Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, May 22 – Pay schedule approved, board roles revised, funding detailed

School funding for 2023-24
Pay schedule approved
Board reorganization revised
Parent and Community Advisory Committee
Superintendent update
Transportation discussion
Correction

By Harriet Halbig

**Principal Parsley retires**
**Above**: Bear Creek Elementary School students didn’t want retiring Principal Peggy Parsley to leave without showing how much she meant to them. On May 8, student officers of the Kiwanis K-Kids Club gave Parsley a binder of letters written by club members. The students wrote the letters and then copied them onto special paper that was laminated and loaded into a three-ring binder with a cover designed by one of the students. The K-Kids Club is made up of fourth- through sixth-graders. They do projects aimed at strengthening leadership skills and their appreciation for the impact of service to others. Parsley is the only principal the school has ever had.
Photo by RF Smith.

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education discussed several major topics at its May 22 meeting. These included the final total of funding from the School Finance Act, a reversal of the Board office of Vice President and Appointment of Secretary, approval of the 2023-24 pay schedule, and other subjects.

School funding for 2023-24

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway reported that the School Finance Act funding for the 2023-24 school year increased by 10.2%. Because the previous estimated increase was 9%, this amount resulted in significant changes in the proposed budget for the coming school year.

The per pupil revenue as a result of this increase will be $10,000 and the increase will also be reflected in the pay schedule, as seen below.

Ridgway reported that, in addition to this increase, schools and departments were able to discover efficiencies in their operations which would yield an additional $850,000 to be used for compensation of staff.

Treasurer Ron Schwarz asked whether this increase in state funding was sustainable.

Ridgway responded that this amount is sustainable but that another increase of this magnitude is unlikely.

Schwarz commented that this indicates that the state is confident in its ability to fund at this level.

In his proposed budget presentation later in the meeting, Ridgway also mentioned interest income as a revenue source. Interest income for this year totals $200,000, which will be applied to compensation.

Ridgway also said that the district has set aside $3 million for capital improvements in the coming year, returning to pre-pandemic levels.

When asked how property taxes are reflected in the revenue, Ridgway responded that property taxes never leave the county. The state is aware of the amount collected and backfills the remaining amount to reach the appropriate funding.

He pointed out that D38 enjoyed a large increase in property values over the past few years and consequently provided a larger percentage of the funding than some smaller counties.

The proposed budget presented later in the meeting is required by state statute to be provided by May 31. The board will vote to approve the final budget at its June 26 meeting.

Pay schedule approved

Ridgway explained the pay schedule, which reflects the increase in state revenue.

Ridgway explained some new programs which will be made available to employees in the coming year. These include Health Savings Plans, lower bonuses for hard-to-fill positions, and bonuses for longevity. In addition, employees will be credited for additional years of experience, for 15 years up from the current nine, and this credit will be reflected in compensation. Over the next few years, this credit will increase to 20 years.

Ridgway credited the Staff Collaboration Committee for its help in determining which programs are desired by district employees.

He reported that nearby districts anticipate increasing compensation by 8% to 9% while D38 will be able to provide an average 12% when including the $850,000 in efficiencies. While this does not entirely close the gap, it is a considerable improvement.

For details on the pay schedule, please see boarddocs on the district website, lewispalmer.org, under the May 22 date of this meeting.

The board approved the pay schedule as presented.

Board reorganization revised

At its April 17 meeting, following the appointment of Kris Norris as the new director of District 1, the board conducted a reorganization in pursuit of district policy.

At the April meeting, the board elected Tiffiney Upchurch president by secret ballot, and the board voted on a new vice president, which was not a vacant position.

Because this position was already filled by Theresa Phillips, the vote for new board vice president was considered null and void.

The board thereby proposed that Phillips be reinstated as vice president. At the May 22 meeting, the board appointed Norris as board secretary.

This proposal was passed.

The board further stated that though the full reorganization was not necessary during the April meeting, it is important to note that all members have been duly elected and appointed and their actions are still valid.

Parent and Community Advisory Committee

Outgoing Chair Kelly Bain reported on activities of the Parent and Community Advisory Committee.

The committee is composed of teachers and parents from all schools in the district, including Monument Academy, liaisons from the Board of Education and the administration, two student representatives from the high schools, and a community representative.

Bain said the committee offers the opportunity to receive information from the district administration and pass it along to the school level. The committee also advises the district on matters of budget, teacher evaluations, and assessments.

The committee meets at several different schools each year, giving members the opportunity to see how schools approach their responsibilities.

The committee also includes reports from the Special Education Advisory Committee, the Gifted Education Leadership Team and the Wellness Committee.

The committee changed its name this year from the District Accountability Advisory Committee in an effort to increase public attendance.

Superintendent update

During his monthly update, Superintendent KC Somers celebrated the achievements of many individuals in sports, academics, and other pursuits.

Some school-level achievements are notable:

The John Irwin Award rewarding academic achievement was awarded to Bear Creek Elementary, Lewis-Palmer Elementary, and Prairie Winds Elementary.
Prairie Winds and Lewis-Palmer Elementary also received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award. D38 was also Accredited with Distinction.
Brian Hoff of Lewis-Palmer High School received a National Diamond Coach Award for excellence and longevity in speech and debate. This is Hoff’s third award.

For a complete list of district achievements, please see boarddocs.

Transportation discussion

While not on the board’s agenda, there were several public comments regarding a proposed change in transportation availability to students living east of Highway 83.

This subject was discussed at the board’s May 2 work session. The proposal is to reduce the number of routes in that area from four to one and to provide additional service to the area around Palmer Lake Elementary.

Transportation Supervisor Julie Abeyta said that these buses have often returned empty.

The individuals who commented said that their children would need to travel 3 to 8 miles to a centralized stop in order to use the bus service.

The proposed service would also require that a parent or guardian be present at the stop when a student is brought home.

A meeting was scheduled for May 23 to further discuss this issue.

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Correction

At the request of board Treasurer Ron Schwarz, following is a description of the procedure used to reorganize the board at its April 17 meeting:

Tiffiney Upchurch and Ron Schwarz were nominated for the position of board president.
Upchurch was elected via secret ballot.
Matthew Clawson nominated Schwarz for the role of vice president
Schwarz declined the nomination and stated that his skill set was better suited to continue in another capacity.
Clawson immediately nominated Kris Norris for the role of vice president
Following Norris’ appointment, Upchurch asked Theresa Phillips and Schwarz if they would consider serving as secretary and treasurer, respectively. Both parties agreed.

Above and below: At the May 22 meeting of the D38 Board of Education, the board recognized the Bearbotics district robotics team. Head coaches Jeanette Breton and Mike Hinkle (see inset) displayed their robots for the First Robotics Club (FRC), First Technical Chal- lenge (FTC), and First Lego League (FLL) teams. Dan Vandehoek, FRC represen- tative and co-captain, and other team members spoke about the program’s origins and the team’s efforts and achievements over the past school year. All three teams placed in regionals and went to state competitions. Bearbotics is an experiential learning program for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-focused students. Teams build large, custom, high-power, complex robots—using the latest design and fabrication tools-for competition. Students practice skills like leadership, communication, project and business management, teamwork, and applied creativity in a supportive environment with extensive access to local professionals for mentorship. Learn more about Bearbotics and its summer programs and support the team at www.bearbotics.org. Photos by Jackie Burhans.