001It is now. >> It's now 7 o'clock. Calling the meeting to order for December 8th. Roll call, please. >> Christy Chis >> here. >> Amy Griffin >> here. >> Nancy Hopper >> present. >> Katie Jeff. >> John >> here. >> Vinnie Smith >> here. >> Sarah >> here. >> Next we'll have the pledge of allegiance. Please to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and board, you have before you the approval of the minutes of the board. Move to approve. Second roll call, please. >> Christy Chisum. >> Hi. >> Amy Grantham. >> Hi. >> Nancy Hopper. >> Hi. >> John Crowley. >> Hi. >> Smith. >> Hi. >> Sarah Whitney. >> Hi. >> Okay. Next, we have the agenda.
002Approval of the agenda. If there's no uh changes, pleasure of the board. >> Move to approve. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Christy Chisum. >> I. Amy Granth. >> Hi. >> Nancy Hopper. >> Hi. >> John Pow. >> Hi. >> Smith. >> Hi. >> Sarah Whitney. Next we have opportunity for the audience. Is there anyone who would like to address the board? >> Merry Christmas. >> Thank you. >> And back at you. >> Next we have special presentation regarding the mill levy certification 2526 budget year and final assessments. >> Okay, I'm just going to give you the highlights. Um, our valuation for property went up 24 million from the previous year. The district mills is 27 mills. That doesn't change from year to year. The mill levy override, we cannot assess more than 550,000.
003We were able to get it to 549838, which is really close. And then our total debt service is 2.7 million, which was 7.169 mills. We also get to add in the abatements. Uh the total abatements for the three different u um valuations were 204,452. So that's a 0.535 mil. So the total mills are 36.144 which is down from last year's 36.278. Um, any questions on any of the things you looked at or this is due the 15th, so we're going to get plenty of time to get it done. So, we'll be good to go. >> Thank you. Next up, uh, reports for high school student representative. >> We have finals coming up next week, so we're all studying for that right now. Student Senate just prepared all the Thanksgiving um meal box things and we
004gave out I believe over 30 of them so that was really good. Um drama department is having a game night tomorrow after school and we also just chose our musical. It's Tuck Everlasting and we just have auditions and they just chose rules for that but that's all at the high school right now. Thank you. Next, we have the board of education. Amy has a report for us this evening. Not a long one. I attended my first Boseies meeting and um we just basically did introductions. I think there were some other new members on there as well. The encouraging thing is everybody kind of talked about uh the enrollment being down across the state and for largely the same reasons why ours is down. So, take it what you will. I thought it was kind of
005encouraging. We're all in the same boat. And then we just went through the financial report. So that was interesting to see the funding and everything like that for Boseies. So that was my takeaway from the last Bosey's meeting. We will have another one in January. Thank you, Amy. And I just wanted to remind everyone that um maybe for Christie since she's new, but those of us that go to the conference, some of the sessions that we attend, we kind of write a little summary and report those out at our next meetings up. Okay. >> All right. Superintendent report. >> Thank you. Um I just want to start out with you know we with this declining enrollment and in those conversations um one of the things we've been trying to do is looking at recapturing some
006of the students that we have going on and Morris from Colorado Digital Learning Solutions um last week as administrative team and he is excited to partner with us. We believe we can market something to um our our current online students, our home school students um and anyone who might want to attend Fort Morgan online um environment. Uh we could have set it up one of two ways. I think what we would like to do is probably tie it to one of our schools rather than separate principles, separate building code, all those things. Have a separate budget. That's what CDE requires. by tying into a building. We don't have to do all that stuff. We just identify somebody and something that I think is extremely simple, but I don't think it's something that's going to be
007crazy difficult to get accomplished either. And even if we could um capture 50 kids back, that's quite a bit of money coming back to the school district. And not only that, our own in-house people checking on the kids, working with the kids, and Uh CDLS claims they have about an 88% graduation rate which is more in line with what our brick and mortar is and um last year >> um so um relatively close um and so we're excited about looking at that. It's an option all the way through from kindergarten through 12th grade grade. Um there's possibilities where, you know, some people who have chosen um homeschool, which is great. That's their their choice. Um might be an opportunity for them to not have to purchase an outside uh curriculum or something like that. They
008can just partner with us and um use that curriculum and at home. And so we're pretty excited about the possibilities that that brings us and looking forward to uh starting probably too early to start in January, but we're going to we're going to pilot it with a few kids here and there, which we've already got some doing it. Uh we just haven't had it formalized. Um, but we're really ready to start something up, I think, in the fall and try some of these kids back and maybe at this time start marketing and doing some things to get some kids interested to see this coming to then find out if we um get the enrollment that we need. So excited about that. Any questions about that? >> I um when I was in Wilon as a
009school counselor, that was a program that we used for students. um there weren't as many options and so to fulfill credits that's one of the programs that we use and it was really user friendly and the people the contacts they were very very helpful so it is a good program >> yeah we were impressed with the uh presentation in that you know they use their staff for a good portion of it I mean they can even service special needs students work with the IEP team they can do EL they do all that stuff alongside Um, again, it's not something that I'm going to sit here and say it's the easiest thing that we're ever going to do, but I will say that it's something that I think we can offer and it won't put much
010on somebody's plate. And in that same hand, we can then get some students back into our student body and maybe reclaim some of those dollars, making sure they get good education. So >> I I I will be at the conference. >> I figured I asked him. He said he's going to be down. I believe >> he has a session. Remember >> he usually does have a session probably going to be in the >> bank. Yeah. Whatever. Okay. Yeah. Known Dan for a long long time. >> Yeah. Me too. >> My teaching days. So >> yeah, I've known Dan a long time. and and then Ken Henstall just came on as the co-director of CDLS which I've known Ken when he was superintendent out roaring for he's been in he he's a good friend of mine
011and this partnership um as far as redistricting we're looking at um we talked to we met this week with the elementary principles um and the um district office staff and we we talked over the four different options that we're looking redistricting. Um, we did get the final report from Sharon Bam. I think I forwarded that to you all and then it was fixed. We had some errors on there as far as Sherman had kinder where preschool rooms were. So, we fixed all that, but it really didn't change the outcome of of what we're trying to accomplish. Um so from that point we I've been asked many times have I met with in particular Sherman staff and um me sitting down with them or me doing something with all staff because it does impact all elementary
012across the district in in one fashion or another. And what we thought about was uh Marina and I sat down today and we recorded a video with our rationale as to why we what we're looking at the four options that we're we're exploring that we're working with the district accountability. Um, we went through all those points and what's going to happen Wednesday is every elementary principal is going to have a staff meeting where they're going to show the video and it will prove once again that I've got the perfect face for radio. But we will uh they'll listen to the video and then they'll take you through an exercise of pros and cons. Uh there's a conversation in our buildings about pros and cons of the redistricting conversation and the four different options that are
013presented. They'll be brought back out here where we can look out as a district team and then answer any questions, follow schedule some follow-ups if necessary. be ready for our district accountability committee meeting on the 18th and then hopefully looking to make start forming some some thoughts and some recommendations and want to come back to board sometime in after break. And then the last thing I wanted to mention um I I meet with the union monthly um it's a we relationship. We sit we visit for probably 45 minutes about their concerns. We we throw in a couple concerns here and there. We we come together. They don't become big issues because we have a really great working with our association. Um one of the things they asked me a couple months ago was if we
014could um possibly live stream our board meetings and um I would like to be able to say yes. We have anything against it? I don't believe and um out what an hour or two later, day later. >> Yeah. No, just later that evening. I don't watch like when I was coaching football. We go back and watch the video. But um but does anybody have any um issue with us live streaming our meetings? Is there anybody that would have an objection? Might be the easiest way to go. Hearing that, I think we're okay. >> Yeah, I've checked with it and they said they're ready to do it. Last thing I'll do since I'm spend a little time with our attorney is just make sure my hand for one looking at some other issues around video classroom
015that we're working through some issues with some teachers right now and um just want to make sure we didn't miss anything legally. So before we go ahead and say if if we can we'll try to live stream next questions >> assistant superintendent of curriculum and assessment. And tonight I'm not going to wear my curriculum or assessment hat. Um, but I do want to just um in the last week, as you know, we've had um in actually the last month, we've had quite a few things happen um where we've had to have our crisis response team uh respond to buildings. And I just wanted to give a huge um shout out not only to our crisis response team, our district counselors, but um our Fort Morgan High School administrative team um and just Fort Morgan High
016School staff as a whole. And if you're okay, I asked Liz Schmidt if I could share um something that she wrote just because I think it's really impactful for um this. So I'll do my best, but it's um she says to be a teacher, I would actually loop in just to be an educator. To be an educator is to be a keeper of countless stories, a witness to the spark of genius, and a constant recipient of joy of pure unbridled potential. There is no greater professional joy than found in the daily meeting of unique, amazing students. Each young person who walks into the classroom is a universe onto themselves, a dazzling mix of dreams, curiosity, and boundless energy. We are privileged to watch them grapple with big ideas, find their voices, and evolve before our
017eyes. That tapestry of individual spirits is quite simply the reason we are here. Yet, this calling places us in a uniquely vulnerable and complex space. The very intensity of the connection we forge with our students means we are not insulated from the harsh realities of life. We are at times asked to serve as anchors in the deepest, most turbulent waters. We deal with far too much tragedy and loss. The truth is when a student is lost, whether suddenly or after a long battle, a piece of the school's heartbreaks and a piece of our own goes with them. The grief for a student we have taught, mentored, and laughed with is a heavy private sorrow. It is a loss that defies the typical professional boundary because the relationship was never merely transactional. It was deeply human.
018The truly extraordinary and demanding position we find ourselves in is this. We must manage our own deep grief while simultaneously trying to help a classroom, a grade level, or an entire community of young adults process their own profound feelings of loss, confusion, and pain. We must be the stable presence that guides them through the chaos of tragedy. Even as we ourselves are trembling, it is almost imposs an impossible act of emotional courage to mourn fully in your heart, but to stand strong and steady in your role. It is the quiet unsung burden of the educational vocation. But in those moments of shared vulnerability, when we help a student find the words for their sadness or simply offer a moment to safe silence, we realize the full deep meaning of our commitment to teach not just
019the mind but the heart. And I just thought that was really wellstated and um truly remarkable watching the high school staff administrators wrap their arms literally figuratively around um students in these um these trying times. So thank you to that team. It's never easy and I just really f it's phenomenal for me to watch the whole community wrap around um these families. So thank you. I jump in for a second. Um I meant to say something earlier, but given my own personal situation, um it's very difficult for me, but I want to say I really feel for the families, the ditters, the students, Benny's family, Samson's family. It's been tough to do. Fort M, but I've never been more proud of my life to be a Fort M. So, thank you. >> Yeah, it's been
020a it's been a rough year so far, but we are blessed to be here and to be an educational family and know that we have people that we can rely on to get us through. So, appreciate that. >> Guess what, Mr. Fresco? you get to follow up about that. >> Great. I'll keep you lighthearted. Um I don't have a whole lot tonight. Uh just the personal action forum or report for you guys tonight. Um have a little bit of movement that we didn't expect with some certified. But uh as far as active job postings go, no administrative openings. We do have five certified openings, five classified openings, one coaching in our standard collection for subs and so forth. We've been lucky and we have some movement that we're hoping to fill three maybe four of
021those here in the next week and a half or so which is good semester and so I'm hoping that progresses well for us. Uh other than that, just an update on American Fidelity. We're starting week two of the open enrollment American Fidility, if you remember, we brought in just as an option uh for our staff across the district for supplemental insurance options. Um they are also taking over our HSA, I'm sorry, H and our FSA accounts. FSAs will start in January. So they're doing that part of open enrollment. Um HAS, um we're going to walk through that, but it looks like we're going to put that off until a September roll over. Um so we don't have any lapses in use of B cards um during mid year and so we're going to work a
022little bit different. So it seems to be going well. Um he >> thank you for F chief financial officer. >> Um just a quick audit update. We're at that point in the audit where I'm a little tired of the daily list of what they need. But I have to say I really appreciate these auditors. They are so much better than we have before. I don't feel like they do unnecessary testing and they've taken something this year that is just a huge relief to me. I used to have to draft the financials start to finish with Excel spreadsheets that were interactive and there was always a problem and then you know it just was a real cumbersome process and then to give them those and then they had to convert them. They're going to take our
023trial balances and load them into their software so it automatically does the financials for me. I just have to write the management comments which is a huge relief. Um also they've done some additional testing because we did switch software. So we are hoping to get to December 31st. We may have to go a couple weeks into January, but we're getting close. So anyway, I just want to just tell you we've done a really good thing by hiring them and they were less than half the price of what we were paying before. So a deal all the way around. I like to hear that. I think we all do. Moving right along, we have discussion items. The first thing on the agenda is the Fort Morgan High School registration guide. We have a registration guide summary
024of changes and then the registration guide edits. Good evening. Thanks for for having me up here. Uh it's that time of year uh where we bring kind of registration guys will be starting to look at classes for the 2627 school year. Um one thing that's kind of changed our counselor uh counseling office has been working with consultant Lori Hixon and she kind of advised us to move up our timeline. And so with that process I'm here normally this would be done in January maybe in February. So, we are moved it up a little bit. The goal and the hope is that uh with us switching to the 4 day week and teachers being pretty steady and not as much turnover that we'll have a pretty good idea of our staffing in May and not waiting
025till July, August to be like, oh, can this class make or not? And we need to change the schedule. So, uh our goal this year is to try to get schedules match schedule for next school year done in that uh late March, early April. So that gets time for counselors and students to both kind of get their schedules finalized before May comes around and they have an idea of what classes they're going to be taking for the upcoming school year. So uh the first step in this process is we start meeting with teachers and start looking at different classes and changes and different things and then uh the counseling office, myself and the other administrators, we sit down, we go through the changes and then we kind of present them. Uh the two biggest changes
026this school year uh was we recently switched the integrated model for our math. Instead of algebra, geometry, algebra 2, we went to integrated one, two. Now this year we'll be rolling into three. So we'll be fully into the integrated. There won't be the need for algebra 2. So that's the reason we're we're kind of moving on from that. Um and then science. Um, so our social studies departments, uh, most freshman takeography, sophomores take American history, and then their junior and senior year they have an option to take government and then a social studies elective. And there seems to be a lot of different interest in different things. Um, science is one to kind of copy that to where freshman year you'll take biology, sophomore year take environmental science or chemistry, and then your junior year
027and senior year you still will take some science classes, but you kind of get to They've broken the classes down into semester classes. So, zoolology went from being a year-long class to a semester long class. Uh, botany, which we haven't been able to offer as much as we'd like because classes were year long, are now as a semester. Uh, earth space science is also going to be a semester. So, there's there's there's a little bit more flexibility that also partners well with like MCC and and some of the science courses they take because they're semester based. So you can kind of piece some things together um just to kind of give yourself a little bit more of a wider range I guess of things you might be interested in so you can have a better
028foundation for going on whatever that so other than that the most of the changes I believe are just that you know clerical kind of uh cleaning up some things uh there is a there is a slight possibility the social studies department has been meeting and they are actually looking had a Colorado history class. Um, it's it's weird. I grew up in Tennessee and Tennessee history was a big part of that. So, like I always thought it was weird. I was like, where is that taught at? And and so uh anyway, so they're currently working on u getting some things put in place. So that might be coming back. If it does, if it's something we sign forward to, I'll bring it back uh to the school board to present. But it's something that they're kind
029of really excited about. So, are there any questions? >> I absolutely love Colorado history. So, if you get that in there, I may have to go and sit in the class. >> Yeah, I need to go sit in. >> Um, and then economics. Economics was was it removed or was it shifted? >> It's it was it was removed. Uh, >> I forgot all about that. >> Yeah, that's that's a great question. And obviously it's just there wasn't a real big demand for that course and we haven't been able to teach it for several years just because the student interest isn't there. Current issues is a very very popular psychology is more and now that we have um the US history through MCC taught on our campus. We're seeing more and more interest in those social
030studies classes and not so much in the economics. I can't figure out why. >> I just just my head. I remember seeing >> red red. >> So, I have a question for you. Go ahead. Um and thanks to all of your staff for doing all this because it's I know it's a lot. It's a heavy lift. Yeah. >> Um on the um weighted classes. I saw that you were just going to maintain a list which probably then you have to update the catalog every time something changes. Um, is that going to be are are you going to be adding a link for students to go in or do they just right now have to go? I mean, I understand right now they're going to have to go to the counseling office. >> Yeah. And the
031counselors do a good job when they're meetings with students whenever um and they kind of talk to them about the way the courses. It just as MCC expands their course offerings and the the the classes that they offer it, the list just kept growing and growing and growing and and so the process if it's not on the list and you bring me the syllabus, we go through and we talk about shouldn't be waiting, should not be waiting, look at the syllabus, look at and so um just to try to clean up that process so it's not well this is on this isn't on the list or you know like we're trying to so we're trying to update that list. So once we get it, we'll probably post it on the website, but it will be
032it'll be housed mostly in the counseling office whenever if there's a question, you go see your counselor kind of. >> Okay. Yeah. And that's what I was just like, you know, student can go look and see that it's on the list already, then they don't have to. >> So John, thanks. I I I should give a shout out. Kim Baker is our registar. She puts all this stuff together. Uh I should have started with that probably. So, Kim, if you're watching later tonight, I'm sorry. Uh, it's good thing it's not live stream. We can go back and edit it, right? Uh, uh, yeah, she puts in a lot of work in this. This is something that she takes a lot of pride in. And then also all the counselors, they they spent a lot of
033time working on this. So, huge shout out to them as well. >> Well, make sure you tell your staff. We really appreciate it. I love the summary and I love the red line, so it's make it easy. So we appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Next we have policies, district visions. This is the third reading. I'll read through these very quickly. BBA school board legal status. BBAA board member authority and responsibilities. BBBG board elections. BCA-1 code of ethics for schoolboard members. That's a brand new one. BCA-2 code of ethics for schoolboard members. Um, that also is a new one. BCA-R, school board member financial disclosure. Uh, BE-Ba-B school board meetings, regular meetings and special meetings. EDA agenda, board of education, BDF voting method, BEG minutes, BG, School Board Policy Process, BIA, New Board
034Member orientation Handbook, BIBA School Board Conferences, Conventions, Workshops, DCK-R, Expense Authorization, GCBA-R instructional staff salary schedules. We're going to retire ACB non-discrimination um the basis of ethnicity and race. Retire ACE non-discrimination on the basis of handicap disability. Retire ACE- non-discrimination on the basis of handicap disability complaint form. That's an exhibit. Retire AC-R uh discrimination on the base of disability. Retire BCAA board member code of ethics. Retired BDC appointed board officials and retired GBJ-R personnel records and files. Next we have consent agenda. Pleasure of the board. Move to approve. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Christy Chisum. >> Hi. >> Amy Grantham. >> Hi. >> Nancy Hopper. >> Hi. >> John. >> Hi. >> Smith. >> Hi. Sir, >> next up we have action items. 7A will be the mill levy certification. Pledge of the
035board. >> Move to approve. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded to uh for the mil levy certification. Roll call, please. >> Christy Chisum. >> Imam. >> Hi. >> Nancy Hopper. >> Hi. >> Johny. >> Hi. >> Smith. >> Hi. >> Sarah Whitney. >> Hi. Next up, the Fort Morgan High School registration guide for the 2627 school year. Pledge of the board. >> Move to approve. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Chissy Chisum. >> I grant >> I Nancy Hopper. >> I John Crowley. >> I Smith. >> Hi. >> Sarah Whitney. >> Hi. >> Next. Policies. District revisions. Third reading. Pleasure. The board. Second. >> Roll call. Christy children. >> Hi >> David. >> Hi. >> John Crowley. >> Hi. >> Smith. >> Hi. >> Sarah Whitney. >> Hi. >> Next up we
036have the 25 through 27. This is a two-year uh committee appointment for the board committees. Pleasure. The board. >> Move to approve. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Christy Chisum. Hi. >> Amy Bentham. Hi. Nancy Hopper. Hi. John. Hi. Smith. Hi. Sir. Next, we have various monetary donations. I'll read these very quickly. The Sunrise Optimus Club donation of $300 for the Turkey Product Coline and the United Presbyterian Church donation of $63.80 for school supplies. Pledge of the Lord. >> Move to approve. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Christy Chisum. >> I grant them. >> Hi. >> Nancy Harper. >> Hi. >> John Py, >> I sit. >> Hi. >> Okay. Next, we have newsletters. In your board packet, you see uh Sherman, Baker, Coline, Greenacres, and Pioneer. Thank you. We appreciate receiving those. Next, advanced
037planning. Uh Casby 85th annual convention is this week starting December 11th through the 13th. The winter break is December 22nd through January 5th. And the first board of education meeting in January will be on the 12th. There is no further business to come before the board. Oh, sorry. >> I just wanted to offer since it's going to be recorded and going out to the district, just offer our apologies for not being able to attend the Christmas dinner as we'll be at the uh state board convention at that time since the change. >> Well, not only apologies that we're not going to be able to attend, but the sadness in my heart that I don't get the business dinner. So, just so you know, >> hey, if there is no further come before the board. We
038will adjourn at 7:32.