was impossible to know. The policy requires staff members to monitor bathrooms, and he did not want to put them in the position of making those policies without the board.

Returning to the question of financial implications, Buczkowski said the board should reduce financial risk as much as possible and that MA had a track record of making very bad financial decisions. He specified that when building the East Campus, the financial projections were beyond the building’s capacity based on the number of classrooms. The gymnasium, he specified, is useless for middle school and high school competitions and would cost millions to fix it. He said there was no budget for a parental rights legal battle and that MA was in the hole by $150,000 to $160,000 needed in fundraising just to balance its current budget. He suggested MA consider having the board members that vote in favor agree to indemnify the school on all financial costs or to do a fundraising campaign to set aside a reserve for these legal costs.

Miller suggested that board members who vote no should indemnify the school should there be a lawsuit if they do not take action. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton expressed her support for the policy, saying that when she drops her kids off, she does not give up her parental rights. She noted that they are in the process of hiring an executive director who must support, uphold, and enforce board polices. Board member Craig Carle also expressed his support for the policy, saying he understood the risks for the school but wanted to show courage in the face of adversity. Board member Matt Ross said that the board must not let fear of man but rather the fear of God drive its decision. He said he believed the God of the Bible was watching their decision. Board member Emily Belisle said that this policy is not radical and did not attack anyone’s lifestyle but was instead a way to maintain order in schools and required that parents be kept informed on matters that greatly affect their child.

Graham read his statement supporting the policy, saying the opposition had impugned the board by saying it had not done its research on the conflict between parental and child rights. He said it was not the principal’s role to subvert the authority of a parent in their child’s life and that there were a multitude of schools where one could abdicate their parental authority and the school would be glad to exploit that. He said that tonight’s town hall is not to wage war against any schools but to go after those who have set their sights on our children. Although some say MA is creating a hostile environment, he said, MA’s goal was to protect all students, citing a disputed statistic on transgender youth suicide rates. Graham said that MA protects the truth and was being ridiculed, mocked, labeled, and threatened. He thanked the Lord for the courage, conviction, and resolve of many of the board members he served with, saying “we can win and, God willing, we will win, even if we get tossed in the fire.”

The board passed the policy on a vote of 6-1 with Buczkowski voting no.

Board resignation

At a special meeting on Jan. 22, Graham reported that Buczkowski had resigned from the board on Feb. 12 thus leading to a vacancy. Buczkowski’s term was set to end on June 30. Per the board’s bylaws, Graham said, the board could appoint a replacement or run as a six-member board until the June 30 election, and he moved to do so. The board unanimously approved the motion.

Graham noted that Buczkowski had been the board treasurer and that position needed to be filled. Carle agreed to serve as treasurer.

Buczkowski had been on both the Finance and Governance Committees. Carle was already on the Finance Committee and Graham offered to join as the second board member. Board member Karen Hoida was already a member of the Governance Committee and Belisle offered to step in as the second board member. Belisle asked for a second member to join her on the Curriculum Committee and Clinton agreed to do so.

Graham noted that, per their respective bylaws, the Monument Building Corp. and Monument Foundation, two 501(c)3 organizations which hold the West and East Campus debts, required a MA board member representative. Since Buczkowski, as treasurer, had been on those two boards, Graham formally moved that Carle replace him as the MA board representative. The board unanimously approved this motion.

Finally, the board unanimously authorized a change in the approved bank signers to remove Buczkowski and replace him with Carle.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Carle spotlighted student Addison Michalak, an MA middle schooler who competed as the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) national junior championship placing fifth in the 3K cross-country 11-12 girls’ division. She was named USATF girl athlete of the year.
  • Acting Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson noted that the Employee Retention Tax Credit program had been suspended by the Internal Revenue Service in December due to rampant fraud, then reopened with a much earlier deadline of Jan. 31. MA has submitted for $1.3 million in payroll costs and might receive it in summer of 2024 but has been advised to sit on it in case of an audit. He also noted that MA was due $180,000 from the charter startup grant it received and must now find eligible expenses for which it could be reimbursed. Finally, he reported that the interim School Finance Committee had proposed changes to the School Funding Act that could result in School District 38 as a whole losing $3 million.
  • Analytical Diagnostics consultant Jennifer Strawbridge presented the MA mid-year academic data shown in the meeting highlights at: bit.ly/ma-20240208-highlights.
  • The board unanimously approved moving forward with the Monument Academy Homeschool Partnership program after getting full support from Gustafson to invest in it knowing it may need to be subsidized for two years from West Campus cash reserves.
  • School Culture and Assessment Coordinator Anna Arndt brought the board’s attention to a new policy for state testing which gives students a score even if they only partially complete a test. Toward that end she asked the board to consider changes to its policy 1525 State Assessment Refusal Policy and allow administration to alert parents to upcoming changes to that policy. The board agreed to allow a letter to be sent and the policy to be reviewed at its next meeting.
  • Director of Academics Tine Leone described the process used to replace the Saxon Math curriculum, which is going away, with Reveal Math. She thanked everyone involved and said that after the public review period the board will be voting on March 14. She hopes to order teacher editions of the curriculum before people leave for the summer.
  • The board unanimously approved the executive director hiring timeline in March and April, which includes a screening committee meeting, a regular board meeting, a special board meeting and executive session, informal interviews and site visit, another special board meeting and executive session and an April 4 community town hall, culminating with a public vote on hiring the new executive director on April 11.
Above: At the Feb. 9 meeting, Monument Academy board member Craig Carle spotlighted student Addison Michalak, an MA middle schooler who competed as the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) national junior championship, placing fifth in the 3K cross-country 11-12 girls’ division. She was named USATF girl athlete of the year. Pictured are Carle, left, and Michalak. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

**********

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, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at see bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 5 and 11 – Board discusses the financial risk of parental rights policy

By Jackie Burhans

Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting on Jan. 11 where it discussed a second attempt at its parental rights policy regarding transgender students, including the risk of being sued. MA also heard a presentation on a possible homeschool enrichment program and an executive director succession plan.

The MA school board held a special meeting on Jan. 5 to pass a time-sensitive policy on enrollment and board elections. The meeting ended in an executive session for legal advice on matters related to policy adoption and implementation and for discussions related to Title IX processes, employee performance, and student issues. No action was taken upon return from executive session.

Financial risks of parental rights policy

Board President Ryan Graham noted that the MA board heard an initial read of its Parental Rights Policy, provided feedback, and asked for a revised draft at a previous meeting. MA requested and received community input, which included approval, disapproval, and concerns. He took it upon himself to write a new draft to incorporate that feedback. The crux of the issue, he said, is that parents have the right to the control, care, and custody of a minor child wanting to transition to a gender that does not align with that assigned at birth. The new policy, he said, tries to support that position while following the laws that govern MA. Graham then proceeded to read aloud the new policy draft, which can be found in its entirety as part of the meeting highlights at www.monumentacademy.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/January-11-2024-Board-Highlights.pdf.

A parent spoke during public comment to support the policy creation and the previous resolution regarding parental rights and transgender students. Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton and board member Craig Carle expressed support for the policy.

Board Treasurer Joe Buczkowski asked that the legal opinion be read aloud. After reaching out to MA’s lawyer, Brad Miller, Graham read Miller’s email verbatim. After advising MA to remove the gender verbiage from the original policy title, Miller said that conventional wisdom would be to adopt the original (milder) version of the policy or no policy at all, which current political winds would support, noting that current courts would probably uphold individual students’ rights over that of parents and peers. Like Susan approaching Aslan the Lion, said Miller, a decision to adopt the new policy would not be safe, but the question is whether, like Aslan, the policy is good. Miller went on to say that, like public officials who supported masks, quarantines, distance learning, and vaccines, public officials who blithely dismissed parental rights may be seen to be wrong in future years.

Miller affirmed that there is a level of risk accompanying the new policy. There are viable legal arguments, he said, that the governing party adopted enforceable laws that mandate a charter school to acquiesce to expressions of dysphoria on the part of students, and it well may be that the law will be found to be consistent with the Constitution. Just as there have been arguments about other challenging topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage, slavery, the age of consent, and women in the military, it also may be true that courts may disagree, and it may take years to resolve. He said that the recent dialogue on financial risk was well-timed but outside of his scope, and MA may wish to continue that discussion. Miller said that now is the time for each board member to step forward and stand as representatives rather than a democracy and decide.

Buczkowski presented some concerns he has with the current draft language. These items can impact the finances of the school, he said, and the board and community need to be aware of it. The policy, he said, tries to be many things: It has elements of the proclamation, the resolution, and a sports, bathroom, and discipline policy. A policy serves as instructions to staff on what to do, but this policy does not provide clarity and confidence in those actions. This policy, he said, perhaps unintentionally, prohibits girls from being on boys’ sports teams, which has been accepted for decades. Board member Emily Belisle noted that MA currently has girls who play on the football team.

Secondly, the policy refers to the resolution saying that parents are encouraged to seek legal counsel, which, Buczkowski said, is not quite accurate. He noted that for other disciplinary actions such as bullying, verbal abuse, vandalism, or theft, there is no such language, and that could be seen as prejudice since the threat of legal action only applies to transgender students.

Thirdly, Buczkowski said the policy could be seen as a threat or intimidation. The process of transitioning at the school involves contact with the principal and ends with the paperwork requirement, which is immediately preceded by the threat of legal action. In any other case of needing a form for such things as a prearranged absence, an application for a sports team, an approved driver, or a parking permit, the process must be frictionless. MA cannot tell parents there could be legal recourse against them when the student hasn’t done anything. He noted that getting your name changed legally at the courthouse does not include the court saying that others may view your actions as a violation of their privacy and encourage those who do to seek legal counsel.

Buczkowski said he was trying to make sure not to expose the school to legal action but that, as written, a female student could sue the school for the right to play on a boys’ team, parents and students could sue because transgender students are treated differently from other students on disciplinary matters, and MA might be sued on issues of students’ vs. parents’ rights. Finally, he said, MA needed to develop its bathroom monitoring policy carefully or risk a lawsuit. He asked the board to consider and discuss whether these are really the battles and opponents they imagined with this policy. He said this policy was battling MA students and parents rather than state and national laws, which were the real opponents. He suggested breaking the policies apart and making the gender transition policy as frictionless as possible. If the board adopts this draft, it will expose the school to a lot of unnecessary financial liability, he said.

Clinton, noting that the policy had been reviewed by legal counsel, asked Buczkowski if he had brought his concerns to Miller and wanted to see what Miller thought. Graham said he didn’t see this as a sports policy, and striking through the one line was easy. He also said he was fine with removing the threat of legal action since it was covered in the resolution. The “hill he would die on,” Graham said, was the requirement for principals to notify parents of a student who expressed an interest in transitioning. Though it might not be legally OK, and he had been told MA might be sued, he hadn’t yet seen a lawsuit. If MA is sued, Graham said, he would bring it back to the community as the voice of the district to dictate MA’s direction. Board member Matt Ross said the goal of avoiding all lawsuits was different from the goal of protecting kids and expressed support for the changes.

Clinton confirmed she wanted to see a vote at the Feb. 8 meeting, given upcoming field trips and leadership changes. She noted that Buczkowski had voted on the resolution in June. Buczkowski replied that all board members signed the resolution, which also said the board affirms that MA shall support the privacy and dignity of each student and shall not discriminate against individuals based on sex, gender expression, and identity. He said he would love to hear more from legal on the student vs. parent rights issue and what body of law supports this policy. Graham said he would revise the draft policy and ask legal counsel to join the Feb. 8 meeting.

The draft policy can be seen in the Jan. 11 board highlights linked above, and the entire discussion can be seen online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-CCdmpyY0&t=28s.

Audit presentation

Tom Sistare of Hoelting & Company Inc., MA’s audit firm, joined the meeting via Zoom to present MA’s annual audit report. Noting that Hoelting’s team was out last July for internal control testing and had designed the audit based on those tests, Sistare reported an unmodified or clean opinion on the financial statements. He said there were no internal control findings.

Homeschool Partnership program

Interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland presented a potential homeschool enrichment program for MA to offer to families who choose homeschooling over enrollment at MA. She worked with Janyse Skalla, who had done some distance learning work for MA during the pandemic, to make sure that MA’s program stands out by offering personalized learning. A lot of families start homeschooling and get overwhelmed and wish they had support, she said.

McClelland recommended MA focus on kindergarten and first grade to start and hire one program manager/consultant to oversee administrative duties. One full-time teacher would lead the instructional classes that are required to receive funding. MA should hire a classroom assistant for lunch and recess monitoring, she said, and those three positions would make up the core of the MA Homeschool Partnership (MAHP) program. Classes would be held on Tuesday and Thursday with a maximum of 44 students and a minimum of 25 students required to break even. The program would be funded by the state, with each student receiving 50% of per pupil revenue (PPR). MA could decide to start with fewer students and accept an initial loss.

McClelland said she had discussed a marketing plan with Marketing Manager Kendra Kuhlmann and discussed developing a section on MA’s website and holding a Town Hall meeting to gauge interest. She said startup costs would be $3,000, and MAHP would have a curriculum lending library for homeschool parents.

The board consented to extend Skalla’s contract through the Town Hall meeting to move forward with considering the program.

Executive director succession plan

McClelland, who has been acting as executive director (ED) for MA, gave an overview of a succession plan for her position. Graham said the board could approve this plan at the meeting so it could post the position in early February.

Noting that choosing an ED is one of the board’s most important responsibilities and that she has enjoyed being at MA but was not throwing her hat into the ring, McClelland laid out the steps, committees, and processes needed:

  1. Understanding strategic priorities, strengths, weaknesses, and competencies.
  2. Standing up three essential committees: Informal Advisory, Screening, and board HR committees.
  3. Communication and transparency.
  4. Transition and onboarding.
  5. Setting and following a timeline.
  6. Talent pipeline and emergency ED plan.

The committee will draft the job description, including compensation, and post it in early February. The screening committee would review applications, and the HR subcommittee would choose the three top candidates. In mid-March, before spring break, a special board meeting would be called for candidate interviews. In early April, the board would identify the finalist and start the transition process.

Enrollment and election policies updated

At its Jan. 5 meeting, the board considered policy JG-MA Enrollment and Placement. The policy, which MA had vetted and approved by legal counsel, sets the date to Aug. 15 by which incoming students must be 5 years old while grandfathering in any student who has been added to MA’s waitlist by Jan. 5.

The board then considered policy BBB-E-MA Board of Directors Election Process, which has been reclassified to follow the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) nomenclature and had various spelling and grammatical corrections as well as terminology corrections. The most substantive change was to supply a missing form required by applicants. The board unanimously approved the policy and indicated that board member Ross should use them to start the process for the upcoming election of two three-year-term board positions.

For more discussion on these policies, see www.ocn.me/v24n1.htm#ma. All MA board policies can be found at www.monument.academy.net/school-board.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • McClelland noted that the high school had been hit hard by a virus in December, resulting in 40 missed exams, which it was working hard to make up.
  • McClelland said that HR Director Krista Pelley was working hard on the ABACUS payroll system transition, which was going smoothly.
  • McClelland reported intent-to-return rates use a range as some students are undecided and show for elementary school 82-90%; middle school 91-96%; ninth grade 26-37%; and 10-12th grade 81-83%.
  • Graham reported on the Highway 105 project that lights were removed and access to the church was closed. The project is working to complete a road to connect to the top of the “S” curve to create a loop in front of the school. He said the goal is to get vehicles off Highway 105 to provide safety, but that traffic was still backing up onto 105. West Campus administration is diligently looking at solutions as it works through Phase 3 over the next four months, he said.
  • Buczkowski said the governance committee was working on prioritizing policies to review.
  • Board member Karen Hoida said the Safety and Security Committee is pleased that a second school resource officer (SRO) has been added.

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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, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at see bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Dec. 14 – Board hears about midyear budget, enrollment/retention, fundraising plans

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met on Dec. 14 and went directly into executive session to discuss the purchase of real property and for legal advice on matters regarding the parental rights policy. No action was taken afterward. Treasurer Joe Buczkowski noted that the governance committee had received many community comments on the parental rights policy, has been researching the topic, and hopes to address this more in the January meeting.

The board also heard about its amended 2023-24 budget, plans for fundraising, and updates on a variety of policies.

Midyear budget

Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reminded the board that the state allows for a midyear process where schools can amend their budget based on new information such as fund balances, final staffing numbers, and final per pupil revenue (PPR) amounts. For FY2023-24, the bad news is that MA’s enrollment was flat from last year and down from the enrollment projection. This represents a loss of $1.1 million in PPR, as well as $71,000 in mill levy override money and some student fees.

MA has had to make significant adjustments to its budget but has tried to keep cuts away from the classroom, Gustafson said. MA restructured its teacher compensation to be more competitive and has fully funded its debt service bond payments. Gustafson said that the team went through every single line item looking for opportunities. He noted that tax revenues come in between February and July. Increased interest income has helped, along with new special education (SPED) grants. A $400,000 emergency connectivity grant was received, which had been applied for by MA’s former CFO Marc Brocklehurst. He noted that thanks to Operations Manager Jake Dicus, there were facility rental revenues from both campuses and that MA had used gifts and donations to help balance the budget but was still a little short at East Campus.

Under expenditures, Gustafson added a line item for MA to purchase land for a parking lot at West Campus and looked at revising its HVAC, copier, shredding, custodial, and custodial supplies contracts. He thanked principals for enforcing color copy rules since each color copy costs 10 times what a black-and-white copy costs.

In summary, he thinks MA is well-positioned for the 2024-25 fiscal year when he is expecting a 5% increase in PPR or about $700 per pupil. He said that MA will not have the big costs for the modular buildings this coming year nor the big Internal Revenue Service (IRS) penalty it had two years ago. MA will be more conservative with its budget and try to make sure it will be in compliance with bond covenants. Finally, he noted he was working on restructuring the Finance Department with his transition.

The board unanimously approved the resolutions to appropriate funds for the midyear amended budget, to use a portion of its beginning fund balance as required by state statute, and to approve an interfund borrowing resolution. The interfund borrowing resolution allows MA to borrow $250,000 from its general fund and $100,000 from the preschool fund. The resolution does not specify the use of the borrowed amounts but states that the loans must be repaid when those funds are required to meet obligations or no later than three months after the beginning of the following budget year. In last month’s article on MA, Buczkowski noted that the Finance Committee had discussed borrowing from the West Campus to lend to the East Campus (see www.ocn.me/v23n12.htm#ma).

Enrollment/retention marketing plan

Interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland introduced Kendra Kuhlmann from Marketing, Elementary School Registrar Lena Gross, and Secondary Campus Registrar Laura Polen to present their strategic plan for enrollment and retention.

Gross said the team had made changes they hoped would make a true difference. They had gotten a 96% response rate from the West Campus and an 89% response rate from the East Campus. They added “undecided” as an option and asked what the most important factor would be in parents’ decision. The team expected to begin calculating the enrollment numbers and sharing them with the administration team.

Polen said the previous year’s enrollment process has been revised and streamlined. One change was to have a separate form for preschool since they ask about potty training. The data is automatically transferred from a Google form to a spreadsheet, eliminating manual data entry. The data is displayed by grade, and they can see waitlist numbers and priorities by applying a filter in addition to showing who has an MA sibling and tracking MA’s responses by email or phone.

The team also created email template responses that they can customize and have coordinated on tour information. Polen said that the team does a pre-enrollment record request, and Kuhlmann added that they might meet with parents to discuss attendance issues and create an attendance contract. Polen said that the ParentSquare system has been very helpful in getting out information and ensuring they are not duplicating efforts. The team has exit interviews if a student leaves midyear, if they accept but don’t show up, or if they don’t send in their “intent to return” survey. They can generate reports on who intends to report, wait lists, and seat offers for daily review, Polen said.

Gross said the team focused on celebrating community and connectedness after reviewing data and performing a market analysis. Kuhlmann said they surveyed students and families on what they were looking for in a high school. The top words and phrases were community, safe, academics, and quality teachers. Gross said the team used SchoolMint to determine micro factors for choosing alternative education and found that top responses included student achievement, innovation and programs, customer service, and school safety. The team has made an effort to increase its availability. Other families’ opinions outweigh data. They noted that 26% of MA’s students come from out of district, which is more than other charter schools.

Finally, Kuhlmann said that MA has taken ownership of its Google sites for both campuses, which will allow it to ask for Google reviews and to leverage Google Analytics to understand how its website is being used. Gross emphasized that communication is key, and that MA should keep in touch with families who have been offered seats between February and August. The team suggests hosting a summer festival and facilitating a quarterly information night for prospective families. Gross also said they would initiate an incentive program for current families to bring in new families offering free dress passes for K-8 students or a preferred parking pass for high school students.

Fundraising plan

Dicus gave a presentation about the current state of fundraising as well as ideas for the future. He explained that there is a difference between fundraising and donations, with the former raising funds for specific programs or projects and the latter giving without expecting something in return. The annual gala is MA’s biggest fundraising event; Grandparents Day is a fundraiser and there is an opportunity to sponsor library book dedications. School sponsorships are another way to support MA at various levels; MA has a brochure that includes MA’s mission and vision. Finally, grants are another form of fundraising that includes the $400,000 connectivity grant already awarded, as well as a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant, the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) program, and a school security grant that is in process.

For donations, the Lynx Fund has been a success, said Dicus. People can donate monthly or on a one-time basis or $1,996 (the year MA was founded) as Lynx Legacy donors or repeat donors. MA received a school furniture donation worth $99,000 for the cost of $5,000. A family donated track uniforms. Greater Grounds Landscaping redid the West Campus playground and is adding turf for a total value of $20,000.

Toward the end of the year, MA started offering facility rentals and has developed a pipeline.

For next year, Dicus expects to see some modifications to the gala, adding mobile bidding and early bird pricing. The gala already has some committed sponsors with more in the pipeline.

MA has an end-of-the-year matching campaign it is presenting on its Facebook and parent pages. It is trying to streamline using ParentSquare so that it can track communications and will use GiveSmart for all campaigns. He hopes to prepare new families with a packet that outlines the next year’s expectations and allows them to donate when paying school fees. Dicus said he should have focused more on the Giving Tuesday campaign but prefers to focus on progress over perfection.

New and updated policies

The MA board unanimously approved seven policies related to finances. Buczkowski said these were the easiest to approve since they don’t conflict with any existing policy. The policies are DK Annual Budget, DC Borrowing, DD Grants, DID General Fixed Assets & Inventories, DIE Audits/Financial Monitoring, DK Payroll Procedures, and DKD Travel. Gustafson noted that DK is the one non-standard policy that covers rules on who can authorize permanent employees, stipends, and extra duty pay. It lays out how to manage any payroll mistakes. He modeled this policy after a D11 policy he wrote when he worked there. Only the board can approve compensation, he noted, and this puts structure around that process.

The board also discussed at length modifications to policy JG MA Enrollment and Placement, which replaces 1511 Admissions Policy. The policy has been updated with the current version of the MA vision statement and adds a section on enrollment restrictions for kindergarten and first grade. The new section requires students to turn 5 years old on or before Aug. 25 to start kindergarten. Students who have been added to MA’s waitlist via a Letter of Interest before Jan. 1, 2024 or who have successfully completed pre-k at MA for the 2023-24 school year will be grandfathered. Similarly, students must turn 6 before Aug. 25 to enroll in first grade.

The policy also clarifies the wait list procedures required by parents and suggests that the Placement Test section could be covered in the Student/Parent Handbook. McClelland said the changes should be messaged to families since it’s enrollment season with the caveat that is pending approval of the board. Graham said it would be wise to have legal review the policy. Vice President Lindsay Clinton said that 11 families would be impacted by the modified policy and that this might affect some incoming siblings. McClelland said that the age requirement changes had been discussed at the curriculum meeting, where they said they have very young kids. She said that since the state had approved fully funding kindergarten, it is becoming more of a daycare, and MA is a school of excellence. Gross noted that choice enrollment starts on Jan. 2, and board President Ryan Graham said it should be reviewed by legal and brought to a special meeting on Jan. 5 for approval, so it would only be a few days.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted Athletic Director Mike Svendsen and parent Kristy Davis. He said Svendsen had done a great job with the athletic program and got MA’s high school membership in the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA). Davis was recognized for her help with the West Campus shade structure, which will be completed next year.
  • Kim McClelland said she would bring a possible homeschool proposal to the board at the January or February meeting.
  • The board unanimously approved the 2024-25 elementary and secondary school calendars.
  • Gustafson reported that the audit for the 2022-23 schoolyear was finalized, which is about 2 1/2 months earlier than the previous year. MA has submitted all the information on the ERTC to the lawyer for due diligence, but he noted that the IRS has suspended accepting applications due to the level of fraudulent claims.
  • Graham reported that the Knollwood roundabout might be ready by the time MA returns from break. The road on the south side by the retaining wall would not be ready until summer.
  • Board member Emily Belisle thanked the teachers who served on the Curriculum Committee and noted that it looked like the favorite might be Reveal Math, but it would be presented to the board for approval and to the community for review and would not be in place for the next academic year.
  • Board member Matt Ross reported on midyear survey results for the Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) of West Campus. He said that 95% of respondents were likely to recommend MA but that high-level learners needed more challenges and that the math curriculum needed to be updated. Most respondents feel that ParentSquare is working for improved communication and want the board to incentivize teachers to attend community events.
  • Clinton said SAAC East had not met in December but would meet in January to review survey results.
  • Buczkowski said the governance committee met multiple times and would be prioritizing policies a charter school should have in batches of six or so for reading and approval following a framework for how and when to update policies in the Colorado Association of School Boards format.
  • Graham noted that the upcoming election would fill two vacancies and is normally conducted by the vice president. Since Clinton is running for re-election, she has a conflict, so the board voted to appoint Ross to conduct the election.
Above: At its Dec. 14 meeting, board member Craig Carle spotlighted Athletic Director Mike Svendsen for his success with the athletic program at Monument Academy including his achievement of getting MA’s high school membership in the Colorado High School Activities Association. He also highlighted parent Kristy Davis who heads the West Campus PTO for her help with the new shade structure which will be completed by next year. From left are board President Ryan Graham, parent Kristy Davis, board member Carle, and Athletic Director Mike Svendsen. 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, Jan. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Nov. 9 – Board hears first read of gender transition policy, plans to address East Campus budget issues

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) School Board met on Nov. 9 to hear a first reading of a new gender transition policy, to discuss how to address East Campus budget issues, and to hear committee reports.

Gender transition policies

The MA board heard a first read from the governance committee on a JRT Gender Transition and Parental Rights Policy to codify its June 27 resolution on gender issues and student protection. See www.ocn.me/v23n8.htm/ma0627. The resolution:

  • Declared that anti-discrimination state laws SB08-200 and HB21-1108 exposed students to gender dysphoria.
  • Encouraged students to set boundaries and report boundary violations to staff.
  • Said MA would violate state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
  • Mandated that minor students who wish to express a different gender be affirmed by their parents or guardians, update all related school records, and follow their expressed gender dress code.
  • Directed administration to notify the community that a student whose expressed gender differed from their biological gender might be in bathrooms or locker rooms.
  • Advised parents to consult with their attorney about bringing legal action against the parents of children they felt violated their child’s Fourth Amendment right to privacy.
  • Affirmed that political leaders have a moral obligation to challenge laws.
  • Appealed to the MA community to contact their representatives.

The policy, developed by board Treasurer Joe Buczkowski and board Director Karen Hoida and approved by legal counsel, is called JRT Gender Transition and Parental Rights Policy. Its purpose is to provide a procedure by which a student can transition to a different gender with respect to school records, policies, and facilities. The draft states that MA supports the rights of students to transition and the rights of parents to oversee the care, custody, and control of their minor children. The policy defines various terms and provides a background focusing on the fourth and fifth bullet points above.

The procedures include the staff’s initial contact with a student who wishes to transition, referral and follow-up by the school principal with the students and their parents, required record changes, and community notification.

Buczkowski said that the committee received input from the administration and the principals and wanted to address the concerns of all involved, so it took a few months to develop. Board President Ryan Graham asked for advice on soliciting community input. MA’s lawyer, Brad Miller, advised that there is an exception to the Open Records Act that would let them keep this as a private draft. Hoida noted that it was public now since they read it aloud and asked about the process for feedback. Miller said it could be published in the board packet, the minutes, or on the website. Miller advised against using Google Docs for all board members to add comments as that would constitute a board meeting. Miller advised the board not to vote on this at the next meeting, saying if substantive changes exist, the final version should be discussed in an open meeting before voting at a subsequent meeting.

In discussion, Graham and board Vice President Lindsay Clinton objected to the statement that MA supports a student’s right to transition. Hoida suggested a better word would be acknowledge rather than support. Board Secretary Emily Belisle suggested simply saying that supports all students. Miller said the statement could be eliminated without changing the substance. Belisle wants the policy to better reflect the resolution, especially the part that supports “natural law and moral truth,” to address how this affects the community, to change some of the definitions and word usage, and to change some procedures. Graham noted that some of the language came straight from the Colorado Revised Statute and asked Miller, who said it would be legal advice that would require an executive session.

Belisle suggested that the principal should inform the parents and schedule a meeting. Buczkowski said that was left out to protect students for whom a forced conversation might not be in their best interest. Board Director Matt Ross suggested that this gave unwarranted trust to students. Hoida said that if the school said they would contact the parents, the student might not want to proceed with the transition. Clinton said she would want to know as a parent, and the policy should protect parental rights and not give authority to students.

There was a discussion about how to handle discipline, and interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland said it was on a case-by-case basis depending on whether it was a student or staff violating policy. Belisle pointed out that this policy assumes a binary choice of genders, which is not always the case; Buczkowski said it’s not a problem unless they choose an opposite gender.

Buczkowski thanked the board for its input and said a lot of the changes were minor wording changes, but the biggest question was when staff needed to tell the principal and when the principal had to contact the parents, even against the will of the student. The policy was drafted to try to be realistic about the relationships students may have with coaches and teachers with whom they may be closer than their parents. It would be easy to just say minor students and their parents must come to see the principal, he said, but asked if that was realistic.

Graham said that community feedback is encouraged. Belisle said that all staff and teachers are mandatory reporters, and it’s incumbent on them to report concerns about home life. Miller said there is another set of laws that hasn’t been addressed about a student’s rights around mental health and counseling that interposes in this discussion; he said he would prefer to talk to the board privately in more detail.

A second reading will be conducted at its Dec. 14 meeting. The board solicits community feedback on this draft policy, which is available at: https://bit.ly/ma-draft-gender-policy. Feedback should be submitted directly to McClelland at kmcclelland@monumentacademy.net no later than Dec. 1.

Plans to address East Campus budget issues

Buczkowski reported that the Finance Committee reviewed the audit results and the substandard state of the debt service coverage ratio and cash reserves as of June 30, 2023, at the East Campus. The committee discussed plans for the West Campus to lend $300,000 to the East Campus and the importance of establishing a balanced budget for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. It also talked about cost-cutting measures to bring the East Campus budget back in balance. A lot of the 2024 budget depends on the results of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) application MA submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which might not be known by the time the board is required to set a budget, he said.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Clinton spotlighted Deborah Hulting, who has been a kindergarten teacher and is now an art teacher. She exudes warmth, fun, and patience with artists of all ages, Clinton said.
  • Graham reported that a road is being constructed on the south side of the school to connect to the top of the “s” curve. The roundabout at Knollwood and Highway 105 may be completed in December or January.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that the Curriculum Committee learned that MA could continue to use the current Saxon Math for another year, and the committee decided, in consideration of the budget, to table moving to a new curriculum. This will provide extra time to review the proposed final candidates: Reveal Math and Everyday Math.
  • Ross reported for the Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) of West Campus that MA had collected the most food in a recent food drive, and he highlighted recent and upcoming PTO events. SAAC reviewed questions for the mid-year survey, which was available on Nov. 15 and will be open until Dec. 1.
  • Clinton reported for SAAC East that it began reviewing questions for the mid-year survey and noted that MA hosted the district Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) at its west campus on Nov. 14. She also gave a roundup of activities for the East Campus PTO.
  • The board discussed the quarterly dashboard and how to interpret the data and plans to improve achievement and behavioral outcomes.
  • The board unanimously approved the Emergency Operating Procedures with changes discussed at a previous meeting.
  • The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss property transactions; to address D38 charter contract updates and related financial and bond covenant issues, and school security protocols and proposals; to discuss personnel performance and contract matters regarding school principals, Human Resources, and executive director; and to address related hiring processes and conflict of interest questions regarding a substitute hiring possibility.
Above: At Monument Academy’s Nov. 9 board meeting, board Vice President Lindsay Clinton, right, spotlighted arts teacher Deborah Hulting for her warmth and patience with artists of all ages. Photo by Natalie Barszcz. Caption 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, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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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.

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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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Monument Academy School Board, Sept. 14 and 20. MA responds to ACLU, prepares for budget amendment.

By Jackie Burhans

At its Sept. 14 meeting, the Monument Academy (MA) board heard their lawyer’s response to the ACLU and prepared to amend its budget, review carline safety concerns, and consider revisions to its employee handbook. At a special meeting on Sept. 20, the board continued the discussion of its emergency operations procedure (EOP) and employee handbook.

Lawyer responds to ACLU demand letter.

Board President Ryan Graham noted that MA had received a demand letter from the ACLU with a deadline of Aug. 31 to respond. The demand letter addressed what the ACLU considered unlawful actions by MA and its board, undermining the safety of LGBTQ+ students and flouting state and federal laws. See https://ocn.me/v23n9.htm#ma for more information.

Graham read the letter from the ACLU and then read the response the board sent on Aug. 31 through its legal counsel, Brad Miller of Miller Farmer Carson Law LLC.

The response from Miller confirmed that he represented MA and its board and asserted that the ACLU’s understanding was incorrect. He said that while MA had recently adopted a resolution, the ACLU’s characterization was incorrect. The resolution was simply an expression of parents’ rights and voice in education, he said. Finally, he finished by saying that he did not find any mention in the letter of who the ACLU purported to represent.

Graham indicated there was no current litigation and that the board would stand firm.

Budget adjustments anticipated.

With the absence of MA’s financial consultant Glenn Gustafson, Graham reported on his behalf that the audit was nearly complete, the 2023-24 budget was loaded into the financial system, and the payroll conversion had begun but had some errors that delayed the project to bring purchasing in-house.

The board adopted the FY23-24 budget in June 2023 and will need budget adjustments in the fall and late January. Some expenditure items were under budget, Graham reported. This will mean reductions to an already tight budget and require MA to maintain budget discipline.

In the Finance Committee report, board member Joe Buczkowski emphasized that Gustafson’s report had initially budgeted enrollment at 1,180. He said enrollment was below the budget at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The October count would also impact the budget, and some cost-cutting would have to occur at that point, he said. He noted there may also be additional revenue, including earnings from moving certificates of deposit (CDs) to achieve higher interest rates.

Carline safety concerns.

Officer Maxwelle Ellis, MA’s school resource officer (SRO), addressed concerns about the Highway 105 construction and safety. He noted that, while growing pains would happen, phase 4 would be better. Ellis, who works for the Monument Police Department (MPD), noted that MPD has no jurisdiction over Highway 105, which belongs to the county. The construction project is being done under the Pikes Peak Rural Transit Authority (PPRTA), with others trying to help as much as possible.

Ellis said he sees the frustrations and experiences the hostility but prefers that people bring their concerns to him rather than taking them out on MA staff. Parents coming early are adding to the frustration, he said, but the number of violations has dropped dramatically. He asked for patience and compassion and reiterated that people should come to him and contact him via email at mellis@tomgov.org.

Graham reported that the recirculation road was almost complete, with permanent fencing coming soon. MA would be moving into Phase 2 of carline procedures through December, with Phase 3 incorporating the new Knollwood roundabout. He asked that K-5 families not arrive before 3:15 p.m. for pickup and not block the Vision Center clients from exiting. He said MA would not tolerate families berating others and could and would revoke carline privileges if necessary.

Employee handbook discussed.

At the Sept. 14 meeting, Krista Pelley, director of people operations, led the discussion of changes to the 2023-24 Employee Handbook. She directed the board to focus on the portion of the handbook that impacts pay and time off requests, noting that in previous years it had not differentiated between sick and personal leave. The proposed policy would adjust the cap of leave accrual, differentiate between leave types, use half-hour increments, and implement new work calendars. This area was important to solidify so it could be entered into the financial system so employees could know how much leave they have and begin to request it.

Another area of change in the handbook covers purchase orders and financial information, which was significantly out of date. To update this section, she is looking at D38, D20, and other charter school policies. She will consult with Gustafson and the financial team about changes to purchasing.

In addition, Pelley said she was removing everything that is procedural from the handbook as principals have created procedural guides for staff. She also noted that she was reviewing board policies to see how that would impact the handbook. Board member Karen Hoida noted a section in the handbook regarding conflict resolution that conflicted with policy 1518A. Hoida suggested the handbook should simply refer to the policy. Pelley agreed and asked for clarification of the teacher representative policy. Graham noted that wasn’t mandated in the handbook. Finally, Pelley asked for board input on the teacher-student communication section for language around social media.

Pelley said she would love for the board to further review sections but wanted to segment out staff leave and approve that. Graham said he felt comfortable knowing that legal was involved and had seen it. Buczkowski said he would rather not pass it today. Graham tabled this item to discuss at the upcoming special meeting.

At the Sept. 20 special meeting, the board took up the discussion of the handbook again, starting with a comment from Graham that he had heard that a couple of administrators needed time to review the document and suggested postponing approvals until October. Pelley emphasized that staff was waiting to hear on leave policies and that she and Gustafson had removed much of the finance policy and purchase order information out of the handbook.

Lindsay Clinton, board vice president, suggested that in the future, discussions of the handbook should be penciled in for the June agenda so that it would be available for new hires. Graham said he would oppose any approval of the handbook until all administrators had a chance to review it. Buczkowski said he had reviewed other sections and felt they were fine but that the document could be better organized. The meeting adjourned to executive session without taking a vote on the employee handbook.

Highlights.

Board meeting highlights include:

• Board member Craig Carle spotlighted the work of Kristi Hayes, preschool director, for doing a phenomenal job managing the carline at MA West. She is a guiding light for parents, he said. He appreciated her leadership and said she and her team were “the epitome of resilience.”

Above: At its Sept. 14 meeting, board Director Craig Carle, right, spotlighted Preschool Director Kristi Hayes, left, for doing a phenomenal job with her team in managing the carline at Monument Academy’s West campus. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

• High School Principal David Kennington presented the EOP plan intended to standardize MA’s initial response to expected crises, including coordination and communication through a safe school plan as required by state law CRS 22-32-109.1(2). Although the plan was not reviewed by legal counsel, the board unanimously adopted it with the intent to continue updating the plan.

• At the Sept. 20 special meeting, Buczkowski said he had reviewed the statute regarding the safe school plan and identified some missing items such as a written evaluation after exercises or incidents, annual inventory and testing of safety equipment, having school personnel complete training courses, and including SROs. He also noted that the school is supposed to have a policy on annual inspection of buildings to address the removal of barriers to safety and supervision. Buczkowski offered to share this information with Kennington and to work with the Governance Committee to develop the needed policy.

• Curriculum policies IIAC-MA, IIAC-E1-MA, IIAE-E2-MA, IJ-MA and IJ-E1-MA were passed unanimously with minor changes from what was discussed at the previous meeting. Approved MA board policies can be found at https://bit.ly/ma-bd-policies.

• The board approved a contract for the 2023-24 fiscal year, as recommended by Gustafson, to engage CLOCworks Inc. to install equipment to monitor and optimize energy costs for a $4,800 installation fee and $500 per month management fee. Gustafson felt these fees could be recouped in three or four months, and MA would realize savings in the long term.

• The board unanimously approved changes to the preschool policies and procedures as Hayes and Elementary Principal Kurt Walker requested. Changes included removing language about “Love and Logic” principles, changing the word “rules” to “social contract,” and removing language in the behavior and discipline section referring to mental health personnel since none is available at MA West.

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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, Oct. 12, 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.

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Monument Academy School Board, June 27 – MA holds town hall on navigating gender issues

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board held a special meeting June 27, after the publication deadline for the July issue of Our Community News, on navigating gender issues. The Town Hall was attended by all seated board members except for outgoing board member Michael Geers. Also in attendance were the interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland and MA’s legal counsel Brad Miller.

The community Town Hall was attended by around 200 parents, teachers, administrators, and community members, many of whom spoke on the matter. State Rep. Don Wilson, R-Monument, was in attendance along with former Rep. Tim Geitner. The meeting ended with the unanimous adoption of a resolution regarding the privacy and protection of students.

Board President Ryan Graham began the meeting by providing context and background, noting that the board and administration had been hearing from many of its constituents about the use of sex-specific common bathrooms and locker rooms by students who want to identify with or express a gender that does not correlate with their biological sex. Graham noted that these students are ostensibly protected by Colorado law, specifically SB08-200 and HB21-1108. For more information on these bills, see https://bit.ly/sb08-2008 and https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb21-1108.

He noted that the state mandates that every traditional and charter school must not discriminate and must let students use the bathroom and locker room that aligns with their gender expression or identity. Many schools, he said, have capitulated to the cancel culture mob that seeks to silence and destroy them. MA, he said, proposed this Town Hall so parents could learn what their rights are and understand what MA is doing to protect parental rights and all students. Tonight’s Town Hall, he said, was not about inciting hatred or harm against any student. MA is not here to wage war against children but to push back firmly within legal limits on those who have set their sights on coming after our children, he said.

Miller, MA’s longtime legal counsel, noted that he has been one of MA’s lawyers for 15 years and that his mother-in-law’s name is on the library. He said he shares traits with his heroes Moses and the Apostle Paul but is not a gifted speaker and asked the audience to pray that his message would be better than his weak flesh. He referred to the book 1984 by George Orwell, where the protagonist had to maintain a secret journal. Tonight, the MA board and leadership want to invite you into a little conspiracy, said Miller, and to join them in being thought criminals like the protagonist in 1984.

Some folks are inclined to place their faith in an authoritarian government, Miller said. It’s hard for them to conceive that the parent movement expressed by the attendees is organic, based upon faith, principles, and values.

Miller noted that in 2021, the state Legislature passed House Bill 21-1108 to amend Colorado’s anti-discrimination act to offer protection for those of any gender expression or identity. Expression, he noted, is appearance, dress, or behavior, while identity is the innate sense of one’s own gender, which may or may not accord with the gender assigned at birth. He noted that Moms 4 Liberty has been very engaged on these issues, saying that some schools have taken this to an extreme. Some schools, he said, have directed staff to recognize a student’s gender expression or identity but not to inform parents. MA, he said, has pushed to engage parents in a dialog. On Feb. 22, the board adopted a proclamation to clarify that MA wishes to place the authority for education and well-being of children in the hands of parents. See OCN article www.ocn.me/v22n3.htm#ma, for more information on the February meeting.

Miller went on to outline other concerns on rules around COVID, critical race theory (CRT), and sex ideology in remote learning. He claimed that parents learned that teachers introduced doctrines contrary to those of the parents. Now, he said, there is a coordinated movement to undermine parental access to information and parental authority. One remaining protection, he cited, was a U.S. Supreme Court case, Troxel v. Granville, which recognized parental rights to direct the upbringing of their kids.

Above: At a special Town Hall meeting of the Monument Academy (MA) board, parents heard from the board and its legal counsel on how to navigate gender issues surrounding transgender students. Nearly 200 people attended, with many speaking in support during public comment. The board unanimously passed a resolution affirming its support for state and federal anti-discrimination laws as well as family and student privacy laws while saying that such laws harmed students who should report their discomfort with transgender students to authorities, that staff should alert the community to the presence of transgender students, and that parents should sue the parents of transgender students if they feel their child’s right to privacy has been violated and should encourage their representatives to overturn such laws. Further, they resolved that transgender students must have the complete affirmation of their family units, must change their name and gender in all school records, and must dress as their chosen gender with “no vacillation.” Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Public comments

In the public comments portion of the meeting, a number of people stepped up to speak in support of the board’s actions. Some of the statements made are:

  • Kristy Davis, co-chair of the El Paso County chapter of Moms 4 Liberty, read a statement from herself and co-chair Darcy Schoening, who was not in attendance. Davis, who has two children at MA, thanked the board for holding the event and hearing from parents who have been harmed by a vocal minority weaponizing sexuality and gender. She said the movement seeks to weaken parents’ rights and that this is communism. She said there are no transgender children, just confused children, and adults who use them as political chess pieces. Moms 4 Liberty, she said, is standing with MA and fully supports Miller in his efforts.
  • A seventh-grader at MA said that she felt safe at MA until last year when “a boy decided to go into a girl’s restroom,” where the girls change. She said in the Bible in Genesis it says that God created mankind, male and female. Her parents said that safety is important, and they love all children and don’t want any to feel bullied, but that the last thing any parent wants to hear is that their children didn’t feel protected and safe.
  • Another seventh-grader said she didn’t think it was right for a boy to come into the girl’s restroom and invade their privacy. Some of her friends were there and went home crying to their parents, she said. God made us who we are, and she doesn’t think kids should try to change themselves for no reason. Her mother added that she would like to provide a safe gender-neutral stall bathroom so everyone would feel safe. She asked the board to please not put litter boxes in these bathrooms for the “furries.”
  • A parent asked if the board was developing plans to defend itself against pre-emptive legal challenges. Miller responded that MA might need to turn to parents if it becomes costly. He noted that challenges could come from the courts, from MA’s district authorizer, or from the Colorado Department of Education. He felt that the Supreme Court ruling would prevail.
  • A parent thanked the board and acknowledged the bravery of the students who spoke and cited a swimming sports competition. He also said there was concern about a “biological girl” using the men’s restroom or locker room or competing on opposite-sex teams and asked that the school not send kids to the nurse’s individual-use bathroom.
  • Ivy Liu, a D49 board member, asked to speak on behalf of families who don’t want to speak. Among other charges, she said that 1%-2% of the population was being weaponized for a much greater cause, kids were being groomed, parents manipulated, and language contaminated to push group think which was the foundation of socialism, Marxism, and communism, otherwise known as collectivism. America, she said, is the last wall standing between freedom and worldwide communism. Parents must fight back, she said, on these non-Godly and non-American values.
  • Another parent raised concerns about fair and equitable treatment of kids and whether MA should have policies around biological males competing with females. Miller noted that this raised the question about accepting federal funds and competing within the Colorado High Schools Activities Association (CHSAA), which MA has been pursuing.
  • A parent noted having to be careful about what pronouns are used and what name is used for a student. She cited an instance when she decided to call her now adult daughter by her middle name in first grade and the school forbade it because it had not been legally changed. Miller said the resolution covered this but there was a gray area where a boy might want to go by a nickname that might be considered feminine.
  • Another parent asked if the policies would be in place by Aug. 15 since parents would be making enrollment decisions by that date. Miller said no, but the parents could rely on the clarity of the resolution and its parameters.
  • Mark McWilliams, former MA board president, said there were parents going through something difficult that all parents pray is not their kid. The board is thinking of that too, he said, and making sure all children are protected and loved. He said that when he was on the board, they brainstormed how to manage this. He asked that parents vote in the future and keep their checkbooks ready in case the board was sued.
  • A parent strongly advocated for policies that would not allow biological males in the private spaces of females and vice versa saying that the school would be liable. Miller said there will be lawsuits that cut in both directions.
  • A parent said she was a pediatric dentist and sees many kids with anxiety who take medications. She asked if MA had proactive mental health strategies and felt it would be important to present the policy in written form when it comes out as it would help weed out families that would have a problem with it. Miller said that the board would adopt the related policy in its public meeting after two readings so it would be incredibly transparent. McClelland said she has discussed partnering with parents and providing training opportunities like parenting classes. She has lots of ideas around parent universities to empower parents.
  • A parent asked if there was a plan to have conversations with parents on how they might engage in legal issues or circumstances. Miller replied that he didn’t want to give away legal strategies in front of a crowd but that these topics and pathways had been discussed in executive sessions.
  • A parent, noting the law is written to prohibit discrimination, asked how someone could voice their opposition without being discriminatory, such as starting a petition. Miller said that SB23-296 was passed concerning protections for students against discriminatory practices at school to prevent bullying and that starting a petition against a student might be considered bullying.
  • The parent continued, asking for advice at the statewide level on how to stand unified in agreement on the issue and yet not cross the line, so your student is not made to feel like a discriminator. Miller said the issue must be addressed structurally, and finding the right people to populate the board is crucial.
  • A parent asked if there was a permission slip for locker rooms and restrooms where they want their student to be able to go. She said her understanding was that if the school takes government money, it must follow the laws and asked if MA had considered getting an outside channel of funds to bypass this requirement. Miller said MA could not afford to refuse the per pupil revenue—it is the bread and butter of how MA exists.
  • Former state Rep. Tim Geitner said that in his past role he had the ability to vote no on laws like HB21-1108. Now, as president of the Liberty Tree Academy charter school, he thanked the MA board for doing this for their community and other charter schools.

Resolution

After the public comments concluded, Graham moved to adopt a resolution regarding the privacy and protection of students as regards to SB08-200 and HB21-1108 that states:

  • The above laws expose its students to undue harm, confusion, and dysphoria.
  • MA encourages its students to set boundaries protecting their privacy and report to their teachers, staff, or administrators if their boundaries are violated.
  • MA will support the privacy and dignity of each student and not discriminate against individuals in violation of state or federal laws regardless of sex, gender expression, or gender identity.
  • The board will never promote gender confusion or gender dysphoria in students nor promote transitioning of students that are gender confused, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
  • The board will uphold the rights of parents under the Granville Supreme Court ruling and will mandate that any student under the age of 18 choosing to express or identify as a gender that does not correlate with their biological sex must be affirmed by the student’s parents or guardians and that these family units must be in complete agreement with this affirmation.
  • The board will mandate that any student under the age of 18 whose family affirms them must further transition with a change of name and change of gender in Infinite Campus and any other school records and must conform to the dress code of the gender that they now identify or express as with no vacillation.
  • For any student who chooses to go down this transitioning path that meets the mandated requirements of MA, the board directs the administration to notify the appropriate parent community without violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or any other law, that there may be a student using gender-specific bathrooms or locker rooms different than the student’s sex so other students may request to use a single-stall bathroom or to have a staff member monitor the vacancy of the single-sex locker room or bathroom to ensure their privacy and protection.
  • Parents are strongly encouraged to advise their chosen attorney if they believe their child’s Fourth Amendment right to privacy is being violated and consult with said attorney on taking further legal action against the parent or guardian of the offending students.
  • The board affirms that elected state and national leaders have a moral and ethical obligation to challenge and repeal such laws that violate the innocence, vulnerability, well-being, privacy, and safety of children.
  • The board appeals to the MA community and constituents to make their voices heard as active and engaged citizens but to contact their state and national representatives and ask them to take a stand for the privacy and protection of students.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton seconded the motion, and other board members and McClelland spoke in favor of it. The board voted unanimously to pass the resolution. The full text of the resolution can be found at https://bit.ly/ma-discrim-resol.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information, see https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, Aug. 10 and 19 – Board receives ACLU demand letter

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board called a rare Saturday special meeting on Aug. 19 to discuss a demand letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on their resolution, proclamation, and policies regarding transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students.

At its regular meeting on Aug. 10, MA’s board heard about a new quarterly dashboard, enrollment updates, carline information, and finances.

Board discusses ACLU demand letter

The MA board met at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, to go into executive session for legal advice on specific legal matters regarding a demand letter received by legal counsel, to discuss security measures, and to discuss personnel matters with prior notice. All board members were present, along with the board’s lawyer, Brad Miller of Miller Farmer Carson Law LLC.

The board returned after an hour to unanimously approve the creation of a Legal Affairs subcommittee to address issues regarding their resolution. Board President Ryan Graham and Director Karen Hoida will serve on the subcommittee. Graham explained that MA had received a demand letter from the ACLU of Colorado addressing its recent resolution regarding transgender students. There was no imminent threat of litigation, he said.

The letter, which is included in MA’s board meeting highlight document, is titled “Unlawful actions of Monument Academy and its school board” and says that MA’s actions undermine the safety and well-being of transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students and flout multiple state and federal laws. ACLU notes that the refusal to provide students access to restrooms consistent with their gender is prohibited by the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) per CRS 24-34-601 and that MA’s dress code impermissibly treats students differently based on gender, which violates CADA as well as students’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression.

Finally, the ACLU characterizes MA’s recent resolution as signaling its open hostility to transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students, as well as to Colorado and federal nondiscrimination laws. The ACLU requested a substantive response from MA by Aug. 31 and reserves all rights to file necessary legal action to ensure compliance with Colorado and federal law. You can see the demand letter at https://bit.ly/MA-ACLU-Demand.

Quarterly dashboard overview

Interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland introduced consultant Jennifer Strawbridge of Analytical Discoveries, who is helping the school create a dashboard to present a deep dive into academic growth to the community.

Strawbridge presented baseline results from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. She said she loves working with leadership teams and helping people understand how they can best use this information to drive instruction and improve academic achievement. She color-coded the dashboard to show how it is related to MA’s mission statement.

Strawbridge showed the results from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), which breaks achievement data into four categories: above, at, below, and well below for grade level. The dashboard compares one year to the following year, and the goal is to see the “at” and “above” bars increase. The tests done at the beginning of the year can show a “summer slide,” indicating testing challenges more than knowledge loss, she said. Testing is also done mid-year and at the end of the year to capture growth for kindergarten through third grade and the beginning and end of the year only from fourth to eighth grade.

Next, Strawbridge showed the NWEA (formerly Northwest Evaluation Association) MAP data, which goes beyond reading and divides results into quintiles. NWEA was acquired in May 2023 by Houghton Mifflin. Her chart had a dashed line for the grade-level achievement score in each subject area. Again, she noted that this dashboard was a baseline they could use to track improvement. NWEA looks at the median growth percentile (MGP), where MA students are compared against other students nationally who have the same starting score and grade level. MGP helps to adjust for any skewing that might take place with students who show very low or very high growth. Strawbridge said that MGP is one of the most important pieces of data when looking at growth since it tells you if a school is growing kids academically.

Middle and high school students take the PSAT and SAT, respectively, and that data is currently embargoed, so will be presented in the Q1 dashboard.

In addition to academics, the dashboards will track attendance and discipline, both of which are correlated with academic achievement and growth. Strawbridge reviewed specific data, pointing out where scores were good and where they needed work. McClelland said parents will be able to see this information under the strategic plan in the school board section of the website at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

Strawbridge said that the participation level in DIBELS and NWEA MAP is near 100%, unlike the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests. She noted that CMAS and NWEA are correlated but that the state won’t use NWEA data unless you qualify for the “request to reconsider” process that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) uses for schools that disagree with the initial CDE rating of its school performance framework. MA is not eligible for the “request to reconsider” process, which requires that 90% of its students take the state assessment without opting out.

Enrollment update

McClelland updated the board on MA’s current enrollment, saying she wished she had better historical data to track the ebbs and flows to understand what happened between the last day of school and now. She noted that students may move away or make other decisions for many reasons and that MA also sees students come in after school has started up to the Oct. 1 student count deadline.

Elementary enrollment is at 518, which is down from the budget. Middle school is at 399, and high school is at 130 for a total of 1,047, with 529 at the secondary school. Although the budgeted number is lower, the total number has increased from the previous year.

She also noted that there has been discussion about increasing class sizes to 28 students, noting that they are not raising the class size for every class. To be fiscally responsible, she said, schools will oversubscribe some classes at the beginning of the year because there may be some attrition. MA cannot hire a new teacher if there are two kids over the policy ratio of teachers to students.

McClelland said she wanted to be clear about the ratio and the need to boost enrollment, noting that MA would be putting out yard signs to get the word out. The number one reason people are not enrolling in MA is that they are choosing to homeschool, she said, followed by choosing to enroll in district-run schools in D38 or D20, and concerns about construction and carlines.

Carline concerns

McClelland said getting the word out on how carpooling and the carline would work was important. Information, including a video for phase 1 access to the West Campus, is on the website. This information was shared at town halls, meet-and-greet meetings, and using the new ParentSquare platform. Information about the significant changes to the carline and student parking was part of the East Campus Handbook updates reported on by high school Principal David Kennington.

For more information, email carline@monumentacademy.net or see the MA website under the parents section at https://bit.ly/MA-Carline. Information on the Highway 105 construction project can be found at http://EPC-Hwy105AConstruction.com/.

Finances

Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported that the pre-audit June 30 financial statements were available, but he was waiting for D38 to finish its audit and reconcile with MA. Preliminary results show that revenues exceed expenses by $88,000, but he expects additional revenue from special education (SPED) funds in September.

Gustafson said the new audit firm, Hoelting & Co., has significant experience in charter school accounting. The firm was in MA for two days with non-stop requests for information. He complimented Business Manager Diane Smith for her recordkeeping and documentation of expenditures and deposits.

The July books are closed, and the financial statements are in the hands of the Finance Committee, which will schedule a meeting to review. All budgets are in the black, unlike last year, Gustafson said. He noted that bringing payroll back in-house would save about $4,000 per month after initial conversion costs. The next conversion this fall will be the purchasing module so administrators and teachers can use its electronic workflow to speed up approvals.

Finally, Gustafson said he did some work over the summer at another charter school that qualified for the employee retention tax credit (ERTC) refund. The ERTC is available for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not all charter schools qualify, so he engaged a consultant to do a feasibility study for free to see if MA qualified. If MA does qualify, the consultant would receive a 5% fee. To apply for the ERTC takes a lot of work, Gustafson noted, requiring records back to 2020, but could result in a significant refund.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Craig Carlie spotlighted the work of Kendra Kuhlmann, who works in Marketing, for streamlining the communication and marketing effort. Kuhlmann presented at the meeting on the rollout of the new parent communication platform ParentSquare, detailing the progress and backup plans and noting the challenges.
  • McClelland introduced the discussion of new and updated supplementary materials and video resource policies IIAC-MA, IIAC-E1-MA, IIAC-E2-MA, IJ-MA, and IJ-E1-MA. She noted that MA would adopt the standard nomenclature used by D38 for its policies but with MA at the end to differentiate those modified by MA. McClelland said she wanted to have legal review the changes before final adoption. Approved MA board policies can be found at https://bit.ly/ma-bd-policies.
  • Kennington and middle school Principal Collin Vinchattle discussed updates to the East Campus Handbook, noting changes around attendance, late submission, phone usage, carline, and student parking. The board asked for updates to board candidate qualifications and the volunteer management system but proposed forgoing curriculum policy changes since those were not yet approved. The board unanimously approved the handbook with these changes.
  • McClelland said the portables would not be available on day one as they need additional work on ramps, fencing, and electrical work, followed by a final walkthrough and certificate of occupancy. Kennington said there were alternative plans in place and that it was a matter of weeks, not months, before the portables would be ready.
  • The board unanimously approved a motion to move the board meetings from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. This change was made to avoid conflict with sports practices and to allow more time for the board to socialize.

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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, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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Monument Academy School Board, July 13 – Board organizes, approves before and after care contract

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board held its July 13 meeting at The Platinum Group offices in Colorado Springs, which is the office of board President Ryan Graham. The board handled several organizational matters, agreed to a contract for before and after care, and heard committee and administrator updates.

The regular meeting was followed by a board retreat that included onboarding of new members, review of the board manual and calendar, continuous improvement and assessment, legal requirements, and strategic planning.

Board member organization

Newly elected board member Matt Ross was sworn in for his three-year term, and all board members took their required annual oath of office and signed affidavits to be forwarded to the county clerk.

Board members then discussed and volunteered for committee assignments as follows:

  • Highway 105 – Ryan Graham, president
  • Curriculum – Emily Belisle, secretary
  • School Accountability and Advisory (West Campus) – Matt Ross, board member
  • School Accountability and Advisory (East Campus) – Lindsay Clinton, vice president
  • Governance – Joe Buczkowski, treasurer, and Karen Hoida, board member
  • Finance – Buczkowski and Craig Carle, board member
  • Building and Facilities – Hoida and Graham
  • Resource Development – Carle and Clinton
  • Human Resources – Clinton and Graham
Above: At its July 13 meeting held at The Platinum Group offices in Colorado Springs, Monument Academy (MA) board President Ryan Graham (left, standing) swears in newly elected board member Matt Ross (right, standing). Seated are board members, from left, Joe Buczkowski, Craig Carle, Emily Belisle, and Lindsay Clinton. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: At the July 13 Monument Academy (MA) board meeting, all board members took their annual oath of office and signed affidavits to be sent to the clerk and recorder. Standing from left are Joe Buczkowski, treasurer; Karen Hoida, board member; Craig Carle, board member; Emily Belisle, secretary; Ryan Graham, president; Lindsay Clinton, vice president, and Matt Ross, board member. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

As part of the discussion, the board agreed to fold the Safety and Security Committee into the Buildings and Facilities Committee and to disband the Volunteer Committee as MA is moving to a new system called ParentSquare.

Before and after care contract signed

Graham noted that the board had approved a revision to a potential contract for before and after care with Leading Edge in November 2022 but that Leading Edge did not agree to the changes. The board considered a new proposal by Monument’s Best that had been vetted by its legal counsel. Tom and Chrystal Lind, founders of Monument’s Best, were present to answer questions. They noted that there is a state-mandated process to vet employees who would be given access to MA that included background checks, courses, and CPR certification.

Operations Manager Jake Dicus met with Monument’s Best when the Leading Edge arrangement didn’t work out. His kids have participated in its program, and he felt it would fulfill a need for MA’s families. Dicus said 15 families must sign up for the before care program to work financially. If MA is closed, Monument’s Best will offer sports camps using MA’s facilities for MA kids and, possibly, other kids from the community. Once approved, Dicus planned to put together a slide show to send out to parents to gain interest and would present it as part of the back-to-school night. Dicus and elementary school Principal Kurt Walker have discussed the facilities to be used at MA’s West Campus.

Monument’s Best has membership software to help parents sign up for its programs. Its contract is for one year with wording for indemnification. It is licensed for up to 60 kids but could amend that if needed.

The board unanimously approved the contract and authorized Graham to execute it.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Graham reported that work was in progress on the recirculation road around MA West necessitated by the Highway 105 expansion. Some re-engineering was required due to water runoff from heavy rains. He said carline information would be sent out before school starts.
  • A parent spoke during the public comment agenda item, expressing concern about showing non-educational movies to kids for indoor recess in general and objecting to the movie Elemental by Disney specifically. She also asked if MA would be required to financially participate in the Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) program each year, noting it has cost $45,000.
  • Interim Chief Executive Officer Kim McClelland provided financial highlights in lieu of financial consultant Officer Glen Gustafson, saying he is in a good place with the audit and is closing out the school year. She had no details to share from the district on the free lunch service but noted that only the elementary school would be participating. She also noted that the CKH expense was for the initial staff training to use the discipline model in the handbook. Principals could sign up for a premium offer with resources, mentoring, and implementation guides for $4,000 annually.
  • The board discussed and approved an updated student handbook for its West Campus, making minor updates to carline, board eligibility, and logo use.
  • The board unanimously approved the new graduation requirements presented by high school Principal David Kennington, who noted that requirements include a capstone project. He said that parents and students want to have a traditional valedictorian honor for the highest grade point average (GPA), which may have to be determined at the thousandth level. Additional honors for high GPAs would be conferred. Graduation is expected to be on Saturday, May 18, possibly at MA, wearing a black gown with a stole. He said families wanted guidelines for senior photos, suggesting a modest dress code with no pajamas or furry costumes be submitted with a message that aligns with MA.
  • The board approved an update to the 1501ES Elementary School Uniform Policy, adding a daily wear sweatshirt with MA’s logo.
  • The board unanimously approved the preschool calendar, policies and procedures, and revised tuition contract.
  • The board discussed the draft of new curriculum policies to include supplemental curriculum selection and tabled any action to the August board meeting.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 6 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.

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Monument Academy School Board, June 8 – Board reorganizes, hears legislative

By Jackie Burhans

At its June 8 regular meeting, the Monument Academy board spotlighted a departing board member and filled a vacancy with a former board candidate. The board also heard a legislative update from House Rep. Don Wilson, HD-20. Finally, the board heard about an upcoming meeting on Navigating Gender Issues as well as updates on the East Campus modulars and the West Campus Highway 105 recirculation project.

Board member changes

Board President Ryan Graham started the meeting by spotlighting board member Michael Geers, whose term would end on June 30. Geers had been appointed to fill the vacancy created when former board member Misty McCuen resigned in August 2022. Graham said boards remain strong and productive based on the people who serve and thanked Geers for his service.

Monument Academy (MA) board President Ryan Graham, left, presents a certificate of appreciation to Michael Geers, who was appointed to the board last August to fill a vacancy. Graham noted that a board’s effectiveness depends on the people who serve, thanking Geers for his service. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

With the May 25 resignation of board member Danny O’Brien, the MA board moved to fill this new vacancy. At McCuen’s resignation in August, the board held a community-wide search which resulted in the appointment of Geers. In that closed-ballot vote, candidate Karen Hoida was the runner-up.

Graham moved that the board appoint Hoida to fill the new vacancy, given that it occurred in the same fiscal year as their previous search. Hoida, a Leadership Program of the Rockies graduate, has lived in the area for 30 years, is a lawyer who specializes in litigation and real property, and supports the mission and vision of Monument Academy, which supports her values, she said. The board unanimously approved her appointment.

Above:On June 8, the Monument Academy (MA) school board unanimously appointed Karen Hoida to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Danny O’Brien. Hoida, who is a lawyer, will serve the remainder of his term. Photos by Jackie Burhans.

Hoida was sworn in and took her seat alongside other board members. All current board members, along with newly elected board member Matt Ross, will take their oaths of office in July. The board voted for its officers, retaining Graham as board president, Lindsay Clinton as vice president, Emily Belisle as secretary, and Joe Buczkowski as treasurer. Board committee assignments will be decided in July.

Legislative updates

Rep. Don Wilson HD-20, the former mayor of Monument, briefed the board on relevant bills from the 2023 legislative session. Wilson serves on the Education Committee in the state Legislature.

The bills he thought would be of interest to the MA board included:

At the June 8 meeting of the Monument Academy (MA) school board, state Rep. Don Wilson (left) provided an update on relevant bills from the 2023 legislative session. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
  • HB-1009 Secondary School Student Substance Use. This puts the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) in charge of how drug use is handled in districts and schools. This bill has been signed into law.
  • HB-1291 Procedures for Expulsion Hearing Officers. The state feels there should be uniform guidelines and a set way of handling expulsions. This bill has been signed into law.
  • HB-1003 School Mental Health Assessment. This lets the CDE conduct mental health assessments on students in sixth through 12th grade and provide mental health advice. The bill, which exempts home school enrichment students or those who only participate in extracurricular activities, has been signed into law.
  • HB-1176 PERA Defined Contribution Plan School Personnel. Wilson was a sponsor of this failed bill which would have allowed teachers to choose a 401K style defined contribution plan in lieu of the standard defined benefit plan.
  • HB-1025 Charter School Application Timelines. Although this doesn’t impact MA, it gives new charter schools more time to complete applications. It has been signed into law.
  • SB-087 Teacher degree apprenticeship program. Wilson was a sponsor on this bill, which was signed into law, that allows an alternative route to teacher licensure.
  • SB-065 Career Development Success Program. This bill, sponsored by Wilson and state Sen. Paul Lundeen SD-9 and signed into law, expands and continues access to trade schools by increasing funding. The bill removes the requirement for the successful completion of apprenticeships and adds the board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) to the program.
  • SB-205 Universal High School Scholarship Program. Wilson and Lundeen were sponsors for this bill, which was signed into law, that makes scholarships available to high school students who go into trades rather than a traditional four-year college.

Wilson said he looked forward to the next legislative session, where he would be watchful for bills impacting charter schools, including waivers for requirements for highly qualified teachers.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Clinton reminded the attendees of the upcoming June 27 meeting on Navigating Gender Issues. It will be held at 6 p.m. on the East Campus and will include board members as well as MA’s lawyer Brad Miller. Topics will include Colorado state laws and the board’s proclamation against discrimination protection for LGBTQ students. There will be a question-and-answer session.
  • Graham reported that construction is underway on the recirculation road at MA’s West Campus that was required due to the Highway 105 widening. Overly saturated soil due to recent rains has slowed the project somewhat. He encouraged parents to be careful due to construction traffic.
  • Graham reported that modular construction on the East Campus would be completed in July before the school session begins in August.
At the June 8 meeting, board President Ryan Graham reported that construction was underway at the Monument Academy (MA) West Campus on the new recirculation road that goes around the school building to divert traffic from Highway 105. Recent rains have slowed the work due to oversaturated soil. Graham asked that MA parents use caution when driving around the school due to the construction traffic. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, July 13, at 6 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.

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MA School Board, May 11, 25 – MA addresses gender issues, budgets

By Jackie Burhans

At its May 11 regular meeting, the Monument Academy board heard from its community about a gender restroom issue and heard committee highlights. At a special meeting on May 25, the board approved budgets, including changes to job descriptions and organizational structures.

MA addresses gender issues again

During citizen comments, mother and daughter Jenn and Avery Brady spoke out on an interaction between the daughter and a transgender girl who used a restroom. Jenn Brady said her daughter had started a petition to secure privacy and safety in the restroom. She said she was proud of MA’s previous proclamation on gender issues but that it must close the loop to protect all students. The current solution for a student who feels unsafe is to use a unisex restroom or one by the nurse, which she felt discriminated against the majority, causing students to lose passing time—the time between classes when students must pass from one room to another. The solution, while costly, she said, was for MA to overhaul its restrooms. She felt confident parents would rally and said the ball was in MA’s court.

Avery reminded the board that its proclamation supported natural law and moral truth and said it would protect the innocence, well-being, privacy, and safety of every one of MA’s students. Recently, she said, a “biological male” [sic] has been seen entering the girls’ restroom. She said she understood that MA had to follow state law and allow “biological males” identifying as females access to the girls’ restroom. However, the board proclamation mentions the overall privacy of every student. She said MA was protecting “his” privacy but what about hers and that of all the other girls? She said that MA proclaimed it would protect every student, which means her as well.

MA’s proclamation against gender identity protection can be found on its website at bit.ly/ma-proclamation. Read more information about that proclamation at www.ocn.me/v22n3.htm#ma.

Later in the agenda, the board discussed a proposed Town Hall meeting with legal counsel on navigating gender issues at MA. President Ryan Graham said that there had been an incident at MA’s East Campus that caused a significant number of parents to reach out to the board regarding gender issues and the use of restrooms. He encouraged parents to familiarize themselves with two bills mentioned in MA’s proclamation: SB08-200, which expands discrimination protection to a person’s sexual orientation, and HB21-1108, which clarifies that protected class includes “gender identity” and “gender expression.” He noted that MA and every charter school must comply or be subject to legal action. The proclamation is an official announcement but does not constitute a violation of the law.

The intent of the Town Hall is to ask questions and hear directly from legal counsel what they can do as parents and what MA can do as a school while still being in accordance with the law. The meeting will be open to the community, and at least three board members will be in attendance. The Town Hall will be held on June 27 at 6 p.m. at MA’s East Campus.

Budgets approved

At the May 11 regular meeting, interim COO Kim McClelland reported on the FY23-24 budget in the absence of interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Gary Gustafson. This met the state requirement that the budget be presented to the board before May 31.

At a special meeting on May 25, Gustafson returned to request approval of a supplemental budget for FY22-23, explaining that, while school districts and charters can amend budgets throughout the year, after Jan. 1 the only mechanism to do so was via a supplemental budget for which an entity must have additional revenues or resources. MA needed to do so to clean up different accounts and accommodate expenditures for the year, he said, noting that it was a violation of state statutes for expenditures to exceed appropriations and that approving the supplemental budget would bring MA back into alignment.

He reminded the board that in the previous year, the auditor had commented that MA had exceeded its total appropriations and it was important not to do so a second time. The revised appropriation showed a total increase of $2.3 million, primarily to the foundation fund, which accommodates the debt service for the East Campus building. He noted that MA’s original forecast was for 1,150 students, but they had only certified 1107.5 students, which resulted in $300,000 less in program funding. The board unanimously approved the FY22-23 supplemental budget.

Gustafson then discussed the proposed FY23-24 budget, starting by thanking the staff and interim COO for their work. He said he welcomed the board adopting the budget documents but that it had until June 30 to approve it. He started with budget assumptions which included increasing enrollment by just over 100 students to a total enrollment of 1219.5, noting that this is a plan and that numbers can be amended later. He noted the budget plans for 676.5 students in elementary and breaks out middle school at 402 from high school at an enrollment of 141. The 2023 school finance act set the per-pupil funding at $10,034, and he expects the per-pupil mill levy override (MLO) funding to be slightly decreased, although due to increased enrollment, the total will be higher. The budget assumptions also include revenues from instructional material fees for the first time and will include MA’s expenses such as contributions to insurance, the Public Employee Retirement Account (PERA), and Medicare.

The board packet included the appropriation resolution, which sets the maximum MA can spend by fund, including $17.4 million in the general fund, $500,000 in the preschool fund, and set amounts in the facilities, foundation, and pupil activity fund. By approving the resolution, the board would be approving the budget. Another required document is the fund balance resolution that would disclose any fund draw-down activity but is set to zero at this time. The inter-fund borrowing resolution is required by the state and applies to MA, which pools its cash into a single account. The statute requires MA to pay back any inter-fund borrowing within 60 days and to balance the accounts by June 30 each year. The preschool fund is kept separately, and MA has no anticipation of a preschool grant this year. The budgeted revenue is based on preschool fees but is very uncertain given the rollout of Colorado’s Universal Preschool program (UPK), in which MA is not participating.

Gustafson also noted that the Facilities Corporation fund and the Foundation fund are used to transfer money to pay principal, interest, and trustee management fees for the West Campus and East Campus buildings, respectively. This is a significant part of the budget, he said, informing the board that preliminary conversations have begun on how to refund the 2019 bonds for the East Campus. He said MA needed to continue to hope that interest rates would come down. Gustafson said that accurate accounting by school was a requirement of MA’s bond covenants.

The middle school is basically subsidizing the high school, he said, which is common until enrollment gets larger and the high school can cover more of the central overhead facility costs. He said he would create a unique accounting system where anything that could be directly charged to the middle or high school would be, but the central common area costs would be allocated on a per-pupil basis. This would transfer $2.3 million of common area costs to the middle school.

Finally, Gustafson noted that he was thrilled to have a balanced budget that cleaned up deficits, included all staff, and was not dependent on fundraising for operational needs. The budget, he said, is resourcing for the board’s strategic plan. It’s a tight budget without much flexibility, he said, and MA will need to continue with budget discipline next year. He explained that MA would pool all its financial resources into its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software so that schools, department heads, and principals could look at their budgets at any time in addition to receiving monthly reports. New processes would be implemented to require a budget transfer request if there was a budget overrun, and a full-time equivalent (FTE) authorization form would need approval before an additional employee could be hired.

McClelland noted that following these procedures would be one of the principals’ goals. Board member Craig Carle suggested that since the budget did not include fundraising, perhaps any fundraising could furnish contingency funds. Gustafson said that since MA did get donations, the budget does have $100,000 total in fundraising for both campuses. He said any money from a fundraising effort such as the gala could be used for specific targeted purposes like an athletic field.

The board voted unanimously to approve the FY23-24 budget.

Updated job descriptions and org chart

As part of the budget discussion, McClelland reviewed changes to the organization chart and updates to job descriptions. The organization chart reflects what is in the budget, she said, and approving the budget would approve the positions but not necessarily the structure. McClelland said she added the students to the top of the organization chart as they are the most important part. To foster the goal of “one MA” she has added the PTO to the chart to show how they support the overall organization. The organization chart is split into Operations and Finance, Academic, and Student Support. Some positions overlap the areas, and each section has categories showing the reporting structure.

She discussed changing the position name from COO to executive director, saying she felt strongly that it reflected that the position covered academics as well as operations. The chart was color coded with dark blue representing the executive director and support systems such as finance, marketing, facilities, athletics, and operations manager, which is the new title for Jake Dicus, whose title of manager of Development and Mission Engagement was incorrect. The position is responsible for day-to-day operations under the executive director and has no one reporting to it. Human Resources is a change in nomenclature from People Operations, and there is an added position of school culture and assessment coordinator that will be posted. This role will cover all grade levels and help support the principals in behavioral matters through discipline, proactive programs, and family engagement, as well as working with contractor Jennifer Strawbridge in data collection and reporting via dashboards.

Gustafson said they had discussed the feasibility of hiring a finance director but that, given the progress made in the past five months, he was reluctant to turn the work back over. In fact, he said the turnover in finance over the past four to five years had hindered the financial integrity of the school. Knowing the budget is tight, he will continue to fill in on a part-time basis as a contract employee, with existing staff picking up the day-to-day activities. He plans to grow the capabilities of the finance staff and turn over things like payroll and bank reconciliation so he can focus on big projects like debt financing for the parking lot, refinancing the 2019 bonds, and preparing for the audit. Gustafson said he could build a more sustainable structure for the long term if he stays another year. He confirmed that, for the next six months, he would still be attending Finance Committee and board meetings while working to bring purchasing and payroll back in-house. MA is paying Netchex $3,600 per month to do payroll, and he hopes to save that money and be in great shape by January 2024.

Board member Emily Belisle asked about the name change to teacher assistant from para; McClelland explained that the term para usually was used for special education. She also clarified that the two women who had shared the registrar position would be full-time employees, each responsible for a separate campus. The position of athletics manager is another nomenclature change as director positions usually have a master’s degree or at least a principal’s license. She said she was working with Michael Svendsen on an alternative administrative degree. She also confirmed that MA’s Director of Academics, Tina Leone, is still part-time and would be assisted by the person they hire in the new instructional coach role.

Finally, Belisle asked to understand the Special Education (SPED) department and why the positions of school psychologist, social worker, and counselor were necessary. McClellan said that she had reviewed MA’s charter contract with the district and was surprised to see it was on a fully insured model where every employee would be approved or provided by the school district. This is not how things work now, she said, and she would be seeking an amendment to the charter contract to better define roles and revenue related to SPED. Once she has that, she will be better able to walk through it with the board, but in the meantime, these roles are placeholders in the organization chart.

Board member Joe Bukowski asked about budgeting for school resource officers (SROs) and the collectability of instructional fees. McClelland explained that a second SRO was in the budget under safety and security as a contracted position from the Monument Police Department, along with additional sensors to detect propped doors. She said that principals recently went through the list of outstanding fees and contacted parents, some of whom had not reviewed their Infinite Campus accounts. There will be a more proactive process going forward, she said, noting that MA could limit privileges such as checking out a library book or walking at graduation for students with outstanding fees.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

Above: Monument Academy (MA) board Vice President Lindsay Clinton presents a certificate of appreciation to Amanda Peters, a parent, for her event planning and other support for MA’s gala fundraiser event: Boot, Scoot & Bid held on April 20 at the Spruce Mountain Ranch. The event raised $129,000 to support teacher compensation, safety, and security. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

  • Board Vice President Lindsay Clinton spotlighted Amanda Peters, a parent, for bringing her event-planning skills to MA’s Boot, Scoot, and Bid fundraiser. Dicus reported that the event was a great success, raising over $129,000, which would impact salaries, contributions toward benefits, and a second school resource officer.

  • The board unanimously approved changes to MA’s bylaws specifying that the board may not include MA employees or their immediate family and declaring that a director shall be deemed to have resigned in the event they have two unexcused absences.

  • The board set its summer retreat date for 9 a.m. July 13 ahead of its regular meeting.

  • Clinton said that Board Café chats would resume in August.

  • Graham said the first preconstruction meeting for the recirculation road around the West Campus was held on the morning of May 11 at the Wilson & Co offices. They will be mobilizing equipment on May 22 and breaking ground shortly.

  • Graham thanked the MA West Campus Parent-Teacher Organization for reaching out about a shade structure. He spoke with contractors at a pre-construction meeting about doing this work at the same time.

  • Board member Michael Geers reported on the School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West end-of-year survey, which recommended the school put out a video on how to use the carline and hopes to see PTO events better promoted.

  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that the SAAC East end-of-year survey had 39 responses, whose greatest concern was mid-year teacher turnover. The committee recommends that the board remain dedicated to staff pay and retention, aligning curriculum, expanding extracurricular activities, and developing school spirit and meaningful traditions.

  • After the adjournment of the May 11 board meeting, Calvin Yuen, a student, spoke against the board’s cancelation of an eSport event, saying the club was trying to make money for something students are passionate about.

  • After the executive session following the special meeting on May 25, the board reported that member Danny O’Brien has resigned from the board.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, June 8, at 6 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

Other Monument Academy articles

Monument Academy School Board, April 13 – MA selects board members, makes progress on finances

By Jackie Burhans

At its April 13 regular meeting, the Monument Academy board selected the sole two candidates as board members, heard positive updates from its interim finance director, and discussed how to handle snow days for the remainder of the school year. The board also heard committee updates.

Board members selected

Vice President Lindsay Clinton had announced in January that two board seat terms were ending on June 30—that of Graham and of Michael Geers, who had been appointed to fill a vacancy. She said there were only two applicants for the seats—Graham and Michael Ross, so there was no need to proceed to an election. She gave the two candidates a chance to speak.

Ross said he had three children at MA and a 2-year-old at home. He said his family loves MA and is committed to their children’s education. He lives in Palmer Lake, runs a small business, and is deeply invested in the community and the next generation. He is an executive pastor at Pikes Peak Christian Church in Colorado Springs in Security-Widefield, where he deals with staff and budget issues. He said he has been in the ministry for 21 years, and his experience is very applicable to what the school board needs. He holds conservative Christian values and is looking for the opportunity to serve. Ross said in the last couple of years, he began observing what was happening in the country, and his eyes were wide and shocked. He believes that children are under attack both physically and spiritually, and he and his wife have decided that this is the time for parents to speak up.

Graham read from a written statement and said he was honored and grateful to have the opportunity to seek re-election. He felt that MA was one of the last beacons of hope, was at the forefront of radical ideologies, and needed to be willing to protect the innocence of children. He also said he was part of MA’s course correction and believes the school is on the cusp of greatness. He spoke of some of the board’s accomplishments of the past three years, including resolutions against critical race theory, testifying at the capitol against anti-charter legislation, and giving voice to parents. He said his vision over the next three years would be to continually stand firm against culture wars, a perpetual battle. He is also committed to ensuring MA can restructure its bonds before its balloon payment of $29 million comes due in 2026, among other goals.

Clinton made a motion to approve by acclamation that Ross and Graham would begin three-year terms beginning July 1. The board unanimously approved this motion.

Positive financial report

MA’s financial consultant, Glenn Gustafson, reported that the school was in a rhythm where it was closing month-end in a timely manner, getting payroll posted, getting the bank reconciliation done, balancing the books each month, and getting the financial results to the board.

He reported a meeting with Brett Ridgway, District 38’s chief business officer, to review several line items that resulted in additional revenue streams that had not yet been distributed to MA. Those revenues have been received and recorded in the March financial statements and have improved MA’s financial position. One example was a Colorado state check for capital funding for FY2021 that was recently received by Lewis-Palmer School District and was quickly remitted to MA. He called attention to the end of the financial report, which showed the elementary school in positive territory with $100,000 net income year to date, noting that the secondary was lagging with a negative amount of $70,000 but was much improved from previous months. Gustafson said it sets MA up well to get through the remainder of the year to be in a much better position than initially thought.

He also dug into administrative costs with Ridgway, mutually discovering outdated allocations, which will be revised for FY22-23.

Gustafson also reported that MA is earning 4.5% on its market account with Integrity Bank, which he called “fantastic.” He still wants to proceed with opening a ColoTrust account, as approved by the board in its January meeting, with a small balance so it could be used easily. The ColoTrust interest is 5%, so going with Integrity Bank only loses a few basis points while supporting a valued local partner. See the article about ColoTrust at www.ocn.me/v23n2.htm#ma.

Gustafson contacted MA’s audit firm CliftonLarsonAllen CPA (CLA) about working on the tax return and will provide any additional information requested. The representative from CLA mentioned that its fees would increase from $12,000 to $30,000 with a similar increase for the school district, noting that he understood that MA might look at other options.

In his final section, Gustafson said Interim Chief Operating Officer Kim McClelland had pulled together the leadership team to work on the budget. Krista Pelley, director of People Operations, is working on the staff allocation for Gustafson to add to the budget, so they are on track with this process. He explained that traditionally, once the board approves the preliminary budget assumptions, there is a blackout period while staff builds the budget. He asked for additional time but said he was still on track to deliver the budget to the board in May for its approval by June 30, as required by law.

Gustafson explained that the Legislature was delayed in releasing the School Finance Act, which delayed the Colorado Department of Education from releasing the exact funding to each district. One serious concern was that the Legislature was considering diverting money from the cost-of-living factor to rural schools, impacting MA and D38 significantly. Local districts could see up to a $6 million loss, and several factions, including school districts, the Colorado Association of School Executives, and the Rural School Alliance, were lobbying against this change.

Note: The state Legislature dropped these changes from the School Finance Act after this board meeting.

In his Finance Committee report, board member Joe Buczkowski confirmed that, of the additional revenues found, a significant amount was applied to the East Campus, which meant the East Campus could end up in the black compared to the budgeted $376,000 loss and that there was now a very low risk that MA’s cash on hand would fall below its 2019 bond covenant requirements. He also confirmed that both First National Bank and Integrity Bank, each of which holds over $500,000 in certificates of deposit for MA, comply with the Colorado Public Deposit Protection Act, which protects deposits of public funds in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) maximum of $250,000. Finally, Buczkowski said MA intended to post the director of finance position in May.

Handling snow days

High School Principal David Kennington discussed options for handling potential snow days and state instructional contact requirements. He noted that MA East could not accommodate another delay or closure after the most recent snow day and remain in compliance with state requirements. Through a joint effort of principals and the COO, the team considered three options:

  1. Extending instructional hours. This could be done by converting the remaining Fridays from half to full days or adding minutes to each school day.
  2. Extending the school year. This could be done by leveraging the May 19 teacher workday but is not a popular option as many parents already have made vacation plans.
  3. eLearning days. Kennington said this was the preferred method, noting that Palmer Ridge High School was already doing this. eLearning would be the least disruptive and would include the opportunity for virtual meetings and synchronous or asynchronous learning leveraging free 40-minute Zoom sessions.

Kennington said most middle school teachers preferred eLearning, with high school teachers splitting between eLearning and extended days. The School Accountability Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the high school parent advisory group preferred eLearning. McClelland noted that the board did not have to vote on the decision but that she wanted them to know which option was preferred, also recounting that the school calendar has fewer half-day Fridays to avoid this issue next year. Clinton said she appreciated seeing the decision process and understood both the objections and the impacts.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • The board approved a special budget meeting at the East Campus on May 25 at 10 a.m.
  • McClelland reported that she was now leading a technology committee and had put together teacher feedback, and had created a parent survey
  • Graham reported that the Highway 105 expansion-related project had begun preliminary work with a drone pilot mapping out a parcel for the development of the recirculation.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that they are in the draft stages of the new curriculum adoption policy, dividing it between main and supplemental curriculums taught to 75% and 25% of students, respectively. The math curriculum subcommittee was continuing to meet because of expected long-term changes and was looking at pros and cons and narrowing down which curricula the school should consider.
  • Belisle noted that technology had been moved out of the umbrella of the curriculum committee, whose task was to home in on defining MA’s approach and intention for using technology in education. She encouraged parents to provide feedback.
  • Both the East and West Campus SAAC committees reported that end-of-year surveys were being finalized and requested that parents provide feedback.
  • The board adjourned to executive session to discuss security arrangements and the performance and evaluation process for administrators, returning to adjourn the meeting without further action, discussion, or public comments not pertaining to agenda items.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, May 11, at 6 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 School Board articles

Monument Academy School Board, March 9 – MA building corporation executes construction documents; board extends interim COO contract

Monument Academy School Board, March 9 – MA building corporation executes construction documents; board extends interim COO contract

By Jackie Burhans

At its March 9 regular meeting, members of the Monument Academy Building Corp. (MABC), which owns Monument Academy’s (MA) West Campus property, signed documents executing contracts for its recirculation construction. Also, the MA board extended the contract of its interim chief operating officer (COO).

Recirculation road contracts executed

President Ryan Graham noted that the project to build a recirculation road around MA’s West Campus had been two years in the making. The road will go around the building and field on the West Campus and recirculate the traffic, so it comes in and goes out on Village Ridge Point instead of using Highway 105. He introduced Eric Norwood of Wilson & Co. as MA’s owners’ representative and construction manager along with David Kunstle of Sparks Wilson PC as MA’s legal counsel who helped to navigate many of the third-party approvals required.

Next, he introduced the MABC board, Chris Dole, Mark McWilliams, and Joe Buczkowski. Dole and McWilliams are former MA board members, and Buczkowski is on both the MA and the MABC boards as per board bylaws. MABC, Graham explained, owns the West Campus land and building.

Each board member had access to a binder containing the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with El Paso County to acquire a small portion of MA’s West Campus land along with a non-exclusive permanent easement and two temporary easements for the county’s Highway 105 Project A widening project. The agreed-upon just compensation for this agreement is around $89,900, which is more than MA’s own appraisal. The MA board unanimously consented for the MABC board to execute the MOA with the county.

The board also considered and unanimously approved a Trade Contractor Agreement with Wildcat Construction. Graham noted that MA had received two bids and that because the project is being funded by Pikes Peak Regional Transit Authority (PPRTA), they selected the lower bid. In concert with the county, MA’s legal counsel and MA’s owners’ representative the board is advocating that this move forward. The MA board unanimously consented for the MABC board to execute this agreement.

The board also unanimously approved an indemnification agreement with Woodmoor Water and Sanitation (WWSD) to allow for the construction of a road over a conservation easement that WWSD controls on MA’s land. WWSD had approved this agreement at its own board meeting. The MA board had also previously approved an owner-engineer agreement with Wilson & Co. and added a resolution for the Board of County Commissioners to authorize MABC to execute the agreements adopted by the MA board.

McWilliams then called to order the MABC board meeting to unanimously approve the MOA with the county for the acquisition of a right of way and easements, the trade contractor agreement, the WWSD indemnification agreement, and the owner-engineer agreement. Graham asked that the MABC resolution be added, which McWilliams agreed to do. MABC recessed its meeting to sign the documents and returned to adjourn its meeting, returning control to the MA board for its meeting to continue.

Graham said that now that the agreements were signed, if all goes well the hope is to start the project by mid-May and conclude in three to four months.

Interim COO contract extended

After a lengthy executive session to discuss details of security arrangements and for negotiations regarding the COO contract, the board resumed and board member Craig Carle moved to approve interim COO Kim McClelland’s contract for the next fiscal school year, subject to contract negotiations. The board unanimously approved the motion.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Carle spotlighted teacher Debbie Kappel, who was nominated by her peers for her excellent instruction in the classroom, contributions to the curriculum committee, and always being willing to help. Kappel was not present to receive her certificate.
  • The board held a budget workshop on March 21 at the West Campus.
  • Carle reported that the Lynx Fund was currently at $75,000 of its $500,000 goal with an additional $23,000 if proceeds from the Gala are included. He said MA had started filming for a commercial to show the community where the fundraising is going.
  • Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported that the FY21-22 financial audit from independent auditors CliftonLarsonAllen LLP was online and received a clean, unmodified opinion. The document includes a long-term view called the statement of net position as well as a short-term statement of activities. He noted recommendations on the segregation of duties and regular reconciliation of accounts between MA and D38.
  • The board unanimously approved resolutions authorizing a change of authorized signers for Integrity Bank and First National Bank.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that the School Accountability Advisory Committee (SAAC) East had seen an in-depth presentation on NWEA (formerly Northwest Evaluation Association) results for middle school math from Principal Collin Vinchattle, which resulted in a decision to stay the course with MA’s math curriculum for the next school year. Moving forward, MA is looking at increasing testing for middle school core subjects at the beginning, middle, and end of the year so it has data to make decisions.
  • Vice President Lindsay Clinton noted that the board election applications were due March 31, and there were two applicants at the meeting: Matt Ross and Ryan Graham.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, April 13, at 6 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 El Paso County Board of County Commissioners articles

Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 9 – Board hears finance and mid-year COO updates

By Jackie Burhans

Correction

In the Feb. 4 edition of OCN, the MA article misstated that Graham was term-limited. In March 2022, the board amended its bylaws to clarify term limits and Graham can run for a second term. OCN regrets the error.

At its Feb. 9 regular meeting, the Monument Academy (MA) board heard an update from its financial consultant and interim chief operating officer (COO), discussed the proposed school calendar, updated the middle school uniform policy, and heard committee updates. After the meeting adjourned, the board heard from a parent about withdrawing her student to home-school.

Financial update

Glenn Gustafson, MA’s financial consultant, reported that he had been working diligently on integrating into MA’s financial systems. He spent time in the past month on the annual bond deadlines for compliance reporting. He said he was working on payroll posting, the general ledger, and bank reconciliation. He noted that the board should have the quarterly statement in its new Colorado Department of Education (CDE)-compliant format. The new format, Gustafson said, is easier to read and shows the balance sheet, bond information, and school information with graphs and charts. This will be more user-friendly for the board and community and will benefit the school in the long run, he said. The report will also be on the school’s financial transparency page at https://www.monumentacademy.net/financial-transparency/.

Interim COO mid-year update

Interim COO Kim McClelland began by acknowledging the work it took to open MA in 1996 with 180 students and grow it into a thriving public charter school. She said her goal for the work that she and Gustafson are doing is to provide hope, sustainability, and cohesiveness.

The last strategic plan was done in 2016, and she wants to take that work and build upon it to provide a living document that will be updated and monitored. One key update she recommends is simplifying the mission and vision statement. Since she started, she has felt the need to bring the two campuses together as one unified community and build trust and collaboration between them.

McClelland highlighted activities in the previous 53 days, including revising financial systems by updating them for compliance, creating efficiencies, and beginning budget development. She also discussed ensuring the secondary campus complies with its bond covenants and reviewing service contracts to see if they are an efficient way to do business.

McClelland provided the following additional updates:

  • MA will have its first high school graduating class next year and will continue to focus on character development and partnership with parents. MA will review the special-education process and working with the district. MA needs more assessment data, more often to show results from beginning, middle, and end of the year on a dashboard. This would allow MA to fine-tune the academic program. She will review a draft of curriculum development policy with the curriculum
  • She is conducting a survey of staff in elementary and secondary schools to make informed decisions and budget for devices since the Colorado Measures of Success (CMAS) testing is moving to devices only.
  • Saxon math is going away, so MA needs to determine a replacement.
  • Work on the modulars at East Campus should be complete by spring break. Both campuses need maintenance work. She is looking at staffing a facilities manager to cover both buildings and updating facility rental processes and costs.
  • MA needs to improve communication and consistency around discipline. She has started a discipline matrix with level one for classroom disruptions through level three for very serious matters. MA needs to determine how often and when it does in or out-of-school suspensions, follow state law while ensuring conversations with the social worker and counselors but leave room for administration to have decision autonomy.

McClelland also touched on Title 9 training, the mandatory reporting process, enrollment, safety and security, the recirculation project at West Campus, athletics, outreach and communication with parents, outside committees and group alignment, the fundraising campaign, marketing and branding, and partnerships with the community and D38.

Updated calendar

McClelland reported that a survey of teachers showed a preference to stay with the current calendar and stay close to the D38 calendar. For the 2023-24 proposed calendar, some of the professional development days were moved along with the April teacher appreciation day off. She discussed using a new calculator to ensure MA complies with state contact hour requirements. She noted that extra snow days are built into the calendar but that if they were not needed, MA could adjust the last day of school. She also wants to create a draft calendar for the following year to allow people to plan.

The board unanimously approved the 2023-24 calendar for grades K-6 and 6-12 as presented.

Middle School uniform policy amended

President Ryan Graham noted that this was a formality based on the previous month’s decision to allow middle schoolers to wear team athletic wear. Board member Joe Buczkowski said he did his best to draft changes to the policy that were approved but not codified at the last meeting.

Buczkowski added athletic apparel in its own section, saying that athletic polo shirts and fleece jackets may be part of the daily uniform and polos must be tucked in. He also took the opportunity to fix some small typos and font issues.

The board voted 5 to 1 to approve the policy as amended, with board member Emily Belisle voting no after requesting a discussion of some oversight for the potential duplication with fundraising groups in the school.

Public comment on reasons for withdrawing

After the board returned from a nearly two-hour executive session discussing security arrangements, a contract for school administration, and the evaluation of the interim school leader and finance team, it adjourned after taking no action.

The next agenda item allowed for citizen comments not pertaining to an agenda item, and Tanya Santiago explained why she had withdrawn her children to home-school them. She said she originally selected MA due to its stance against critical race theory and gender and identity confusion.

However, she became concerned when the middle school principal explained at an assembly why Capturing Kids Hearts was an amazing social-emotional learning (SEL) program. She said she shouldn’t have to explain to a truly conservative school board why SEL poses such a huge threat. She quoted from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) organization that SEL is anchored in the notion of justice-oriented citizenship and discusses issues of culture, identity, agency, belonging, and engagement. She said that to her, that is socialism.

She also noted that a high school substitute teacher had their class debate the COVID-19 vaccine by physically segregating kids based on their opinion. She felt that no child should be easily identifiable as having been vaccinated or not and felt it was a horrible idea to have a debate class cover such a hot-button issue. When she spoke with Principal David Kennington, he asked her if she understood the classical education model that MA offered.

Finally, she noted that a suicide prevention program like Sources of Strength required student participation, raising the concern that if one student failed to recognize that another was planning to commit suicide, the damage would be irreversible. She also said the program was so secret that parents were required to go to the D38 administration building and leave their cell phone off so they could not photograph it.

She had a lot of hope for MA, she said, but it didn’t work out so her kids would now be home-schooled.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • The board updated its list of authorized signers for its Integrity Bank CDs to replace those no longer at the school.
  • Board member Craig Carle spotlighted three staff members: Loura Polen, Krista Pelley, and Lena Gross who dropped everything to help gather bond information that was needed.
  • Graham reported for the Highway 105 committee that he would call a special meeting for the MA Building Corp. and the MA Foundation to execute documents with Wilson & Co. to allow the “recirculation project” to get started. The project is designed to have traffic go around the school and stay off Highway 105.
  • Carle reported that the Lynx Fund Annual Campaign had raised 15% or $75,000 of its $500,000 goal. He met with a videographer to discuss creating a commercial about the fundraising goal.
  • Board member Michael Geers said the West Campus School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) was working on its end-of-year survey, and the parent-teacher organization was recruiting.
  • Belisle reported that the East Campus SAAC had reviewed its survey results, posted them on the website under the school board, and written a letter to the board with its recommendations. The letter noted a high level of satisfaction with academic progress and room to streamline communications between parents and teachers.
  • The board set March 21 at 9 a.m. as the time for a 90-minute budget work session. The location is to be determined.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, March 9, at 6 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

Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 3, 12, and 27 – Board hires financial consultant

By Jackie Burhans

At a Jan. 3 special meeting, the Monument Academy (MA) board hired a financial consultant. At its regular meeting on Jan. 12, the board heard from its interim chief operating officer (COO) on its strategic plan and announced the process for upcoming board elections. Finally, at a special meeting on Jan. 27, the board heard about changes to its budgeting format and approved an amended budget for the 2022-23 school fiscal year.

Financial consultant hired

At a special meeting on Jan. 3, the board went into executive session for two hours to discuss “negotiations and advice to negotiators regarding potential contracted finance and bookkeeping services.”

The board returned to open session, noting that its former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Marc Brocklehurst had resigned effective Jan. 6 and announcing that it had found a solution. The board voted unanimously to authorize board President Ryan Graham to proceed with the execution of a contract with Glenn Gustafson as a financial consultant supporting the administration and governing board. Gustafson has extensive experience working with school districts in financial roles, including as CFO for D11 schools and School Finance Program manager at the Colorado Department of Education.

The board also approved a financial manager job description.

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Graham clarified that the financial consultant role was not a permanent posting and that the board had not hired a new CFO but had posted an open position.

Board election

Vice President Lindsay Clinton reported on the upcoming MA board election. Graham, who is term-limited, and board Director Michael Geers, who was appointed to fill a vacancy, will see their terms end on June 30. Clinton explained that the board sets policy and has two employees: the COO and CFO. MA is accepting applications through March 31 from qualified applicants who are parents or guardians of a current student and over 25 years of age.

Applicants will give a five-minute statement of interest at the April board meeting and participate in a community question-and-answer session. The five-day election will be held at the end of April.

In May, the election results will be announced at the board meeting, and newly elected directors will be sworn in at the June meeting to begin their three-year term starting July 1.

Clinton raised the idea of changing MA’s bylaws to expand board qualifications so that parents of high school juniors or seniors could continue their term after their student graduated. Graham noted that bylaw changes required a first reading and then would come back to a later meeting for a vote. Board Director Joe Buczkowski recommended the board take its time and do some additional research. Clinton agreed to table the discussion and bring it back later.

Strategic plan update gets focus

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Kim McClelland, interim COO, reported that she had been getting to know the staff, doing some fact-finding, and planning to develop operational and academic school dashboards, which visually display metrics on school performance. She noted that MA’s strategic plan had not been updated in some time. The strategic plan would improve prioritization going forward by identifying short- and long-term goals and would guide what goes onto the board agendas and the dashboards. The dashboard, she said, would be available to the community as well as the school district.

Above: The Monument Academy board heard from its interim chief operating officer (COO), Kim McClelland, at its Jan. 12 meeting about her efforts to get to know the staff, do some fact-finding, and begin planning to update MA’s strategic plan and develop operational and academic dashboards. Pictured from left to right are board members Joe Buczkowski and Danny O’Brien, Board president Ryan Graham, board members Lindsay Clinton and Craig Carle, McClelland, High School Principal David Kennington, Middle School Principal Colin Vinchattle and Elementary School Principal Kurt Walker. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

McClelland laid out the next steps and the process to work with stakeholders to develop the goals and objectives of the strategic plan, which will allow MA to hold the COO, administration, and students accountable. The plan should evolve over time, she said, and needs to be a living document that includes continuous dashboarding to show key performance indicators on how goals are being met. She hopes to have a draft by August.

Clinton and Board Director Craig Carle were appointed to the strategic plan committee.

Budget updates

The MA board met via Zoom on Jan. 27 to approve its amended budget for 2022-2023. Gustafson reported that former CFO Brocklehurst had prepared a mid-year budget that only included the general fund and not the preschool fund, the facility corporation funds, or the pupil activity fund. Gustafson said he talked to the D38 Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway, who said he was not concerned so long as MA did not exceed its original budget appropriation.

Gustafson noted that Brocklehurst’s budgets focused on looking at the two campuses separately due to bond requirements. Gustafson has been learning about the bonds and found out on Wednesday that annual reports were due on Jan. 26 for which he was able to scramble and get done. He also noted that MA had received a notice of deficiency because the audit has not been completed. He contacted the auditors, who said they are getting close and are required to complete it no later than March 1.

Gustafson said he would be preparing a budget using the Colorado Department of Education template he had created that would show all five funds consolidated and would also show the two campuses separately. Next year, MA will have a more robust budget that the board, parents, and community will like, and that will let the board and executive director make strategic decisions, he said.

The board unanimously approved the amended budget for the 2022-2023 school fiscal year.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Carle spotlighted School Resource Officer (SRO) Trevon Perry. Perry, who is also a police officer for Monument Police Department, has done a fantastic job, Carle said, building good relationships with kids and responding to a threat in December.
  • Graham reported for the Highway 105 Committee that MA had engaged Wilson & Co. as its construction manager for the West Campus recirculation project. Phase 1 of the project is expected to begin in mid-May and will construct a road behind the school to allow cars to enter and exit on Knollwood Drive and circulate around the school for carline. MA hopes to complete Phase 1 by October 2023; its current agreement with the church next door allows it to use the church’s exit until Dec. 31. Phase 2 will include a roundabout at Knollwood as part of the Highway 105 expansion by El Paso County.
  • Carle reported that the Lynx Fund Annual Campaign had raised 13% of its $500,000 goal with 153 donations, 12 of which were Lynx Legacy donations of $1,996.
  • The board approved a resolution authorizing MA to participate in the Colorado Local Government Liquid Asset Trust (ColoTrust) to pool funds for investment, increasing their return on reserve funds while maintaining liquidity and minimizing risk. Board Director Michael Geers voted no.
  • A new preschool contract and fee structure were unanimously approved by the board for the 2023-2024 fiscal school year.
  • The board approved a facility use agreement for its East Campus to be used as a Red Cross shelter in case of a disaster.
  • Geers read a letter from the parent survey conducted by the West Campus School Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC). It recommended that MA hire a communications manager and educate the community on the Colorado Measures of Academic Standards (CMAS) testing.
  • The board approved the athletic sportswear discussed in the Dec. 6 meeting for inclusion into the middle school uniform policy and instructed the governance committee to update the policy. The high school dress code already allows it.
Above: At the Jan. 12 Monument Academy (MA) meeting, board Director Craig Carle, left, presents Monument Police Officer Trevon Perry, right, who serves as MA’s school resource officer (SRO), with a certificate of appreciation. Carle spoke about Perry’s contributions to the school as its SRO. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 6 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

Monument Academy School Board, Dec. 1 and 8 – Board launches fundraising campaign; CFO resigns

By Jackie Burhans

At a Dec. 1 special meeting, the Monument Academy (MA) board launched its annual fundraising campaign. At its regular meeting on Dec. 8, the board accepted the resignation of its chief financial officer (CFO), introduced its interim chief operating officer (COO), and reviewed the amended budget and its financial challenges.

Fundraising campaign launches

At a special meeting on Dec. 1 called Give Hope, board President Ryan Graham began by saying MA’s greatest asset since its founding was its community which had shown great generosity, noting that MA was now asking for more. He briefly went over the history of opening the East Campus during the pandemic and enduring two difficult years with significant staff turnover for various reasons.

Graham provided an overview of school funding, which comes from the Public-School Finance Act of 1994. The state calculates the total per-pupil funding by setting a base number and adding money for factors such as cost of living, personnel costs, district size, and at-risk student count and then subtracts a “budget stabilization” factor to address statewide budget balancing challenges. 40% of the district funds come from a local share, made up of property taxes and specific ownership taxes (e.g., car registration fees) and the remaining 60% is backfilled by the state from other revenue sources. The current per-pupil revenue is around $8,500 per student, he said, which is allocated to Lewis-Palmer District 38, MA’s authorizer, and disbursed to MA based on its per-pupil count. MA uses this money to pay all its expenses, including the bond debt service for both campuses.

Before building the East Campus, Graham explained, MA was in a financially stable position. MA had projected it would have a total of 1,418 students for both campuses; the current count is 1,111. The projected extra 300 students would have represented nearly $2.6 million annually in additional funding. MA, he continued, has a $28.4 million balloon payment due in May 2026 and had intended to refinance based on increased enrollment numbers. The board’s short-term objective is to use the annual contributions to give the school another year to flourish and refinance its bonds after August 2024.

The board members spoke about why they chose MA, citing things such as the curriculum, character program, uniform policy, parental involvement, class size, and mission. Others spoke of coming from other schools, districts, or states that had had negative experiences or concerns. Principal David Kennington said that MA aims to provide personalized, individualized education to every student through a classical education. The challenge, he said, is to build on MA’s 26-year history of excellence, which would be a steep climb financially.

Monument Academy (MA) held a special meeting on Dec. 1 called Give Hope to launch its new annual Lynx Fund campaign. Given its economic challenges and the failure of the mill levy override (MLO) measure on the November ballot, the board is asking parents to help bridge the gap. The fundraising campaign asks parents to donate $675 per household with an option to be a Lynx Legacy Donor and be recognized with a plaque if they donate $1,996 to honor MA’s founding year. The goal for 2023 is to raise $500,000 to help fund teacher pay raises, curriculum upgrades, programs, and building improvements. Donors can make one-time or recurring payments by clicking the DONATE button at the top of the MA web page at http://www.monumentacademy.net. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Jake Dicus, manager of development and Mission Engagement, presented details of the Lynx Fund annual fundraising campaign. The goal for 2023 is to raise $500,000. While that might seem daunting, he said, with 1,100 kids from 739 households, the math comes to $675 per household. This can be paid on a one-time or monthly basis. If a family could not afford that, they could donate a lower amount, he said. He also noted an opportunity to become a “Lynx Legacy” donor by contributing $1,996 to honor the year in which MA was founded. MA will post a plaque on each campus naming Lynx Legacy donors unless they wished to remain anonymous. Dicus said another way to raise the $675 would be to leverage an employer match program or to challenge family members, friends, or businesses to contribute. Donations are tax-deductible. The funds, he said, would be used for staff compensation, school safety, curriculum, athletics, and operations. The benefits would be financial stability, teacher retention, competitive staff pay, an updated curriculum, and the ability to refinance the bonds in 2024. Dicus noted that the website now has a DONATE button at the top of the main page in the right-hand corner.

Graham challenged the board to donate at the Lynx Legacy level, wrote a check for $1,996, and passed around a basket to collect checks from other board members.

CFO resignation

At the Dec. 8 meeting, the board started by adding “to discuss personnel matters and legal questions regarding the CFO and acting COO” to its executive session citation.

Early in the meeting, CFO Marc Brocklehurst was recognized for going above and beyond every month, including covering for former COO Merlin Holmes, who resigned. The board thanked Brocklehurst for serving the MA community.

Later, after returning from a lengthy executive session with multiple topics, the board announced they had received Brocklehurst’s letter of resignation effective Jan. 6, 2023. Graham said Brocklehurst had been stalwart in navigating MA’s financial challenges and expressed the board’s gratitude and wishes for success in the private sector. The board moved and unanimously approved a motion to accept the resignation and to have its hiring subcommittee commence talks with the newly named interim COO to determine the best steps forward.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Marc Brocklehurst (left) was spotlighted by the Monument Academy (MA) board at the Dec. 8 meeting. Brocklehurst, named CFO in October 2019, is seen here with board member Craig Carle. Carle recognized him for going above and beyond every month, including covering for former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Merlin Holmes, who resigned. The board thanked him for serving the MA community. After returning from executive session, the board announced they had received Brocklehurst’s letter of resignation effective Jan. 6, 2023. Board President Ryan Graham said Brocklehurst had been stalwart in navigating MA’s financial challenges and expressed the board’s gratitude and wishes for success in the private sector. The board moved and unanimously approved a motion to accept the resignation and to have its hiring subcommittee commence talks with the newly named interim COO, Kim McClelland, to determine the best steps forward. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Introduction of interim COO

At MA’s Dec. 1 special meeting, Graham noted that the board had hired an interim COO, Kim McClelland, as an independent contractor for MA for the remainder of the school year. McClelland is a native of Colorado and got a bachelor’s degree in Social Science at the University of Northern Colorado with an emphasis on elementary education. She got her master’s in education and leadership from Jones International University and has worked as a teacher and principal. She has 25 years of experience, including serving as executive director of Colorado Digital BOCES and as a zone superintendent in D49. Graham said she has created programs for charter schools, home schools, online, and summer schools. She also served on a statewide committee to support charter schools.

The Monument Academy board introduced the new interim chief operating officer (COO), Kim McClelland, at its Dec. 8 meeting. McClelland, who has 25 years of education experience, spoke briefly, saying she was excited to partner with MA’s staff and help bring community cohesiveness. She promised to hold multiple “couch talks” and fireside chats so people can get to know her. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

McClelland spoke briefly at the Dec. 8 meeting, saying she was excited to partner with MA’s staff and help bring community cohesiveness. She promised to hold multiple “couch talks” and fireside chats so people can get to know her.

Budget and finance challenges

Brocklehurst presented his final CFO report detailing revenues and expenses, explaining any variances. He reported a net loss of $82,000 for November, and a net income of $478,000 for the fiscal year compared to a net income of $934,000 in the previous year.

Board member Joe Buczkowski asked Brocklehurst to review the revised budget included in the packet. Brocklehurst noted that the October count was finalized, so the budget had been revised to plug in the actual student enrollment counts, actual per pupil revenue (PPR), and any other budget adjustments. The original PPR estimate in April was $9,118; the actual PPR for D38 is $9,050 or $68 less per student.

West Campus per pupil operating revenue (PPOR), which is the total PPR times the number of students, will decrease by $42,000. Building use revenue will increase by $60,000 due to rental charges to the preschool to offset the cost of staff. The state capital construction per pupil amount will increase, for a total of $7,000. Expenses will increase by $80,000 due to the increased cost of substitute teachers and adding extra full-time hires with benefits. Professional contracted services will rise by $143,000 for outsourced payroll, human resources, and occupational therapy as well as increased legal fees. Expenses for materials and supplies will increase by $20,000 due to software subscriptions. The overall net income for West Campus is $3,000.

East Campus PPOR will decrease by $338,000. Due to lower enrollment, the 1999 MLO revenue and state capital revenue will decrease. The budget line for gifts and donations will increase by $170,000 to $500,000 per the new fundraising goal. Expenses will decrease by $36,000 due to planned decreases in staff but will increase by $76,000 for contracted professional services, and by $11,000 due to custodial costs. Expenses will decrease by $22,000 due to lower district fees because of lower enrollment. They will also decrease by $35,000 due to decreased supplies and materials. The overall net loss for East Campus is $594,000.

Brocklehurst said the budget shows an ending fund balance of $1.8 million for the West Campus and $740,000 for the East Campus. This is still within the bond covenant’s required number of days cash on hand, he said.

Buczkowski confirmed that the costs to install the modulars at the East Campus and the costs related to HVAC on the West Campus were included in the budget. Later, in his report for the Finance Committee, Buczkowski highlighted that the revised budget shows $500,000 as its donation goal and notes an ending balance for East Campus of $740,000. The budget notes that the bond covenants require 40 days of cash on hand, which is equal to $673,000. There is a comfortable cushion between those two numbers, he said, but it is predicated on achieving the $500,000 in donations. He did not want there to be any surprises in a few months. While the West Campus is in excellent shape financially, funds from that campus cannot be transferred to the East Campus

Buczkowski also noted that the Finance Committee had a conference call with Russ Caldwell, formerly of D.A. Davidson, a charter school financer that issues bonds for schools. Caldwell has been advising MA at no cost on refinancing and Phase 2 construction on the East Campus. Since the MLO did not pass, there is no financing opportunity for Phase 2 construction in the short term. Had it passed, MA might have been able to start on athletic fields or a gymnasium. That could change if there were a successful MLO next fall. The other thing that could change is improved business fundamentals at the school, such as increased enrollment. Because the MLO did not pass, MA will not pursue a financial advisor to obtain financing at this time to avoid wasting time. The current bonds on both campuses can be refinanced in the fall of 2024, and there is an opportunity to borrow money for a substantial Phase 2 at that time. MA should have more information in January. He reminded the board that the existing bonds must be refinanced by the spring of 2026 because of balloon payments due on both bonds.

Brocklehurst noted that the draft 2021-22 audit should be completed within the next week or so, and the board would need to call a meeting and vote if it wanted to make any changes.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Graham reported that MA had received two bids for the traffic recirculation work at the West Campus, which it would review with legal counsel in the executive session. Phase 1 of the project could potentially start in mid-May and conclude in September or October. Phase 2 of the project would be done in conjunction with the Highway 105 expansion, for which MA does not have a timeframe. After the executive session, the board unanimously voted to authorize the Highway 105 Committee to engage a construction manager and potential vendors.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that a math curriculum subcommittee had been formed and began discussing the cost and feasibility of purchasing a new curriculum. The Curriculum Committee will likely model its parental review policy on the D38 policy and adapt it for MA. She also asked parents to provide feedback on the use of tech at school to her email ebelisle-board@monumentacademy.net.
  • The board unanimously approved revisions and additions to the Employee Handbook regarding extended and administrative leave.
  • Middle School Principal Colin Vinchattle introduced Jeff Henry as the initial coordinator of the Watch D.O.G.S. program for MA’s East Campus. The program, which stands for Dads of Great Students, encourages the involvement of fathers in the school to provide a positive male role model. Henry said that the idea is to get fathers involved every couple of weeks or once a month. He said there will be a kickoff event on Jan. 10, and he is working with two other volunteers to initiate awareness, share experiences, and get input from teachers, parents, and staff.
  • The board voted unanimously to update the preschool policy on inclement weather to bring it in line with the K-5 policy.
  • Athletic Director Mike Svendsen discussed his goal of building an athletic store to sell athletic wear to build morale and spirit and retain kids while building the high school sports programs. He obtained approval from both marketing and administration and plans to partner with the Parent Teacher Organization to share funds. He said he believed the athletic wear follows the uniform policy at the middle school and the dress code at the high school. Buczkowski said the board would need to approve any proposed changes to the middle school policy at its January meeting, and the matter was tabled.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. on the East Campus. See more information at see https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

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

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