Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 12 – Board affirms handling of parental grievance, need for code of conduct

• Parental grievance considered
• Mid-year dashboard
• Proposal for Army JROTC program
• Letters of agreement for bond refinancing
• Initial calendar discussions
• Highlights

By Jackie Burhans

The Monument Academy (MA) board met on Feb. 12 with many teachers in attendance and entered an executive session with legal counsel regarding parental grievance on student matters as well as East Campus facility funding. The board heard a mid-year academic dashboard and a proposal to submit for an Army JROTC program. The board also discussed its calendar for upcoming years and approved engagement letters related to its bond refinancing. The board meeting ended with an executive session on the executive director evaluation process with no action taking place afterward.

Parental grievance considered

After its community spotlight and committee reports, the MA board entered a two-hour executive session for advice to negotiators on East Campus facility financing and for legal advice pertaining to a parental grievance related to student matters. A larger than usual audience, which included many teachers, attended the board meeting and stayed to hear the outcome.

Upon returning, President Ryan Graham announced that there would be no motions from the board but that it had determined that grievance polices and procedures were properly followed. He also said the board had heard concerns about the need for respectful communication between parents and staff and would consider adopting a code of conduct to ensure people were engaging with teachers in a respectful manner. The audience loudly applauded his statement.

Mid-year dashboard

Collin Vinchattle, the executive director, shared the mid-year academic and attendance dashboard, expressing his enthusiasm about the outcomes. The dashboard, available at tinyurl.com/ma-boarddocs, shows results from standardized tests taken in the winter, compared with results from the beginning of the year, showing progress toward academic achievement and growth goals.

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test is given to students in grades K-5 and shows percentages of students below, at, or above benchmarks in reading proficiency. Vinchattle noted that at the beginning of the year, the composite score of all grades had 176 students at the “above” level, while mid-year showed 265 students at that level. Students who were below or well below benchmarks dropped from 32% to 23%, he noted, saying teachers had done a wonderful job. The report also shows benchmark percentages by grade that show kindergartners improving the most and grades 3-5 continuing to improve rather than plateauing.

The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) measures academic growth in reading, language usage, mathematics and science, tracking student progress. Scores show a percentile rank comparing students to national norms, dividing them into quintiles (1-20, 21-40th percentile, etc.) These tests were taken by all grade levels and represent a new baseline, Vinchattle said. For the composite scores for all grades, math growth and achievement are in the green zone (61-80th percentile); while reading, language usage and science are in the yellow zone (41-60th percentile) for growth and the green zone for achievement. The results are broken out by grade with a mix of yellow and green zone results for growth and achievement by subject. Percentile scores in growth ranged from 44th in sixth-grade math to 84th in kindergarten math. Achievement percentiles ranged from 61st in kindergarten reading to 83rd in eighth-grade math.

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NSMQT) scores were used to evaluate high school students on reading/writing and math. Vinchattle said that students take this test in the fall to give them feedback for when they take the SAT test as juniors. He noted that Colorado requires every student to take the SAT while many other states do not. Grades 10-11 showed 86% of students at the “performance” level for reading/writing, but only 44% achieved that level in math, he said, noting that it was an area of focus.

Vinchattle reported on attendance, showing attendance percentage by grade and quarter, comparing this year to last year for the first two quarters.

Finally, he compared results with goals set for the 2025-26 school year:

1. Elementary will increase the growth percentage of students in K-5 scoring in NWEA 61st percentile by the end of the year. At mid-year, math was at the 62nd percentile, with reading, language, and science at the 60th percentile.
2. Middle school will increase the growth percentage of students in grades 6-8 scoring in NWEA MAP at the 60th percentile by the end of the year. At mid-year, science was at the 60th percentile, with math, reading, and language at the 57th, 55th, and 58th percentile, respectively.
3. High school will have 70% of students score at “meet or exceed” on PSAT/SAT in the spring, with 30% percent scoring as “approaching.” Mid-year results show 86% for reading and writing and 44% for math in grades 10-11. For grade 9, results show 83% for reading and writing and 39% for math.
4. Increase school-wide attendance rates to 96% by the end of the year. At mid-year, grades 2-7 and 11 were at or above 96%; while grades K, 1, 8-10 and 12 ranged from 90.5% to 95.28%.

Board members asked about the impact of the changes MA made in math curriculum. Vinchattle said MA had decided to accelerate the math curriculum, with kindergartners taking first-grade math and first-graders taking second-grade math. Vinchattle said that kindergartners are now at 80% in growth, with 51% in the advanced category, and first-graders are at 78%, indicating that kids can handle high expectations.

Proposal for Army JROTC program

Vinchattle said there was interest in a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program, so he explored some options by contacting the head of JROTC programs in the state. He learned that the Army program is pushing to expand into 50 schools per year in Colorado. There hasn’t been a new Air Force JROTC program in 10 years, he said.

Vinchattle said there were three programs available. The Army would provide everything needed to start a program, including curriculum, uniforms, and equipment. It would cover half the cost of two instructors who would make $86,000 each, and MA would provide the other half. Additional start-up costs for MA would include setting up classrooms, possibly in the portables. The program would likely start in 2027, he said.

Board member Craig Carle asked whether this would be a class during the day or after school. Vinchattle said it would be a mix, with some classes for credit during the day and extra credit opportunities for drilling and color guard after school. Vinchattle noted that MA would be able to open the program for eighth-graders as well, unlike other high schools. Carle suggested finding grants to help fund MA’s cost, and the board discussed the timing and student count requirements and the ability to delay the program if MA were not fully ready in the 2027-28 school year.

The board unanimously approved having Vinchattle apply for the program.

Letters of agreement for bond refinancing

Vinchattle presented a proposed letter of engagement to work with Miller Farmer Carlson Law, MA’s current lawyers, on the refinancing of bonds. He said it would allow the firm to represent MA on the bond refinancing and on the track and field construction, looking at contracts and speaking with bond representation for a $25,000 flat fee. Graham noted that this would be part of the refinancing costs.

Vinchattle also proposed a letter of engagement with D. A. Davison to be the underwriter for Monument Academy’s Series 2026 bonds.

The board unanimously approved both engagement letters.

Initial calendar discussions

Vinchattle brought forward the proposed 2026-27 school year calendar, asking the board to confirm it, but saying he also wanted to explore different calendars with staff and families, allowing MA to consider the pros and cons of different start dates or a four-day calendar.

Graham said he appreciated that Vinchattle was willing to take the time to gather data from parents, staff, and teachers. He said he had heard a lot from parents on the subject.

The board unanimously approved preschool, elementary, secondary, and homeschool calendars for the 2026-27 school year.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

• Spotlight. Vice President Lindsay Clinton recognized the high school teaching team, saying the high school was small but mighty and had received the Platinum Advanced Placement (AP) award the previous month. Clinton and Carle read a short statement about each teacher, what subjects they taught, and their strengths and accomplishments.
• Executive director. Vinchattle reported that mid-year testing was complete, that MA would launch its America 250 campaign focused on patriotism and would also celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary and MA’s 30th anniversary. He also noted that the preschool program held its first core knowledge day, and the high school eight-man football team was gaining interest and had a new helmet design. Finally, he thanked Operations Manager Jake Dicus for his work on a $150,000 facilities assistance grant that would be used at both campuses.
• Finance director. Laura Polen reported on December financials, which is the halfway point of the year. West Campus had a net loss of $51,000, which would have been a loss of $36,000 without the deficit spending of Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) funds. The East Campus had a net loss of $467,000, which would have been an income of $542,000 without the ERTC deficit spending. Polen then reviewed the General, Preschool, Facilities Corporation, and Foundation Corporations funds, detailing beginning and ending balances and income, expenses, and interest. Finally, she noted that MA is working on the capital construction plan for the track and field area and meeting weekly with the bond counsel and underwriter, and has filed W2s and 1099s with the state.
• Curriculum West. Clinton reported that the committee met to document best practices to effectively and transparently communicate with parents about curriculum. Its goal is to earn parents’ trust that MA’s standards are aligned with expectations. She also said the committee reviewed the draft field trip process.
• Curriculum East. Clinton said the committee approved a final draft and would provide an update next month on curriculum alignment.
• Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC) West. Clinton said the committee had reviewed answers to the mid-year survey, and the chair would prepare a recommendation letter to the board.
• SAAC East. Board member Jilinda Dygert said there were 175 total responses, and the committee was still putting the information into a readable format for review and then would prepare a board recommendation. She also noted that the vice chair position on the committee had been open all year and asked that interested parties reach out to Secondary Principal Angela Duca.
• Finance. Carle said there was a lot of work on refinancing and the opportunities that would bring. He also said there were a lot of plans going on with marketing to increase enrollment, but noted that word of mouth still carries a lot of impact.
• Building and facilities. Graham congratulated School Resource Officer (SRO) Maxwelle Ellis, who will leave in April for a new position in Florida, saying he would be missed. He noted that Officer Bryan Salvetti would take over and would start his transition in March.
• Resources and development. Clinton said that a what-to-wear guide went out in ParentSquare for the upcoming casino night gala. The event will be held at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. She noted that Dicus was working on a grant for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.
• Board election. Clinton reminded the board that applications are open and candidates have until March 31 to apply.

**********

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 March 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, March 12 – Board approves bond refinancing plan (4/1/2026)
• Monument Academy, March 18 – MA announces anonymous $17 million donation for performing arts auditorium (4/1/2026)
• Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 15 – Board passes mid-year budget, selects bond counsel (2/4/2026)
• Monument Academy School Board, Dec. 11 – MA retains BB- credit rating (1/1/2026)
• Monument Academy School Board, Nov. 13 – Board hears audit, marketing updates (12/4/2025)
• Monument Academy School Board, Oct. 16 and 23 – Board appropriates ERTC funds (10/30/2025)
• Monument Academy School Board, Sept. 11 – Board selects marketing firm, transfers funds (10/2/2025)
• Monument Academy School Board, Aug. 14 and 25 – Board moves forward on facility plans, hears marketing proposal (9/4/2025)
• Monument Academy School Board, July 17 – Board prioritizes marketing plan, passes policy on religious opt-outs (8/1/2025)
• Monument Academy School Board, June 12, 27 – Board passes sports fairness policy, joins in suit against CHSAA (7/3/2025)