OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > 2601 > Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Dec. 2 and 15 – Officers elected; recognitions; approval of annual mill levy

Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Dec. 2 and 15 – Officers elected; recognitions; approval of annual mill levy

Highlights

  • The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board held a special meeting on December 2 to elect officers, swear oaths, and sign confidentiality affidavits, with Patti Shank serving as chair pro tem, Ron Schwarz as president, Shank as vice president, Tim Bennett as treasurer, and Ginger Schaaf as secretary; Todd Brown was named director.
  • A regular meeting followed on December 15, including an executive session about safety and security; district schools were closed on December 16 due to an unspecified threat, with staff working remotely and a rapid return to operations the next day.
  • Recognition highlights include several District 38 students chosen for the Colorado All-State Choir and LPHS teacher Jaci Schatz receiving SHAPE APE Teacher of the Year, along with other awards for students and staff from Harbor Freight tools.
  • Board priorities focus on valuing staff, fiscal stewardship, and open communication, with updates on retention efforts, recognition programs, surveys showing strengths and areas for improvement, and plans to improve compensation, budget transparency, and resource allocation.
  • The board approved a partnership with Eastern Colorado Bank for capital lease financing and updated policies on tobacco-free schools and student activities funds, including establishing separate deposit accounts for activity funds and using district funds for comprehensive student programs.
  • Additionally, the board approved the 2025 mill levy at 6 mills, noting the district's assessed value exceeded $1 billion, and adjusted meeting dates to accommodate holidays, with a January 2026 meeting moved to January 26 and a potential February 17 meeting canceled in favor of a single February 10 session.
  • Conclusion: The December actions reflect leadership changes, safety responses, student and staff recognitions, financial and policy updates, and calendar adjustments, all aimed at sustaining district operations and supporting staff, students, and community oversight.

By Harriet Halbig

Correction

The article on the board of education in the December 6, 2025 issue of Our Community News stated that as part of the new organization Innovate Pikes Peak, the district’s Career and Innovation Center would allow students from other participating districts to attend classes at the CIC. That is not the case. Innovate Pikes Peak is a group of districts, chambers of commerce, and other entities devoted to collaboratively equip students for life after high school while strengthening the workforce in the area. OCN regrets the error.

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education held a special meeting on the morning of Dec. 2 to elect officers, swear oaths of office, and sign affidavits of confidentiality.

Dr. Patti Shank, former board secretary, was elected to serve as chairman pro tem for the meeting.

Former board Treasurer Ron Schwarz was elected president. Shank was nominated and elected vice president. New member Tim Bennett was appointed treasurer, and new member Ginger Schaaf was appointed secretary. Todd Brown will serve as a director.

Bennett and Schaaf were sworn in. Chief Business officer Brett Ridgway will serve as assistant treasurer and Vicki Wood will serve as assistant secretary.

Above: The D38 board members were sworn-in at their Dec. 2 meeting. From left, Todd Brown, treasurer; Patti Shank, vice president; Tim Bennett, director; Ginger Schaaf, secretary; and Ron Schwarz, president. Photo courtesy D38.

All members signed affidavits of confidentiality.

Following the brief meeting was a board retreat.

Regular meeting, Dec. 15

Before the regular meeting was an executive session to discuss safety and security procedures. District schools were closed on Tuesday, Dec. 16, due to an unspecified threat to district property.

In response to the threat, district school resource officers and the security team worked with local law enforcement to share any useful information.

Staff worked remotely on that day. Schools reopened the following day.

Recognitions

Several District 38 students were selected to participate in the all-state choir. They are:

  • From Lewis-Palmer High School, Gavin Hawk, Liliah Arellano, Lindiwe Gichuki, Finn Clark, Jonathan Lilley, and Linda Reyes.
  • From Palmer Ridge High School, Winn Sienkowski, Benton Miles, Krew Sloan, and Ruby Taylor.
  • From Lewis-Palmer Middle School, Stella Boyd, Aadya Mohan, and McKay Peterson.
Above: At the Dec. 15 D38 board meeting, students who made the All State Choir were recognized. From left are board President Ron Schwarz, students who made All State Choir, and Superintendent Amber Whetstine. Photo courtesy D38.

These students will participate in the Colorado All-State Choir in Denver in February. They performed a brief holiday selection.

Staff and student recognition were given to Lewis-Palmer High School (LPHS) physical education instructor Jaci Schatz for her receipt of the SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Education of Colorado) APE (Adaptive Physical Education) Teacher of the Year.

Above: At the D38 board meeting Dec. 15, Lewis-Palmer High School physical education instructor Jaci Schatz was recognized for her receipt of the SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Education of Colorado) APE (Adaptive Physical Education) Teacher of the Year. Three students, Chloe Jarrett, Molly Schatz, and Chase Gavin, also received awards from the organization. Pictured left to right: Patti Shank, VP of the board, student Chloe Jarrell, Jaci Schatz, student Molly Shatz, and Superintendent Amber Whetstine. Photo courtesy D38.

Three students, Chloe Jarrell, Molly Schatz, and Chase Gavin, also received awards from the organization.

Staff recognition

Industrial Technology instructor Andy Vrieze of Lewis-Palmer High School was awarded a $10,000 grant from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. Vrieze received a $50,000 award from Harbor Freight in 2023 in acknowledgement of his teaching excellence and for elevating career and technical education. He gave a brief statement about his activities.

Above: At the D38 board meeting Dec. 15, Industrial Technology instructor Andy Vrieze of Lewis-Palmer High School was recognized for winning a $10,000 grant from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. Pictured from left to right: Ginger Schaaf, board secretary, Vrieze, and. Superintendent Amber Whetstine. Photo courtesy D38.

Lewis-Palmer High School student representatives Gabi Zimmerman and Elleigh Clark spoke of activities at their school, including the annual Harvest of Love and the upcoming Snow Ball. Student representatives may participate in board discussions and ask questions but may not vote.

Board priority 3: valuing our people

District Human Resources Director Michaela Vanderheiden and Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway updated the board on progress in achieving goals in reference to results of staff surveys into such areas as staff retention, acknowledgment for good work, and open and honest communication.

Some actions in support of staff retention include conducting 30-day and 90-day stay interviews, listening tours, and employee experience and district services surveys.

In support of improving the level of acknowledgment, a recognition program will be established within each school or department, and all employees will be provided with meaningful and growth-producing feedback, Vanderheiden said. The annual evaluation experience will be improved with the addition of clear timelines, training for supervisors, and other guidance.

In support of improved open and honest communication, the Staff Collaboration Committee will continue to meet, sharing notes with school and department leaders, gathering feedback from schools and departments, and members will bring back takeaways from their constituencies.

Referring to survey results, Ridgway showed charts of levels of participation by school and department and responses organized by question. Some strong points were that individuals believe their work positively impacts those they serve, that they have a strong understanding of their expectations, that leaders in the immediate work environment are genuinely concerned about their welfare, and that they feel a sense of pride when they tell people where they work.

Lowest-scoring questions include seeing progress being made to create a culture of success for employees across the district, feeling that district culture supports open and honest communication, and feeling that district-level resources are allocated to maximize effectiveness across the organization.

Improvements sought include providing better compensation, increasing transparency around the budget, and improving how resources are allocated.

Board priority 5: fiscal stewardship

Director of Finance Ron Sprinz spoke about supporting fiscal stewardship in the district. He works with a team that includes principals, the manager of maintenance, analysts, and Ridgway.

Goals include improving overall financial results, such as operating within the window of spending 98-100% of the budget, and continuing to engage with the Financial Transparency Committee, the Staff Collaboration Committee, and the District Leadership Team. In progress is an effort to monitor class sizes.

A second goal is to increase payroll and processing accuracy to 99.99%. Sprinz acknowledges that time sheets are sometimes written by hand, and sometimes the individual who reviews them is on leave or ill. In response, the district has hired a part-time employee as payroll specialist.

Monthly balance sheet account reconciliations are designed to ensure accurate and timely reporting, and tracking reports will be distributed and reviewed with department and school leaders.

Financial planning and analysis

Ridgway provided detailed information to board members ahead of time to include enrollment figures, recommended courses of action, and data in support of approving an Authorization of Partnership with Eastern Colorado Bank.

Regarding approval of a partnership with Eastern Colorado Bank, Ridgway explained that it is useful to have a partnership with an institution that can support district needs for capital lease financing. Other local banks have been approached and declined to participate. The district has approved only the opening of a deposit account. Other account types must be approved separately.

The board approved the partnership with Eastern Colorado Bank.

Policy actions

Executive Director of Student Services Rick Frampton presented revisions to policies involving tobacco-free schools and student activities funds.

The tobacco-free schools policy defines tobacco as any product that contains nicotine or tobacco or is derived from tobacco and intended to be ingested, inhaled, or applied to the skin or an electronic device that delivers nicotine.

The policy specifies schools as school property, including stadiums, school-sponsored activities off campus, and school vehicles.

The policy defines disciplinary actions for students and staff.

The board approved the policy.

A policy addressing student activities funds requires that each activity have a separate deposit account administered by the district as part of the total fiscal operation. The funds are to be used to finance a program of authorized school activities. Funds derived from the student body as a whole must be used to benefit the entire student body. Funds derived from clubs and organizations must be used to benefit those specific groups.

Approval of annual property tax mill levy

Ridgway explained that the mill levy is a process by which the district levies taxes to generate funds required by the Colorado School Finance Act and collect override revenue and bond repayment revenue.

The assessed value in property in the district has exceeded $1 billion for the first time. Ridgway stressed that this is the assessed value, not resale value.

The mill levy for the tax year 2025 is 6 mills.

Note: To view the presentation on this subject, please see boarddocs under the board of education tab on lewispalmer.org.

Changes in meeting dates

Board President Ron Schwarz proposed that the date of the January 2026 board meeting be changed to Jan. 26 from Jan. 20. This is to accommodate the Jan. 19 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

He also proposed that the February meeting on the 17th be cancelled in favor of a single meeting on Feb. 10, combining a work session and regular meeting.

Both changes were approved.

**********

The Lewis-Palmer D 38 Board of Education usually meets in the Bauman Learning Center at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at 146 Jefferson St. in Monument. The January meeting will be held on Jan. 26 to accommodate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

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

Other District 38 Board of Education articles

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *