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OCN > 2402 > Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Jan. 9 and 22 – Mill levy certified; staff recognized for work during weather emergency

Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Jan. 9 and 22 – Mill levy certified; staff recognized for work during weather emergency

By Harriet Halbig

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education held a special meeting on Jan. 9 to certify its mill levy for the coming year. Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway explained that the assessed value of taxable residential and non-residential property increased by over 30% in the past year.

In the past, the mill levy was certified in December, but because of the special session of the state Legislature during that month, assessments were not determined until January. The mill levy had to be certified by Jan.10.

Last year’s mill levy was 40.4 mills. Due to the increased value of property in 2023, this year’s levy will be 37.5 mills. To view the presentation on the subject please see the district website, lewispalmer.org, board of education, boarddocs.

Calendar approved

Assistant Superintendent Amber Whetstine presented the proposed calendar for the 2024-25 school year.

She said that a primary change is the cancellation of two-hour delayed school days. Instead, teachers will return three days before students after winter break to do their planning and training. This change was requested by the Staff Collaboration Committee and the Calendar Task Force.

Whetstine said that a goal of the task force is to broaden its membership to include families and students and to draft polices to aid in creating the annual calendar.

Staff recognition for emergency response

Superintendent KC Somers praised staff in the areas of maintenance, grounds, and transportation for their quick and vital response during the polar vortex earlier in the month which resulted in major damage to some schools, including ruptured pipes, flooding, and boiler issues.

Executive Director of Operations and Development and Building Maintenance Manager Leo Poirier praised their staffs for answering their phones and being willing to brave the record cold to come to the schools and do what was needed.

Coulter said there was flooding at Lewis-Palmer High School, and the boiler needed to be restarted. At Prairie Winds Elementary, water was coming down the walls, and at Palmer Ridge High School there was a break in the sprinkler system.

Transportation Manager Julie Abeyta said that block heaters were used to ensure that the buses would start.

Operations and Grounds Manager Ricky Vestal said that in one instance snow shovels were used to remove water and snow from floors.

At Prairie Winds, a great deal of drywall will need to be replaced. The initial indication of a problem at Prairie Winds was a fire alarm.

High School Custodial Supervisor Eric Wall was also recognized. He said that this was not the first flood at Palmer Ridge and there was also flooding at the middle school.

Above: Superintendent KC Somers praised staff in the areas of maintenance, grounds, and transportation for their quick and vital response during the extreme cold weather earlier in the month which resulted in major damage to some schools, including ruptured pipes, flooding, and boiler issues. From left are Somers, Transportation Manager Julie Abeyta, Executive Director of Operations and Development Chris Coulter, Building Maintenance Manager Leo Poirier, Operations and Grounds Manager Ricky Vestal, Head Custodian Andy Stout, and High School Custodial Supervisor Eric Wall. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Superintendent search firm selected

Before the Jan. 22 meeting, the board interviewed two firms to potentially conduct a search for a new superintendent.

These firms were McPherson and Jacobson, and Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA).

During its discussion before the vote, board members noted that McPherson and Jacobson had more experience in Colorado while HYA has a greater reach nationwide, which could result in a larger pool of applicants.

Somers commented that both firms are reputable and HYA did three Colorado searches recently and had 70% of its applicants from out of state.

Board President Tiffiney Upchurch commented that the district doesn’t pay as well as many others and asked whether this would be a disadvantage.

Somers referred to a study by the Colorado Association of School Executives that addressed this issue. He reminded the board that when he was hired he was not a superintendent in his previous location. He said salary will not make or break a search, and some might even accept a cut in salary because of the high performance of the district and the quality of life here. He said it is important that the firm recognize the uniqueness of this community.

Board Treasurer Ron Schwarz suggested that the board have a business discussion with the selected firm before signing a contract. For example, does the firm offer on-boarding services and what would happen should the selection not be a good fit.

The board voted to hire McPherson and Jacobson. Upchurch asked board Executive Assistant Vicki Wood to notify both firms of the decision and to thank them for the research they did about the district.

Budget discussion

For the benefit of new board members, Ridgway explained that there are three important dates in the budgeting process of the district.

A proposed budget is presented to the board on May 31. The budget must be approved by June 30 and the current year’s budget can be amended until Jan. 31. After January, amendments can be made only if new funding becomes available.

He said the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) requires that the district maintain a 3% reserve for emergencies.

Ridgway called attention to the Transportation Fund. He said that because of its specialized use, funds should not be carried over from year to year. He said $867,000 remained at the end of the 2022-23 school year and suggested that $300,000 of that balance be returned to the general fund and the remainder be spent to purchase the Smart Tag system to provide tracking capabilities for school buses and new ID tags for students which could be used for bus rides and for lunches and other school-related activities.

Smart Tag puts an iPad in each bus, which would allow the district and parents to see where buses are. It is also useful for new drivers because it includes GPS and would provide turn-by- turn directions for new routes or for those who might be acting as a substitute or driving to a field trip.

Transportation Manager Julie Abeyta said Smart Tag would allow parents to locate their children and be notified of delays.

She said Douglas County uses this system, and it also would provide information on road problems.

Hardware would be installed in each bus and drivers would have their tablets updated nightly.

Schwarz asked whether the system is dependent on cellular service. Abeyta said she would check.

Upchurch asked whether the system would make it possible to adjust over-full or under-full routes. Abeyta said that it would.

Ridgway also proposed the purchase of two new buses. He said that ideally the average age of a school bus in service should be six to eight years. The district’s buses average 10 years. He said that ideally the district should purchase two or three per year.

Abeyta said that when new buses are purchased, the old ones are held as spares. Maintenance is less expensive on new buses.

The motion to make these changes in the transportation fund was approved.

Other business

The board received a report on the audit from 2022-23. The auditor said that the audit was clean and that all problems from the previous year were resolved.

Whetstine introduced new curriculum for seventh- and eighth-grade social studies and high school biology. She said that the materials were available for public review earlier in the month.

Following discussion, it was decided to extend the review period.

Board Secretary Dr. Patti Shank said she had reviewed the social studies materials and said she preferred that books include controversial topics. For example, the right to bear arms was not included.

Whetstine responded that the printed materials are just a starting point and that teachers individually can supplement the curricula with their own discussion topics. She said the district has a six-year system for reviewing materials to ensure that they meet state standards.

Upchurch asked whether the choice of materials reflects local control.

Whetstine responded that the policy requires that the district teach according to state standards, but choice of materials is a local decision.

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The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education usually meets from 6 to 10 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at its learning center, 146 Jefferson St. in Monument. Due to Presidents Day closure on the 19th, the next meeting will be on Feb. 26.

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

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