001Okay, I am going to call this meeting to order. I appreciate I appreciate you all being patient [clears throat] with our technical difficulties. Um, I'm going to start with approval of the agenda. Do we have a motion? >> I move that the board of education approved the agenda on February 23rd, 2026 as submitted. >> Do we? >> Thank you. >> All in favor? I >> I I >> I. >> All right. Our next item on the agenda is the pledge of allegiance. So, if you'd like to join us, please stand. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This is >> All right. And now what we've all been waiting for. We have student spotlight
002and we have the RISE programs from Runmore Elementary. >> Yes. I'll hand it off. >> Thank you for having us. >> Thank you for coming. >> Yeah. 10 years ago, we started the RISE program responding to a need in the district to provide this program level support for students. RISE stands for reaching independence through structured education. And we were fortunate enough to get Stacy Grace who was a parent of ours at the time. And Stacy and the program have just grown into an amazing place for kids. And they just program and these kids bring joy to our school every day. So I'm going to hand it over to Stacy Grace and she's going to talk about her program. I'm actually going to have the kiddos. You guys want to come up? We're going to start
003off because we do a lot of practicing introducing ourselves. So, they're going to tell you their names and their grades, and then you want to tell them your favorite food or something here. This isn't real, but we talk. [laughter] All right. So, all right. You ready, Loki? Go ahead. Tell them your name. >> My name's Loki. >> And your grade. Keep going. >> Miss Shenick. >> What grade is Miss Shenick teach? >> Um, math. >> Math. And first grade? >> Yes. >> All right. Do you want to hand it to >> Benji? [laughter] Practice what to say, but I have no idea what >> Hi. Go ahead, Benj. >> Hi, I'm Benji and I'm in Miss Bushman's class and my and my teacher teach is >> bird. And I also like >> my teacher is
004Mrs. Ber and I really love pizza. >> Talking about food. >> Okay, go ahead Tegan. Here we're gonna turn around to the Oh, either crowd. You want to tell them your name? I got daddy. >> Yep. Daddy's here with you. >> I got Miss Dillard. >> Miss Dillard is our teacher. And what grade are you in? >> Fourth grade. >> And what's your favorite food? >> Uh, cheeseburger. >> Cheeseburger. >> And so we have Larie here. Larie actually communicates with eye gates. So his it's like an AAC device, but his it registers his eyes and is his voice for him. So, sometimes we're right on and sometimes needs a little help from us. You ready, Larry? >> Ready? >> There you go. This is where >> all right you ready? >> I'm a gravery. I
005love field trips with all my friends. >> [applause] >> These are most some of our kids. We still have a lot of kids who are in right here. Um we're just going to go through just a little bit about the program and show you guys a slideshow of some of the cool things we do. Um starting off with what is our rats program. Technically it's an autism program. However, the population in our building has changed a lot. We have a lot of different needs that come through our building. So, it's really a place for kids of a variety of needs to get what they need while they're at school. Um, currently we have 11 kids that are getting services through the RISE program. We have expanded this year to two different spaces. So, we have
006two classrooms. One is for kids who are more play-based learning. They're learning communication. Um, they're learning behaviors, a lot of ABA type things. Um, some of our medically challenging kids who have those type of issues are also in that room. And then we have a more academic room with reading, writing, math, that typical academic setting. So we have two rooms. Um these students generally are all working on alternate standards or um need modifications to the curriculum. They need explicit instruction in the area of language. All of them. We're all working on communicating all day long. Um they also get social skill instruction and need lots of opportunities for practice for that. Um and the majority of us spend uh about 50% in the Jedi class or more in our class. Okay. The biggest thing about
007us I think um we do inclusion different. A lot of times we think about inclusion is just proximity to typical peers. It's not. It's about the feeling of belonging and the feeling of being included in a group. And I think that's what we do best. Um because the kids in our building, they feel like they belong in the rise rooms. They feel and in the rise and the best part is it's peers that are like them. Just like we as adults like to hang out with people that are like us, that we have things in common with. They get that in the rise room. So they feel included there. Then they go to their gener classrooms, they feel included there. We spend a lot of time making sure they are there in the most optimal
008times. We don't push them when they're not ready. If they don't have the skills, it's not time for them to go yet. We wait till they're ready and they are superstars in our community. Everyone knows them as they lock the halls in our building. Um so some of the big things that we do to make that feeling of inclusion um for these kids, we have a lot of um intentional community bu community building within the walls of our classroom. We have had a ton of field trips which we'll show you um find a friend programs, family events. We really focus on the whole child. These kids don't just need academics, they need everything. They need to learn to access the world. Um, and that's what we're giving them at Pridemore. Um, and the biggest piece
009I think that makes us successful is we understand the fact that it takes a village pair of professionals. Um, ours are absolutely amazing. Um, OT's, PTS, SLPs, we are in contact with bus drivers. We have substitutes who end up staying as long-term subs or who end up getting jobs um after being subs. We have a huge community and the parents um who are all kind of working towards the same thing and that's raising these kids to be independent, happy humans. Um and I think we do a pretty good job. So we have a video of just some of the field trips we have taken. Some of these are from pretty much the past three years is when we really started getting out into the community more. Um, so after we go through our video, the
010kids will kind of talk about them a little bit and then they would like to show you some of their new skills and we'll teach you some of their new skills of bowling. Um, they just went bowling with the unified team over at the high school a couple weeks ago. So, if we have time, we'd love to just bowl around with you guys at the end. So, here is our field. You got to find your people. The ones that [music] make you feel all right. The kind you want to stay up with all night. You got to find your people. The ones that make you feel whole. Yes, sir. >> They won't leave your side when you lose control. [music] The ones that don't let you lose your soul. You got to [music] find your
011people. The ones that get the joke, who understand what [music] you're saying for a word is smoke. You got to find your people [music] that put the needle in the groove. When you're together, [singing] you got nothing to lose. [music] When you're together, you got nothing to lose. In a world full of strangers, you don't know what's [singing] right. All you see is danger trying to find what you lost. You can't go it alone. Everybody needs [singing and music] them. You got to find your people, then you'll find yourself. [music] You got to find the people that'll [music] call your blood. Go ride along when the road is rough. You got to find your people, the ones that make [music] you feel equal. They pick you up and don't put you [music and singing] down.
012Help you find your way in the lost [music] and found. In a world full of strangers, you don't know to trust. All you see is [music and singing] danger trying to find what you love. You can't go it [music and singing] alone. Everybody needs help. You got to find your people. Then you find yourself. [music] The ones that understand [singing and music] you. The ones that lend a hand you. The ones that don't demand anything from you. [music] You got to find your people, the ones [music] that make you feel all right. To tell you [singing] the truth and wish you well. You got to find your people. [music] Then you'll find yourself. You got to find your people, then you'll find yourself. [music] It takes a village warm and >> kind of joy and
013>> guys >> laugh and play. help light the way. >> Grandparents show us every day. >> Friends remind us we belong. tell you their favorite ones. You guys want to come up and tell them which ones were your favorite trips or something either your favorite trip or something about the prize you might [clears throat] Okay, doesn't really work. [laughter] It's all better. >> I know. Here, you can just pretend here. I want you to look this way. Stand next to each other. Loki. [laughter] >> Okay, Ben here. Look that way and tell them what your favorite field trip or ride thing is. >> My favorite field trip is when we gone on the end of the year field trip. >> And what did we do there? >> We we played with water balloons. We played
014on the park and ate some food. >> All right. Good job. All right. >> Good job. Get it to the next person. Hey, you want to tell them your favorite thing? >> My favorite trip is um um Safeway and my favorite chip is flag. >> So for our annual dinner, Loki, do you want to tell them yours? You can sit back down >> every day. >> My field is football. >> Look at [laughter] the football. What about the rides field trip? What was your favorite rides field trip? [laughter] >> Did you like the bowling? >> Bowling? Yes. >> Yes. Bowling? Yes. All right. You want to give it to Tegan? I know Tegan's answer >> there. It doesn't work. It just lights up. Ready? All right. Turn to them and tell them your favorite field
015trip. >> Oh, bowling. >> Yeah. >> Oh, that has changed. I thought your favorite one was chips. >> Yes. >> Oh, yeah. She got chips. All right, good job. Let's pass ready to go. What's your favorite field trip? >> You ready? >> Oh, >> I love field trips with all my friends. >> You want to give us the second one? >> I love field trips with all my friends. >> You want to keep going? Is that you're really your favorite? >> Mom and dad still have the bird house I built. That's right. >> Uh, do you guys have any questions for them or anything? I have no idea how that answers. [laughter] >> If not, can we please bowl around with you because practicing setting the pins up to help you guys bowl? But then
016we'll see. I strategically hid them behind you. We have some terror with us tonight. If you're a pair with us and us which way should we put on this? >> No workers. [laughter] I got >> some warm up exercises. >> All right. So, we're going to help them. You're help. >> Do you want to give them the ball? [laughter] >> So, Benji, you're going to help get the ball. D, you're gonna help him up. >> Yes. You show us how to do it. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. Can you show us back up? >> So, we bowl with the unified bowling team and the paint team. Um, and it was amazing watching the original kids from the rise program teach these little kids. One, two, three, go. Oh. All right. >> All right.
017>> Go ahead. Go ahead. I got [laughter] >> try again. >> You want to try again? >> You got this one. All right, my friend. But I have to set a timer for us because I have other things to do. [laughter] >> Let the adult's gonna go and then the adults are You're gonna do yellow. >> All right. Go ahead. Ready? >> Watch the adults and see how good they are. Tell me. Do you have any advice? >> Okay. How do you do it like this? Okay. >> All right. Good job. >> All right. Put these ones away. Dr. creepy looking [laughter] >> here. You just help me put him back. Our last bowl, >> you want to run him over? >> Yes. >> Ready? >> Here it goes. Can we get a picture? >>
018Of course. >> Students and teachers and the board. Everybody's got to kind of squeeze together a little bit. Okay. Hey all you fabulous human beings. Look at amazing Broadmore Rise program. >> All right. Stay there. >> No. She can share them if any. >> Okay. Great job everybody. It's too great. left. [clears throat] Our next item is visitors. At this time, welcome members of the public who'd like to address the board. Liz, do we have anyone signed up? Great. And then we can move on to our next item. Um, a member of superintendent correspondence and comments. Um, do we have any board member uh corresponding? >> I'm gonna try to say I'm crying, but I just want to say thank you to um everyone that helped support JP and they made the announcement for everyone
019to be president together at school. So, thank you. >> Yeah, >> John Paul was a ritual rise too. >> Yes, he was. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. >> Yeah. I think that the counseling service did an amazing job for students and students. >> Yeah. Sure. >> Dr. Peak. >> Yes. Uh I to I had at the end of my notes, but I'll just say it right now. I just want to give a very special of love and care to the this also family. [snorts] Um this is Yep. He I I'm just blown away in 34 years in education about the impact that one child could have on a community is just profound. It really is. And he clearly left us some lessons about how we should treat each other and and uh be supportive and uplift
020each other. So just my heart goes out to their family. Um he was truly a very special person who touched the lives of so many in our Shy Mountain community and he'll be missed and I know he's going to be remembered for a long time and um yeah so just uh love and care to the to the family. Um we've had lots of uh successful things happening and and uh want to brag on some kiddos uh in particular at our our secondary or high school health occupation student association hosts a state competition. So, um, this I believe includes Sean Carmony and others, but I want to give some shout outs to some students and I am going to apologize in advance if I don't pronounce names fully correctly. Simi Yara Lagada, first place epidemiology, third
021place creative problem solving, top 10 for um, path of physiology. Magna Nar third place creative problem solving top 10 chemistry top 10 epidemiology top 10 CPR first aid skills Ava Pletkuit top 10 CPR first aid skills Brooklyn Sherman top 10 sports medicine skills with many of our students finishing the top 25 across the state. So just really proud of that work and those offerings. our state speech and debate. Our uh Shy Mountain High School won the debate sweep stakes again and had five qualifiers for the national tournament. Eva McFar uh McFarland, Cohen Beaver, Retaja Sana, um Dashil West and public forum debate and Ben Wingert and Lincoln Douglas debate. State DECA um happening right now at the Broadmore with over 30 students in competition. I happened to drive by there earlier today [laughter] crowd and
022all of these young people were just so dressed up. I thought this must be some kind of like college >> or postcolgic, you know, something something only to be quickly reminded, no, these are like high school age students and uh we occupied several of those. Um, one of our students uh uh running for a state DECA office um and she indicated that her speech and interview went very well. So, find out results tomorrow. Lots going on with athletics. Uh, girls basketball headed to Eagle Valley on Wednesday for the first round of playoffs. Boys basketball ranked five will host Friday at Chai Mountain. Um, hockey ranked five in the quarterfinals traveling to Steamboat Wednesday. If win, the semis are at Colorado College on Saturday. Boys volleyball, boys swim, uh, a weekend to spring season have their
023first season openers on Thursday. Girls Swim, second place in state, incredible finish. And I don't know if you saw a post with Girls Swim, they also had just a big um recognition for JP which was really awesome. Uh boys wrestling qualified nine for state and Wyatt Bully was the highest finisher at fourth in state. Girls wrestling has two state qualifiers. Unified basketball state is Friday, March 6, so a week from this Friday. And the rest of the spring sports kicked off tonight with tryyouts. So, and spring sports is super busy also with just all of the things going on like track and field alone is cast of thousands, right? So, it's it's a big turnout. We've had our district attributes of a graduate steering committee work continuing and I think as we shared our last
024work session, um a couple of us on the board are also serving on that group. Um, the night of one act plays recently happened on February 12th. Had a chance to go to it. I'm just blown away by not just our student performers, but also that some of our students direct these, right? It's just really incredible [clears throat] and I'm I'm so proud of uh just Miss Papuff and and programming at the high school is pretty incredible. Uh, fan night was also just a week or so back on February 11th. Very well attended. I understand we had overund uh 150 people like a huge turnout for a fan event which was great. Um and uh my wife Charity actually came also and we really enjoyed the breakout sessions and kudos to Mick Frederick and Jeff
025Kfki and mindfulness and positivity and in fact we um she and I snuck into one of the breakout sessions with Larry Lawson and it was great for him. I just brought forward just some of the ancient wisdom um from you know countless years back and how some of that wisdom just prevails today. It's just uh really remarkable. But I think uh the sense was kids and families um and staff who attended felt a great connection and just reggrounded about what's important, right? And how do we create that space? Uh last week I attended the case winner leadership conference and while there were a variety of different topics I would say uh not to end on a a more challenging note but I would just say that part of the prevailing winds from the conference is
026just where we are budgetarily across the state and just some of the realities that we that school districts are facing and I'm just reminded of how proud I am of the good stewardship under Natalie's leadership the board's leadership that We we're we're having to make some difficult decisions right now about our resources, but um I feel really proud about being a part of Shine Mountain and that we're we're still doing that and as much as possible, keeping that away directly from our own staff uh as much as possible. So, just realizing some of those fiscal realities are are pretty sizable across the state. I think right now they're estimating over uh a billion in terms of shortfall for this next year. So, but um overall lots to celebrate about kids and um lots going on.
027We're kind of entering testing season. I will just share with you Dr. Aldridge was under the weather and I shared with her please go home and rest well. But [clears throat] we are entering that season of testing here soon. Um, so that will occupy some of our space and time in our campuses and then we'll get to spring break. >> So, it's rolling. >> Yeah. So, thank you. Sorry, those were quite a few updates, but I want to share those with you. >> Lots of new updates. Thank you. Um, next item is our approval of consent agenda. >> I move the board of education approve the consent agenda for February 23rd, 2026. I'll second. All in favor? >> I I >> I. [clears throat] >> If I may to interrupt for a moment, just a
028congratulations to Eric McMart who will now be our new principal at Rome Elementary >> beginning July one. And so we're just super excited for Eric joining us. He and his family live in the district and his children go to schools in our schools. And I know he's going to be missed at me, too. But selfishly, I'm glad we're stealing them to come uh be on the mountain. So, congratulations, Eric. And I'll text you as well. So, that's exciting. >> Yep. >> All right. Our next item um is new business. So, we have um policy review. So, Dr. >> Y. So, [clears throat] I'm gonna walk through these and I'm going to lean on Natalie to need assistance, which could entirely happen. Um, but one of the things I wanted just to share with you and
029again I I think I've given a public acknowledgement but I want to do that again with Dr. Claudio. I had asked him last fall if he could kindly kind of pick up the pieces of looking at all of our uh policy categories as we tried to feebley do that in the last few years and that's been a hit or miss and he's just been terrific about helping to get that organized along with Liz has been a big help as well. So just both of them thank you so much. So, we've been going through methodically with our policies and just as a refresher to the board, um some of the policies and some of the categories actually really haven't fundamentally changed and um i.e. the statute still the same and even what CASBY has is the
030same. But what we're finding is that some of these show the last time they were looked looked at publicly was like 1987, right? Or 1993. So, we want to just be mindful to demonstrate that periodically we do examine our policies and we just want to make sure they're still aligned with what statute language is, what CASBY is still recommending. And so, again, as we bring some of these updates, and I'm just methodically going from the A series to the B series, and now we're in the the D series. Some of these are review. Some of these may be we're recommending retirement and others others may be combined or hey we've got enough updates we need to run these all the way through all three reads if that makes sense. So so um the first is
031DA fiscal management responsibilities. This one still is very much intact and is uh virtually consistent with CASBY and align um with what is uh recommended from CASBY. So just some slight changes in terms of uh position titles, a little bit of um consolidating from for example custodial grounds and maintenance to facilities transportation services. But um so this one because there's a couple of changes and just consolidating we'd still recommend that these go through the second and third reads. Does that make sense? So that's DA fiscal management responsibilities. Again, please chime in with any color commentary or if I request a lifeline DC grants from private sources. um considerably outdated and there is no support from CASBY. There's no statutory requirement. It is in our best interest we believe to retire this particular proxy. So uh
032DD the Tradition of Excellence Foundation as uh probably not a surprise to you this is just unique to Shy Mountain School District 12. So, CASBY doesn't have this. Uh there's no statutory requirements on this, but we historically have felt um the need and the importance for this to be called out explicitly within our board policy is obviously the the u single foundation that is in support of what happens in the district. And so this clearly articulates that from its inception. and we're merely wanting just to indicate that we still believe that should be intact and no fundamental change. So this would just be a review and if you're supportive of that, it won't go forward for any more reads. We would just update the review date as of February 2026. Okay. fiscal accounting DI which
033um was was DE formally and I think I made a a note of that on your annotated agenda. So fiscal accounting uh we did see some language here that would be a little bit more streamlined from previous language but what's probably most important is that still fundamentally it doesn't change the policy. it just maybe is more uh up-to-date language that CASBY rep recommends. Also, we did not have the CRS legal references. So, we've included those 2244 103 which is enterprise funds accounting methods and 2245102. So, um this particular one we would request goes through all three reads. [clears throat] No questions there. Okay. Then DF financial reports and statements. This one aside from just capitalizing or changing from director of business services to chief financial officer, there's nothing changed. So we're recommending this is merely
034just a review because as you'll note, the last time there was a revised date was 1992. So um we think over three and a half decades we ought to just at least acknowledge we've taken a peek at it even though nothing has changed. Next one is was formerly DG but now is DID to be again if we're recommending changes on acronyms. We're trying to align those with CASBY. Generally speaking that's good for us. it helps us to track and uh is is easier to articulate if we need to convey this outward. So, did district assets um this one because there's a name change and because we're also adding a legal reference as an update, although uh the rest of the content remains the same, we would recommend this goes through three reads. The next one
035is was formerly DH and is now DIE and not to be morbid about this particular one but annual audit there was uh a fair amount of more detail that CASBY has than the last version that we had which hadn't been revised since 1992. So again we're just getting caught up. We've got three um uh Colorado statutes also to make sure that are referenced. Now, I will say that while this is some significant update, it it's um important to note, we have still very much been consistent and congruent with what current law is. And um it's not to suggest that, but how we articulated in policy, uh we know this is a place where we can spell this out better. and Casby's done the heavy lifting for us with their legal review. So, we very much
036want to adopt it. So, this one we would be recommending goes through all three reads. The next one has been shown as DIR in two things about this report of vandalism or theft. First of all, R is really for regulation or procedure. This technically would be an E, like an exhibit or a form, but this isn't even necessarily descriptively what we do relative to this. And moreover, it's an internal practice. It doesn't require anything associated with statute. CASBY doesn't even recommend any of this. So, we think this is more internal procedure. If we're dealing with a report of vandalism or theft, we already have an internal process for that. This is strange. This assistant retired to go through the three REITs. The next one is formerly DJ which is now DJG vendor relations. There is
037some slight language change here to be consistent with CASBY. Although overarching it's still speaking to in essence the same components that we had on the books before, but again had not had a revision since 1992. a long time. Plus, it also has a legal reference that we would support CRS for code of ethics rules of conduct 2418104. So, we're adding those things. So, we recommend this goes through all three reads. Miss Natalie, am I missing anything? >> No, you did. >> Okay. Questions on any of those pieces? [cough] >> I [clears throat] think we can move on to second reads. >> Okay. So second reads just to reiterate what I shared at the beginning of first reads as we proceed and I'm bringing we're bringing forward the next round of policies. If there's something that
038is just a review so these first reads we just went through if it's just review and parentheses you will not see them from second reads. Right? So if you look back at last month's, you would have noted more than the four that are in second reads, but the ones that were be more than the four were just for read. So after a night of first reads, if it's review only, I'm simply just updating the date and I'm sending it to CASBY and they update it online for us. Does that make sense? So these um these are AB and this is a second read. This is retirement. This is already incorporated in either other existing policy or by practice. It's it's truly just outdated language. AD no changes on any one of these four. By the
039way, uh from what you saw first reads January meeting AD obviously we've done significant updates to our mission vision core values. So that is reflected there. Um CA again it's just really outdated. CASBY doesn't have any of this either. uh it's old language. We just need to retitle that. And then CC uh administrative organization uh a slight change. This is on the books and CASBY still recommends it. This is basically all but verbatim, but we do want to ensure that the CRS is referenced there as well. Again, no changes from the first read to second read. So that's all I have for you. So again in your packet and we've been humming along of course we've seen we're seeing each other quite a bit with our staff meetings and uh so what's around the corner
040is on Thursday we're at the junior high during the lunch hour. Next week on Wednesday we're Zeb Pike and also on Wednesday a short while after ZePike we scoot down the road back to Skyway. So, we're kind of doing a two for one on that day. Just how that schedule worked out. We do have a work session on March 9. Uh, and then you can see we we still have high school and and PTE yet to to wrap things out. Um, we do uh then we'll break into spring break and the Monday right after spring break, we'll have our next regular meeting. So, that's kind of a sneak preview. And then again, thanks to Liz putting together a draft. Just keep in mind this draft keeps evolving. Um, but we're starting to put meat on
041the bones for some of the scheduling for next year's. I know some of you were already asking for that as schedules start to get hooked with those pieces up. So, Liz, anything else for schedule? I think that unless you have questions, I think that is good for schedule. >> Okay. Thank you.