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OCN > 2310 > D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, Sept. 12. Committee sets priorities for coming year, appoints new co-chair.

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

By Harriet Halbig

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

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

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

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

Strategic plan discussion.

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

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

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

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

Board of Education update.

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

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

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

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

Committee updates.

Several committees had yet to meet in the new year.

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

Committee membership will be announced at an upcoming board meeting.

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

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

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

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

New co-chair appointed.

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

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

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

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

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