001One, two. Check. Check. Check. Check. One, two, check. Check. Good evening everyone and welcome to the B Valley School District honor roll. My name is [Name], I am the superintendent. Please raise your hands. This is your first time participating in a ceremony like this. We are gathered here to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students, staff, and community members. Before we begin, this ceremony is held three times a year to recognize the achievements of our students, staff, and community members. Before we begin, let's acknowledge the members of the Education Council. The back, President Nicole Raj. Next Alex Medler, treasurer Jason, fronted Dian Bookervez is nearby. Thank you so much, members of the Council, for being here. And they enjoyed their meal. That's the best part of the ceremony, and this is because it has been
002provided by the members of the Culinary Institute of the school district. Parents, if you need help in the kitchen, it's here on the hill. And many thanks to Apex, the students, for serving the food. Who's ready to get started? Come on, make some noise. It's a very nice thing to celebrate. We have several groups that we will be recognizing today. Everyone already knows for someone. Okay, I'm going to make some dad jokes. You know, you know that eagles know how to soar, but did you know they know how to swim too? Brofield High School performed exceptionally well in the competition. Please welcome the state swimming champions. And if your coaches are here, please join us at the front. Last month's competition in Thurton was also electrifying. The Eagles got off to a great start ,
003winning the 400m relay. Congratulations to Carly Chandra, Cameron Win Willing, Willly Hagerman. One step forward. You guys who had the 400m relay. Where is Riley? It's pronounced Ridle. Well, Ridley then won the 200m freestyle event. Eli won the individual 200m butterfly event, and that's the butterfly event, all styles. He says, uh, well, before the competition ended they said, "Brofield already took this," but then he and Rerman and the Marbury sisters, Mayira and the others, competed and blew everyone away with the 400-yard freestyle, with an outstanding time of 3:33.92, and Emily, the coach, was named Coach of the Year. Emily, I'm going to ask you a few questions. They're easy, about swimming. I know you've trained a long time, four years to determine the year with these accomplishments. It's the first state championship in Brofield's history
004. Principal Gini is here. You've won everything in competition, but you were waiting. So, tell me what this swimming season has meant to you . It was very exciting to be able to win, and after four years we were preparing to achieve it, and finally we did. Exactly. Representing your school district. Very good, Coach Austin. Come here, please. Congratulations. I hear from people that you mentioned before the [season/competition/etc.] started competition, that this team could win the competition, what has made you most proud of these? I do n't even know where to begin, but I had a feeling we were going to do our best because some seniors left, but we also kept many of our very talented swimmers, and I knew we were going to pull it off. There was no doubt in my mind.
005Well, congratulations. That's a big round of applause. Let's see who's going to take pictures. Erin's going to take the pictures. Before you go, Coach has something to say. It's someone who isn't here right now, and she's a diver. She did something extraordinary. She was on the Brofeld team in two different sports during the same school year. She was also on the gymnastics team that won state, and she did some excellent dives. We wouldn't have been able to do this without her participation. I also want to mention Mayira, who took second place in Freestyle. Another big round of applause. Wow, what a way to start. Congratulations. Thank you. Not only were the Eagles the champions, but if we may call the In front of Carly Pillo and whoever is accompanying Carly Puch, whether it's her parents
006or coaches, we are very proud of you. Seriously, coach, her coach. Well, Amber is in charge. Carly, I know you are a Special Olympics participant and you won in freestyle. Tell us about it. I am, I trained a lot, I am very strong and I know what it means when I finish and I felt great. Because I trained a lot and I was always determined to keep going and I never gave up. And I'm a rock star, I'm famous. This is wonderful. I also noticed that you were featured in an article in the Daily Camera. That's important. Another round of applause for Carly. And what do you say when you swim? I did very well. And look, we're putting pictures of you on the screen. Let's listen to a video clip. Just dream flow, don't
007hush when the whistle blows, she dives on in, heart over toes, my miss, turn my swimmer, but she climbs out and say I did so good. Yes, he always does. Hands in the "I did" because Carly, you dance very well too. And again, I want to congratulate you and all the swimmers from Monark. Let's take the picture. Before we finish talking about the 4th A swimming meet, we have to mention another honor that was bestowed upon the Bolder Valley School District. Brady Patty, please come forward. She was named Swimmer of the Year by the Swimming Coaches Association. It was a vote by all the coaches, and that indicates the great talent she has. People who know her say she is one of the kindest, most humble people you will ever meet. She is very fast
008in the pool, but what she really loves is water polo. She is committed to Indiana University to play and swim on their team. Congratulations, Brady, on being named Swimmer of the Year. Well, you're a senior in high school , and you were thinking of graduating early, but you decided to stay and participate with your school. Yes. And you're also a big help in the ILC program. Tell me about it. Yes, it's a lot of fun. It's the best part of my day. Um, I'm glad to be a part of that program. Another big round of applause. Brady. And here's your coach. Who wants to come up? Everyone. And finally, our distinguished swimmers are from Fairview High School. Please come forward. Um, this team is small but mighty. They've competed in swimming and diving. They've had
009five state championships. This year they took second place against Cherry Creek and won, uh, uh, with Lexi Burn in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.26 seconds. This is an All-American Record. Congratulations. This is your first individual state championship. Tell us about it. It was a lot of fun. It was really nice to see all my teammates supporting my team, supporting me, and it was a great experience. Yes. Throughout the competition, Fairview kept Cherry Creek on their toes and biting their nails. And I also want to mention that they have The Fairview swim coaches have been honored. Um, Stacy Toby and Franny Bentley. Tell me about your experience. Well, this is a team effort that helps prepare our athletes, and it all started around COVID, so this is to honor the team of coaches.
010This is very meaningful. We all know the amount of work and time it takes, and it's an honor for us to receive this recognition. A big round of applause. Congratulations. Let's take the picture. I asked Alexia where she's going to school. Um, UNC, the University of Northern California. Congratulations. How is everyone feeling now? Do you need more food? We have more food there from the Apex students. Let's now shift our attention from the pool to the mats. Here's Sheila Martinez defending her state title in Olympic wrestling. She's a Monarch student. Please come forward. Although she studies at Monarch, she competes representing [unclear] with the team of [unclear]. Brufield. Last year at Bol Arena, you won the 190-pound Olympic wrestling championship. I know you have a perfect record. You registered a record score in the first
01130 seconds of the match . And you're not the only wrestler in your family. Your sister Bella is here. She wants to follow in your footsteps. Tell me how you prepare for the season and what you focus on to deliver such a dominant performance. Well, I think I want to be the best in the world someday, and if I want to be the best in the world, I first have to be the best in Colorado. I'm humble, but I have to perform with determination. And you know who else knows you're the best? Well, the print is really small, as you can see. Keira Holling knows you're the best because she was with you in the finals. A big round of applause. Sheila is a junior. So I'm going to give her the invitation to the
012next honor roll. Folks, it's not just our swimmers who win state championships. There were recently the Josa State Championships, where we're going to Welcome to those who won this championship: Bella Bar, a senior at Bolder; Alexander Berry Hill, a senior at Monarch; and Sebastián Ramírez Medina, a senior at Boligay. This competition, organized by José, is for future physical health professionals. Bella won in pathopsychology, Alexander won in clinical care, and Sebastián won in sports medicine. Let's give them a big round of applause. Would anyone like to share about their experience? Tell us what it's like to win a state championship. This came with a lot of preparation at Apex, and you have to work every day. Yes. It was also the best thing to go up in front of 5,000 people and not know if you're
013going to win or not until you see your name on a screen. But who can describe it? I think Rick should come here and give his speech. Hi, I'm a health sciences teacher at Apex. Well, about José, I see the students and have them take the tests. And I, do you think so? Because sometimes they can pass the tests well, and sometimes they don't. Same for our Teachers, you don't know if you're going to win gold, silver, or bronze. And that's what we do here. We're so proud of you. You're laughing too much. You need to come up and get in the picture, too. I was telling you, Apex is a wonderful school. Happiness is amazing. And well, Rick was the teacher. As all of you, I think, already know, behind these great students, these
014athletes, are their coaches who oversee all of their training. It's a labor of love at every level. I have the honor of calling on the athletic director of Santaros Carbuck School. He didn't know, just this past Friday, he was selected by the Coaches Association as athletic director of the year. We're so proud of T. We want to recognize his leadership and the positive impact he has on all of our students. We know where to find him every night at Santaros. This is a huge commitment. What keeps you working so hard for our students and schools? Well, everyone in our school, my colleagues here, are the kids. And every time we drive to our schools, how can we make sure that this Is this a wonderful experience for our students? We have the support here from
015the district and my team at home— my wife, my little daughter, everyone here in education. This is a team effort, and this makes me, as athletic director, very proud to be part of the team. We all make a great team and work with our students; we are here for them. Another big round of applause for Carl and his administrative team and his team at home. Congratulations. It's a great honor. Now , let's change the subject and celebrate the teachers who work in libraries. We're going to invite Kelly and Carla to come forward. Sara, Kelly, and Clara Flanhofer from P, who couldn't be here, recently received the designation of highly effective schools for their library programs, which focus on professional areas, planning, instruction, leadership, management, and environment. Why do you do such important work? Why is
016your position so important in our schools? I feel super excited and very lucky to have the position I have. I feel like we are so much more than books. We provide a safe place for our students. We give a A space for children to be curious without judgment. And we've been working on that with the leadership of our principal who's here, and we've been working on it for several years now— four years of hard work. We're very lucky to have this job, and my colleagues agree with what Re said when she came and told us to be with the team, the staff we have, the community we have in Col Creek. We collaborate with many of the teachers and are planning lessons with them. I'm already doing that, so it would be great to win
017accreditation, and it was something we did without thinking. We have a lesson about digital citizenship. We're collaborating with the teachers and constantly changing jobs for new ones. I really love the job; I love this position at Col Creek Family. Another round of applause. Can we take a celebratory picture? Jeff, you guys won awards as principals as well. So, do you want to talk about that? I know you do. Go ahead. Well, I'm going to take credit for both because before, I was at Luis B. Elementary School. I'm going to give you All credit goes to Sara and Kelly. They're the ones who do all the work. I signed some papers and collaborated, but she did all the work. Jeff is... Now that we're wrapping up tonight, I'm happy to have the opportunity to recognize yet
018another teacher who has made it part of their mission to create a safe place for all the students in their class and the entire school. Ace from Boulder High School. Please come forward. Congratulations. He's an English teacher who has been at the high school for three years, and last week the University of Colorado recognized him with their Kindergarten-12th Grade Gold Award. He knows teachers from organizations that work in mentorship and have an impact on their school communities. Congratulations, Ace. And I understand that you serve as the sponsor of the alliance between gay and straight students at Boulder and that the kids consider it a safe place. I ca n't imagine a better place to be every day. These are the most amazing students you could ever imagine. The way they present themselves in the world
019and in the classrooms is everything. What we need right now in our future. And sometimes the world is scary to a lot of kids. It's our obligation to present ourselves well to them, and I feel like I can do that a little bit in a very small way every day. I think you're doing it in a very big way, and this recognition proves it. You're an expert at teaching freshmen , like the kids in this ninth grade are incredible. If you do n't spend time with 14-year-olds every day, they're missing something in their lives. They're incredible, they have so much curiosity, and I think we really underestimate our kids, and especially the ninth graders. What they do in this world and in my classroom is truly amazing every single day. So, I need to get
020out of their way. Congratulations, congratulations. You can say that the superintendent's honor roll is done three days during the school year. They're my three favorite days. All the effort and time and purpose of the educators, the students, the community. Thank you for coming tonight. That concludes. Yes. What is it? What? And look for There. Everyone wait a moment. Close your eyes and count to 10. Nothing like suspense. Tam. Kelsey, come in. Ky. We're so excited to celebrate her tonight, and to give her this honor is the Director of Special Education, Michelle Brenner. Michelle, can you tell us a little bit about the teacher? She's the amazing teacher, Kelsy Wells. She works at BRfield Heights High School, in the intensive learning center. She's working as a model program for significant support needs for the state of
021Colorado, and the program just received the Reconnection Award. Congratulations. It's an honor because they met all the standards for the state of Colorado, but as we understand it, it's only the second program in the entire state to receive this honor, and Kelsey knows better than anyone. So, can she talk a little bit about the process, the honor, if she'd like to share? Thank you. Mark is an aide in our program. Working to make a program a model school is very important to me, to any student, so that they can succeed, particularly as a student who has several Disabilities, it requires a whole team. I worked hard to guide, but really the entire school does an incredible job. So, from the moment they get off the bus until they walk in, there are 10 quality indicators
022to achieve the state-level designation. It's very intensive. They're looking at a lot of things about how we serve the students, and that's very important for those students who have many needs. It's really cool to see alumni here today for this honor. A round of applause for K and Brunfield Heights High School. I'll take a look around the room before I say anything else. Thank you all so much for coming to celebrate. We'll do it again in May. I 'll probably see you all again at this meeting. Thank you so much for being here, and have a great afternoon. Oh. I'd like to declare the regular meeting of the Val de Bolder School District Board of Education open for Tuesday, March 10. Board members may attend and participate in meetings electronically in accordance with BMEA policy.
023Can someone please take attendance? Laura present. Chavez present. Medler Present. Quin present. Rajpete. Temingin present. Present. Thank you. I encourage you to pay attention to the screens for the land statement. The Boulder Valley School District resides and operates on land that is ancestral homeland, unjustly and illegally taken from the Yud, Pueblo, Arapajo, Chayan, Apache, Navajo, and 48 other Tribal Nations historically associated with these lands who have called these lands home since time immemorial. We acknowledge the atrocities committed here, including the painful history of genocide, forced displacement, and efforts to alienate Indigenous peoples from their lands with the support of U.S. government policies. The district is mindful of the many Indigenous peoples, past and present, and their dignified nations and cultures who care for the land with strength and resilience. The district recognizes the land histories
024of Colorado and the survival of the many nations that have carried their oral traditions into the present. It is the district's responsibility to educate our communities and our students so that we can celebrate and respect the wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous peoples and actively unite to address injustices. By offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm and honor the history, wisdom, oral traditions, and resilience of Indigenous peoples and recognize our responsibility to care for and cherish this land together. The mission of the Bolder Valley School District is to create challenging, meaningful, and engaging learning opportunities so that all children thrive and are prepared for a life of success and civic engagement. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining us, particularly those syncing online. Is there a motion to try today's agenda? Um, can you take roll? Booker,
025yes. Chavez, yes. Medler, yes. Quinlanda, yes. Rpul, yes. Temading, pass the motion. Next item is the reporting superintendent, Dr. Anderson. Good evening. Good evening, Chairwoman Raspal. To all the council members, to those in the audience, thank you to those who joined us for our agreement to Honor to our children, the coaches, and the teachers. It was an excellent event tonight. Updates for you, the board, and the public: We have solar panels at Nuvista High School. We're installing them. We're going to turn the system on in May to represent 99% of the building's energy use . It meets our sustainability goals, and we're working toward a goal of net-zero energy use. You can find more information at the address on the screen. Several weeks ago, Boulder High School served as a courtroom, which was quite an
026experience. The class The ninth-grade student heard oral arguments from three state judges as part of the community court program. It is an educational program to give high school children a glimpse into how the court works in a democratic society. The children were able to have lunch with the judges after the event. We also had several representatives from the Bolder community, our mayor, the police chief, and members of our council. While that was happening, the rest of our council were in schools watching learning in action. We were at Wier Primary School, and these moments highlight the work we are doing daily to inform the work of the council. And finally tonight, an update on our public engagement efforts regarding the decline in enrollment. We've been talking at several City Council meetings and also in Louisville, and
027we're going to be talking in Bolder City in a month. We have met with the elementary school principals and we are halfway through talking to all the elementary school teachers and we are talking with our advisory council groups. That's the information we're hearing from the community. We are refining our understanding of community opinions. As you know, we have never performed better as a system. The community feels the impact of the decline; they want us to prioritize the communities. Staff are emphasizing that stable equipment and manageable conditions are essential for student success. They want a transparent process and fairness in implementation. In the future we will have several sessions about the challenges, the decline in enrollment, the challenges. We will also have six sessions over a period of 2 weeks, this one on April 13th, all
028occurring at 8:30 am, the next on April 15th at the educational center starting at 10:30 am, and the last on April 16th at Bolderhe High School at 6:30 pm. Saturday, April 18th at 9:30 AM, April 20th at Broomfield High School starting at 6:30 AM, and also April 22nd at Manc High School at 6:30 AM. We will be posting these dates and more information, and we have a newspaper regarding the effects of the decrease in enrollment. Thank you to the community for participating. And we also greatly appreciate the teachers who are taking their lunch breaks to share their opinions, the things that concern them, what we need to consider, as we are ensuring that the teaching experience in the district remains highly excellent so that they can perform their jobs, and we are very grateful for
029their participation, and that's all I have. Thank you, Dr. Anderson. Council members, do you have any questions? We anticipate these sessions. The next topic is public participation. Members of the public may not endorse the comments of individual participants. You are responsible for your speech. The comments should be appropriate, suitable for the students in the district. This is a moment for the council to react or comment on what you are indicating. You'll see an orange card when you have 30 seconds left and a yellow one when you have 10 seconds left. If you can't finish, you can send an email. The first speaker tonight is Josy Doyale. Jos is present. Jos presses the microphone button. It should turn on a green light. Hi, I'm Josie. I am from the Auráajo tribe and I am in my
030penultimate year at Boulder High School. What is happening in our schools and what you have the power to change. The mistake was that you built schools near industrial sites. We are living with the consequences. The EPA recently repealed the rule that went into effect for greenhouse gases. We are suffering the consequences of forest fires and floods. They need to act locally. You need to support the campaign that encourages oil and gas producers to abandon their wells that do not produce much oil and that produce benzene and other volatile organic compounds. Data shows that over 100 low-production wells in Boulder County, including two wells located within 200 feet of Pe to Peak High School or within one mile of several schools in Boulder County, are part of the Colorado State CMC program. There is no financial
031excuse to continue operating those wells. You need to use your voice to make the oil organizations take action. Thank you. Thanks, Jos. Next speaker tonight, and please excuse me. Sorry. It's already been learned. Thank you. Good night. I am Al Snavasen. I am the mother of two students in the district. Um, I'm here to talk about gifted children. We support and advocate for families of gifted children. 15% of students are identified as talented and gifted children. in the elderly population in our district and they are not receiving adequate care; their needs are not being met. We have encouraged them for years that the support available for these students is inconsistent between schools or even within classrooms. and the inconsistency is increasing particularly at the primary level. That is undoubtedly contributing to the decline in enrollment
032and the performance of our schools. It doesn't matter how you respond to the decline in enrollment. All teachers need to meet the needs of every student in their classrooms , including twice- exceptional students. We need long-term support for gifted and talented children. But when they started their efforts, the children who were in kindergarten were already in high school. We need more support right now. To that end, we ask that you, the council, require informed professional development for gifted children for all primary school teachers. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, under your IGA or Igar policy, in the coming weeks you will be hearing from more parents and students of gifted and talented children, and we are anticipating working in partnership with you in this process. The next speaker is Crystal Chin. You can turn on
033the microphone, sorry. There. Good evening, I am Crystal Chin. I am a district parent. In recent weeks, families and educators from several schools have raised concerns about student safety incidents and investigations. We are noticing delays in communication, inconsistencies in reporting and communication, the effects in classrooms, and even students with disabilities experiencing an interruption in their instruction. This is not about a specific case or an individual; it is about procedural guarantees regarding policies. that are consistent. When systems lack independent review, there is no accounting or accountability. We need oversight of the processes related to student safety. They need to report to the public, and we need procedural safeguards. Educators need communication about supervision to reflect the opinions of the community. Many schools are participating in that effort, but we remain concerned. We will have a community
034meeting on April 7th. Do we want clarity, an independent review, or are we going to have to seek an external review to ensure that these processes exist? Thank you. The next person to speak is Christine Maynard. Good afternoon. I am Christian Mayard. I used to be a mother in the district; I am a resident. I am reading this statement on behalf of grandparents, a child at Monarch, a student with disabilities, who is unable to attend school due to unresolved safety concerns. The family has reported interactions, security breaches, and unsafe conditions. After an incident in January, an investigation indicated that bullying did not occur. The family experienced inconsistencies between the initial explanation and the final report, which left them with concerns about transparency and accountability. As the incidents accumulated, the student returned, experienced anxiety, and wanted
035to avoid school. This statement is not about blaming anyone, but about structure when clarity is lacking, when supervision intersects with a disability. We are experiencing a lack of trust. Students with disabilities have rights on paper, but they need to receive them in their environment. Independent oversight will ensure that we are consistently meeting individualized education plans. No no. Families should not feel that withdrawing their children from school is the only option. Next speaker is Tecla As. Good evening, I am Tecler. I am an east-central mother. I am reading this statement from a teacher who wishes to remain anonymous. Council members, I am speaking anonymously because I feel that I will suffer retaliation based on my experience. I am a teacher and a mother in this district. I was accused of sexual harassment and this accusation was
036false, but the investigation did not comply with the district's procedures to ensure neutrality and due process were not followed. An accusation of this magnitude requires precision and strict adherence to procedures. The damage can extend beyond an individual, and we cannot trust the system. What worries me most is that my experience is not isolated. Across the district, families have raised concerns about processes and communication, and fear of speaking openly. These situations can be explained, but they indicate more supervision. It's not about attacking individuals, but we need more research. I want an audit of the procedures, protections against retaliation, and we need the investigative data and mechanisms to address the data. Independent oversight protects families. If the system works, an audit will confirm it, and if it doesn't, families need to know. Thank you. The next speaker
037is Juliana Arce. Sorry, Juliana. Juliana is not here. Okay, let's continue. with Mary Aroy. Good afternoon. My name is Mary Rocky, I am a para educator and also a community liaison at Emerald Elementary. My job at Leon didn't give me enough time, so I've had to add hours for professionals. I have been in this position for 15 years. I have been able to support families. Those who qualify under the event or are homeless also receive supplies, backpacks, resources, and interpreters for parent-teacher conferences. During COVID, most of our liaisons were delivering food to children's homes . I have scared students outside the district into going through the open enrollment process. Like many schools, this one hosts Fed meetings, and community liaisons are planning and recruiting families to attend these Fed meetings. At Fed, we listen to
038families with two cultures or two languages at home. Typically the voices that are not very frequently heard. When the teachers attend, their eyes light up when they can see the families in a neutral place. We are helping families to be represented, but we still have no representation ourselves. I support 60 children and send snacks home because I know those children's families will be busy. I put NR for my break time, but it feels like NR stands for not real. because it seems that I am not represented. the community links for primary and preschool. We're at a standstill. I ask the council members to remove whatever is being imposed in the way and return to negotiations. All community liaisons deserve all the rights given to all community liaison employees. The next speaker is Sandra Salazar. Good
039evening, council members. My name is Sandra Salazar and I have been a community liaison in this district for the past 9 years. For 9 years I have worked as a bridge between schools and our families, especially with the most vulnerable families. We connect these families with resources, guide them through very complex systems, translate information, advocate for their children, and empower them to participate in education. We are very often the first call when families are in crisis. We support them with housing instability, mental health challenges, and academic barriers. We develop trust, and that trust strengthens our schools. Tonight we are not asking for more money, what we are asking for is equity, asking for recognition, asking for the same union rights that other classified employees in this district already have, such as transportation drivers, custodians, and
040teachers. We are district employees. We serve this district, we protect and uplift the families of this district. However, our role has not been fully recognized in the same way as others who serve alongside us. Community links are essential to student success. When families feel supported, students are successful. When families are empowered, schools are successful. We simply ask that you treat us with the same dignity, protection, and rights as our colleagues. Thank you for your time and commitment to all the employees and families of this district. Our next speaker is Antonio Molina. Hello everyone, my name is Antonio Molina, I am a community liaison at Manhattan High School. I have served at BBSD in various roles since 2007. The work I am passionate about right now is creating a link between families new to the country,
041migrants, and the school, and this is done closely with Fed, educators, and families together. We meet once a month and are also present at extracurricular activities and school events. This work is worthless to our schools, our community. From a simple registration to requesting interpreters, to creating a Christmas inn, this link could not be broken, but nevertheless we are facing a barrier with community liaisons and our district. We are looking for that same link that we created with schools and families, that it be the same link in our amazing district and their support in doing this, in connecting us, making them part of the BBCEA agreements. We want to continue working and we appreciate all your efforts, and together we will make this difference and make this dream a reality. Thank you so much. Thank you.
042Our next speaker is MC. Good night. My name is MC. After several years as an early childhood special education teacher, I found my perfect role that allows me to support the youngest children. families and the educators who work with them. I now serve as an early childhood community liaison . I have had this position in babies for 6 years. It has been one of the two most transformative jobs of my career. For those who do not work directly with preschool programs, they may not be clear on how important community liaisons are in preschools and classrooms. I can read the description of BBD, but I ask my teachers to reflect on how community liaisons support them and the children they teach. Our community liaisons use their experiences to connect families with resources and the preschool program.
043They are the first point of connection. They give one-on-one guidance, provide information on curriculum agendas, and share their enthusiasm for the schools they represent. At a time when enrollment is down, these community liaisons are supporting families, giving them an encouraging introduction to our schools. Community liaisons help connect families with social services, guide families through the universal preschool process to meet the needs of families. They often change their schedules and are supporting families, schools, staff, teachers, and children. It is very difficult to understand how our school would function without community links. They are an essential part. Hopefully, the viewpoint shared by my teachers will help to highlight the very important role that community liaisons play, because our negotiations are at a standstill. Right now we ask that you allow community liaisons to end or be part
044of the conversation that affects our work and the families we serve. Thank you. Our next speaker is Beth Stevens. Good evening, my name is B Stevens and I am the president of BB BBCEA, which is the Boulder Valley School District Classified Employees. We represent essential classifieds personnel. We are custodians, drivers, security, maintenance, and now community liaisons. Community Links recently voted to be represented by BBCA and we are very proud to stand with them. However, negotiations between the district and community liaisons have stalled due to certain requirements and a lack of policy interpretations. The most recent one requires us to abandon our negotiations, a contract that has been in effect for the last 30 years so that our community ties can be part of our union. We have also been told that community liaisons have not
045earned the rights and protections that other employees have under the agreement. This creates something unacceptable. Today, all employees must relinquish rights they have held for decades or are denied representation through BBCA community liaisons. We do not believe this option should be forced. All the community liaisons are asking for is an equal opportunity to other employees to negotiate under a contract. Tonight we are asking the council for leadership. Please instruct your negotiators to work under the agreement we have. These employees serve the families of our community every day. They deserve all the rights, respect, and protection that any other classified employee in this district deserves. Thank you for your time. Thank you. The next speaker here is Kry Wescard. Hello, my name is Carry Wascard. I've been with BBC since 2018. I've had different roles in
046the district, but I've served as an early childhood community liaison since 2021. In my four years as a community liaison, I 've seen our district navigate very big changes, from the Marshall fire, the implementation of universal preschool, and the decline in enrollments. Many of you don't know what an early childhood community liaison is . We are an essential role. We are the first point of contact that families have with the district, helping to guide them through the preschool enrollment process and welcoming children as young as 3 years old to the district. For many families, it is the first time they have entrusted their children to someone else. We support parents in this transition, those who sometimes lack the resources or need help with language or school needs. We go to their homes and assess preschool
047children to ensure they have the support they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond . We have registered 911 families for the 2026-27 school year , exceeding last year's registrations. Many of these families come from outside the BBD district. We connect families with scholarships, we support families during times of crisis. Our work is very often unseen , but it has an impact on families and students. We play an essential part in this district, and right now our negotiations in the district are on hold. We ask that you allow community liaisons to be included in the negotiations that are already taking place here, because when you support community liaisons, you are supporting the first step in our children's education journey. Thank you. The last speaker this afternoon is Trentur. Trent doesn't seem to be with us
048tonight. That concludes the public participation. I want to thank all the council members who are here, those who came to share. It means a lot to be able to hear from our community members. With that said, let's continue with the council's communication. Council members, I know that we have been very busy with round mallet discussions or practices and have not had much free time to participate in other council-related activities. I don't know if anyone wants to share. Ana, yes, I have a couple of things. In a couple of weeks we're going to have a talk about artificial intelligence, magic, everything that's coming to the district. I did have the opportunity to attend the AI summit, which was hosted by the St. Brain School District . I use AI in my business every day. So, many
049of the things they were talking about are things you learn when you're using it, learning how to use the technology. What I did learn and take with me is the limits of putting those limits on AI. different ways that administrators can use that tool to help them look for consistent patterns, potentially different actions they can take. For me, I know that when I'm trying to solve a problem, sometimes I have the answer and I just need someone or something to share my thinking with. That's one of the bad ways they could have used it, and they do use it within the administrators, and I'm very excited that we're going to have Magic School and all that integrated into the district. Although I won't be here on the 24th, I'm happy to be able to share
050more with Len and make sure that all the things I was able to learn and collect we can incorporate here at BBD. And I was also able to attend the Fed meeting at Columbine Elementary and we talked a lot about the protocols that the district has and is developing for immigrant families and it was very meaningful for me to be able to speak with the parents and community members in their own language. It brought a lot of linguistic justice to the environment, and not just saying we support you, but that they really understood it and heard it from someone in their native language. That was very special to me . We invite everyone and your community school to come and talk with us, share with us public commentary, your doubts, ah, what motivates you, and
051the same goes for those who are listening online, we want to invite you to come. You belong here, this is your space. We want you to be here, to be able to share your ideas and frustrations. And finally, I want to give many thanks to the teachers at the round tables I have been able to attend. I was able to go to Uniil. I went to Birch and I went to Alicia Sánchez. I still have Cole and Emerald to go this week. It has truly been the most beautiful part of my day because the teachers come with so much knowledge and ideas, and they know we have very difficult decisions to make , but they see the opportunities and don't want us to miss out on them , to miss those information deadlines that make
052a big difference. I truly appreciate the teachers' commitment to participating with us in this process, and that's all I have to say. Alex, yes, thank you. I want to thank all the speakers tonight. It was lovely to hear from everyone and it gave us a lot to think about. I want to share that I was at Jack's meeting last week and we all received a memo from Jack. for our IGA policy and I want to congratulate you on a very thoughtful discussion. I think our Jack is working very well and I was impressed by his ability to facilitate these very substantive comments while looking at the memo they sent us. I think they captured the information very well. I would like to recommend to the Council members that they consider the DAC talks. and that
053they look for different ways to continue improving. I also enjoyed the round table discussion I was able to attend, though not enough because I've been away. I wanted to share something with the board and the community about the decrease in enrollments. I think it's good to know that when we go to schools with only one and a half or two courses and to schools that have three, the impact of one school on another school is different. I've heard from larger schools that they feel smaller schools are more likely to have these staff changes, and that's in math parts because if you only have one course with 28 children and you add two more children, you're going to exceed the limits of our agreement and you're going to have to change a class. When you add
054two children to a grade with two classes, you don't have it. You're only increasing the number of children from 26 to 28. The optics of that don't look very good, and we probably won't see many children in that course. A bigger school with three, right? It probably won't add a teacher, and that makes sense in terms of staffing patterns, but it does lead to problems when we're hiring, how we do the hiring, and the long-term hiring possibilities so they can plan, integrate, and hire them. For me, that highlighted the reason why we're having these talks about the decrease in enrollment, because we need to take action. There is an imbalance with small schools in how to organize staff, having the student community that we want to create is fair for teachers in any of the
055environments. I really appreciate the feedback you gave us and I also wanted to congratulate all the staff who are really stepping up, and Rob spoke about that tonight, the equity issues that come with declining enrollment. And two things that don't excite me as much. I received an email from someone concerned about a school that had basically asked a child not to enroll. A child with a disability at his school. I know that many times they say, if there is a school, it's not a good place for your student, but there is a way to say it. I am interested in the district adopting what is known as the mystery shopper. That's what it sounds like. People go to a store without knowing they are being paid. What I'm suggesting is to hire someone who wants
056to enroll their children in certain schools so they know what the schools' behavior and responses are like for children with disabilities. I'm not doing this to catch a school doing something serious, am I? They often realize that when this is done, there is a change in behavior. Honestly, parents with families with children with disabilities are twice as exceptional. I was reviewing the Arizona program. Parents of children with disabilities are more involved in schools, are exercising their choices, and deserve to be respected. And if schools are doing something wrong, well, we need to separate that. I think the mystery shopper thing is very easy. I don't think it will lead us down the wrong path. I believe it would bring beneficial changes for families. And I also love hearing from my community. My children went to
057Fairview and I am concerned about the quality of implementation of the no cell phone policy in Fairview. I don't know what we can do to implement this policy. I don't know, board members, I don't know if we can review how we can be more faithful, or how we can get schools to be more faithful, to that cell phone policy. Jason, thank you all for your comments and I wanted to mention, Dr. Anderson commented on the guides we made to Plat and Wier and Superior and we have made some of these. I think this last one was my favorite. I appreciate the staff's creativity in providing a really good context to connect the work of the schools with the district. That was very nice. For those who were there, we went to a seventh- grade school
058in Plat and I would love for all our children or all seventh-grade classes to do the same. It was fascinating to see that, and I hope they return when they have the results of their research. It was a crime scene with bloody lies. The children were doing amazing things. They were so involved. It was really nice to see that. It was fantastic. That's good for me. I was a teacher in my past, but it's nice to connect what we do as teachers and the work we're doing here in the district. I was able to go to Douglas's round table and talk about the challenges they have faced. A number of things going from a round school of three to two. We are grateful to all the teachers, as my colleagues have said, who have taken
059time out of their lunch breaks to share their ideas and hopes for how we end this process and how it will ultimately improve the experience for both children and teachers. And we also had the audit committee, which was really a highlight. It was a very long meeting, but I thanked Bill Sutter for his experience, the people who have served in that community, and the staff. We were able to see all the financial decisions, or many of the financial decisions, that are made and that have put the district in a good position. Also, the discussion about the decrease in enrollment—we're not having this discussion because we 're in a bad financial position, we're having it because everyone who takes all the numbers into account is considering this, and it was nice to learn about the bond
060process, the bond sales. Because when we have the support of a community bond, the financial transactions, everything that this entails, and the experience, whether it's a low rate, a lower payment, being strategic with that, and yes, I anticipate being able to work with that, and thanks to the team for the work they are doing. Jorge and then Dian. Thank you. I would also like to begin by saying and thanking the community members that it is always good to have an understanding of what they are seeing in the community and to understand what they are seeing. I appreciated the opportunity to visit schools and talk with teachers and gain a better understanding of their experiences, what they are seeing in the decline in enrollment, how we can best support our schools, and that this is a
061problem that is here, the effects are now; this has been very helpful. We look at the list of things in common that our teachers are telling us. So, I'm very grateful for that opportunity. Thank you for welcoming us to your schools and for sharing your experiences. I also had the opportunity to attend Elrack. It was my first time going. This was the group we tasked with reviewing the information on the decrease in registrations. They have continued this work and watched it evolve to where we are now, and have looked at it in a complete, general way, and have been committed to providing support, to being part of the solution, and to making sure that we are doing it the right way. This process has been very important in terms of being transparent, being involved, and
062making sure that we are communicating with teachers, staff, parents, students, and community members to ensure that we have all their feedback. The dates were shared today and we are making that outreach to ensure that we are talking to all the people who will be affected. This work is very important. So, thank you very much to everyone involved and to Him for the work they are doing. I'm very happy with how this process is working out and I appreciate the work. Thank you so much. And I had some very good meetings during these last two months and in particular I would like to mention what is happening in the community that is preparing for its presentation shortly and they are going to be doing it in a one-month working group and they classified into interest groups
063using documents and they have done in-depth research on what artificial intelligence is going to be now and will continue to be in the future. And I've been there watching this group making policy recommendations and well, I don't remember the number of the bond oversight committee. There are a lot of acronyms to remember in that group. They were discussing how the bond funds were going to be spent, applied. And I am extremely, very pleasantly impressed by all the perspectives they bring. There are companies where registrations are declining, and this will mean a reduced budget. We need to work strategically. My work has been very rewarding and diverse. During the last month I went to the city of Lisville, to its council and the city, the senior council, they were surprise meetings, but it was interesting to
064participate especially with adults who have students in our district and have concerns about what is going to happen in the next year. And the more they talk, the more we realize that we're really on the same page. And that was very useful. And I want to thank everyone I have worked with and with whom I continue to work. It has been extraordinary. Lelenia. I too have attended a number of round tables and the teachers have been very honest in sharing with us their fears about where this process is leading us. I appreciate the participation in the community meetings and I want to echo what Alex mentioned, about how much we hear about the importance of policies, but we want to interpret them faithfully. As I've said before, policy isn't optional; it has been the will
065of this council to do the right thing regarding cell phones, and we have to make an investment in technology, or whatever it takes. I support whatever we have to do for the good of our students. I write things like little guides, as a gentleman from Bolraha said, "It is our duty to be present in the right way." And being present in the right way means asking the student, "You can't be on Snapchat while you're in class." That's the right thing to do. It's very frustrating to hear over and over again that our schools are not safe. I was also disturbed by an email from a special education child who was discouraged from enrolling in one of our schools. I would support doing whatever we need to do to ensure all our schools are there for
066our students in the way we need to be. Ace Engelman is here because I really appreciate what he said here tonight. Thank you, council members. I do n't have much to add, but we did receive messages from Bolter about the difficulties they are going through and the attention, but larger schools have greater difficulties, but I wanted to acknowledge that it's not just Fairview. The task of our council members is to visit these schools. Our teachers can be very vulnerable, and this gives life to this work. This is not happening in a vacuum. The efforts we have put into listening will pay dividends. Ah, when we make decisions. This is the kind of work it is, isn't it? No, no, no, it 's not in the nature of things that it's easy, but listening to our
067staff and teachers is important. They appreciate the way this process is being carried out and the way decisions are being made. And with that, council members, we're going to continue with the topic of information, and I want to say that we met with the people who promote the laws, and as I told you, we met with the delegation before the session began, and asked them not to make changes that have an impact because they did n't issue unnecessary laws, but they didn't listen to what I asked them. The number of laws that are currently under consideration is rather disheartening, even though they have good intentions, but they are creating too much work. I felt frustrated with the promoters of that law. With that, I give the floor to Superintendent Rob Anderson. Thank you, President Rashp.
068Yes, I agree with you. There are many bills under consideration that we are monitoring to determine what action we will take. The important moment that is coming up is the March budget, the March forecast, because from what we hear it's going to be worse than projected because they are rejecting the budget. a concern. Uh, we feel we've made progress on other bills. For now it seems that we're not going to see the dollars disappear, uh, as far as our district is concerned, but for the general public, 6.5 million if they disappear or something similar. We're going to have less money than we counted for operations this year. As if the next sessions are going to be very exciting. Any questions about the bills? We will continue the group with personnel matters. The minutes of February
06916 are approved. The donation of Brunfield High School is accepted. Donation or operational service. The quota amendment is adopted. A Latin course is proposed, along with scholarships from federal programs and health services. The motion by Alex, seconded by Lelania, is approved. Yes, go ahead. I have a question about the STP assessment, and the fee ranges from 150 to 175. That's the highest fee. We know that there is some opportunity in case of financial difficulties. Yes, we're counting on that. This advice has been very clear, that is the expectation that there will be that option in Yo adelante, Alex. If I wanted to know the details for the waiver of program fees, it's good that we have the policies already established and to follow, but it's important that we all know that this is no longer
070a problem and to see how it works, that they are working well. Council members have something else to discuss. She can take a vote. Booker. Yes. Chavez. Yes. Medler. Yes. Queera, yes. Rush. Yes. Temp. Yes. Yes. The motion is approved. The next topic, action topics. We have one that is participating in the demand for social networks. I have a motion. Yes, it's a lawsuit against Social Medium. Who's supporting him, Lelania? Very good. Do you want to discuss something? Well, this council has strong opinions about social media. We have observed how this demand develops. It's important that we join this. Lora can pass, take the vote. Booker, yes. Chávez, yes. Metler, yes. Queera, yes. Rash. Yes, the motion is approved. Council members, we are not going to continue with E. We have 37 policies, that's going
071to be a record. The first policy is the BDFG policy, the I audits policy, and the DLA policy. DLC payrolls. Reimbursement of EEA employee expenses, EARAR transportation services. Transportation services regulation EEAA walkers and EAE. Transportation of private vehicles policy EEE guansportación en Vehículos Privados EEAB. Bus schedules and routes. EEAC. Safety on EEAD buses. Special use of EEB AU-R buses. District-owned vehicles, EEACC, conduct on school buses. EEAD, use of buses by community members, council members, there is some opposition. I see that it hasn't been seconded by Lelania and accepted by Jason. questions. Yes, Alex, I have a comment on the volume before voting. People mentioned E a lot and artificial intelligence, but I want the public and staff to understand our policy as a member of the Council. There's a flow, there's too much information there.
072Trying to establish a clear policy is not easy, and let's say if someone has an application in schools that is useful or they say they are, can someone say that they oppose it? Yes, we have about 400 and we have reviewed, we are approaching the review of almost 400 policies. Well, that's how artificial intelligence is very useful. Well, the audit committee reviewed it and gave us recommendations. I want to acknowledge the number of people involved in these policies regarding approval, discussion, and many charter schools. There are implications for having a more manageable schedule because this is a very heavy workload that, without artificial intelligence, would be difficult. So, this tool helps us to have clearer policies. Thank you. I see there are no more discussions. She can take a vote. Yes. Chávez, yes. Nedler, yes.
073Queera, yes. Rush. Yes. Yes, the motion is approved. Council members, now we're going to study policies and there are several that we're going to study tonight and I'm going to pass the... Well, we can divide them into groups. IGA Policy, basic instruction program. Thank you, Chairwoman of the Rushp Council, and thank you for the advice. They've already removed nine and updated 10. Congratulations. This makes it easier to continue. The IGA policy was submitted for review this semester. This was last revised in 1993. It contains obvious concepts and is not required by law. So, the limits that have been provided for the discussion include some existing political language; they are not many. and additional language comes from samples from CASBI on educational objectives and samples on academic achievement. We're reviewing a lot of policies here. And
074we are proposing to integrate regulation within the policy itself for the purpose of not having so many policies to refer to. That's what we're sharing with you today. I know, President Rushp, you were very helpful. Uh uh, there are some other areas I'd like to highlight. We're going to talk to the director of academic services so that he can review academic practices and make this vocabulary clear, consistent with policies, and able to withstand the test of time. This is what the policies do: to be quite specific, a guide for staff, and written in language that will stand the test of time. I remind you, Council members, now that we are considering feedback for the district accountability committee , we must follow state law, federal law, and agreements negotiated with the unions. And we always talk
075to him; we don't write laws and turn them into policy, but we take the law into account when making policies and some recommendations from DA. We take the law into account, but we don't turn politics into law. And with this we're going to have conversations, comments, and about the limits that the staff has set, and we're going to work with this as we work in a policy workshop. Who would like to start? Go ahead, Lenia. improvement. Well , I appreciate some specific aspects of the health curriculum in secondary schools, and I also think that the high school program provides tools and skills to help students succeed after high school graduation, and the ways in which we are doing that. I see that this has been improved quite a bit. Thank you very much for your
076work. I understand that it has been a lot of effort to get here. Yes, Jason, I agree with what you're saying, and thank you. Once we read the DAC memo, I appreciate the support and the use of technology, but that's not part of this policy. But well, we see the public's consumption of technologies. So, divide the topics by elementary, middle, and high school levels and recommend changes. I agree with Leilania's comments and I appreciate them, as many people offered their opinions. Jorge, I remember when I reviewed these policies and said, "What is this policy trying to do ? What is the goal for parents? So now, specifically by level, what is the minimum curriculum, what is equitable, and what would parents consider the next level, what needs to be provided, and what are the requirements
077for students to move from elementary to middle school and then to high school?" Yes, Alex, I appreciate the opportunity to update this document, and the limits represent progress, but limited. There are areas to consider here. One of my questions is, what are the policies that address all of this in terms of requirements and tasks based on decisions regarding our instructional approach? And I want to ask about the task of what someone who, like someone who moved to Walder in 1992 when they updated the high school curriculum, shouldn't be talking about. Well, this is about updating programs that have been in place for 40 years, but I'm not sure about things we 're tempted to include and not put in another section. Part, but oh well . And the second part, I would love to see
078the evidence, and there are no studies or evidence to support our academic decisions. They should be made according to research. Well, I was very clear that we had to include it in this wording. Well, but there are references, I mean, for example, the opinions of parents about recess and where in the policies it is found, is it at the primary level or is it secondary? Well, and the other thing I wanted to add regarding cross-referencing on these topics, and well, I think the information was very scattered in these policies, and sometimes we have to take a guess, and so I appreciate this comment. I have something very specific as feedback. It's much better now, but the introduction is a little confusing; we can improve it a lot more and also talk about academic standards so
079that they are more consistent in the phrases we use and also so that this becomes clearer to see what is a policy and what is not a policy. And also, regarding DAC's comments, there is a phrase in the introduction that, well, is almost the Lastly, the instructional programs must comply with federal law. That would make it very clear. I have two questions, or rather suggestions, in the middle section. Where are some of the fine skills? I would say one is emotional regulation, which I think feels a little odd. So, I think that should be removed and these study ideas added. I also think there's a clear connection that high schools have, guiding students toward success after high school because that's the goal. So, making that a little clearer might be more helpful. And in the
080junior high section, we talk about required classes or subjects, then skills to develop, and then required subjects. So it would be better to have required subjects, then skills, and then name the elective courses, and we say electives in music, art, and languages, but not others. And there's a lot of consistency among junior high schools that require those elective courses. That's how I understand it. So I'm asking, I 'm asking about those three areas, and should we, should we want to, or shouldn't we want to let students drop out? The middle school with one of those courses, that's why they name it. I have a lot of questions. Beyond the required subjects, what are the other things students need to succeed in middle school, in selecting their courses and the courses they can take in high
081school? Many high schools, to get the bilingual writing seal, if they don't start, they need to reach Spanish level 5. So, one has to take Spanish in middle school, and if one is a student in a home that really knows it, they might be at a disadvantage, and we want to ensure that all children have access to equal opportunities. So, if there are children who don't know that something will work for them in high school and don't try it in middle school, they don't have a chance, and we need to look at how we shape those experiences so that children make the best decision for their own situation. So, I don't know if you as board members have opinions, or if you in the district have opinions, if physical space matters, like a band or
082orchestra. Most middle schools do have those spaces. So, I'm asking, well, how much? How cramped, how... Open? What do we need to do to manage elective courses? This would help us understand what's happening right now, as a starting point for where we are and how we can see what might need to change. I think it would also be helpful to define whether some schools require classes that other schools call electives. Yes. And what does elective mean? Both of those things would be helpful, Jorge and then Alex. We're going to work on giving you that information. We're going to try to include that information in a future meeting. I think it would be helpful. I appreciate you reiterating the point about the high school transition. That's an important step for me. From an equity standpoint, what
083is available? Who has access to the opportunities? So, knowing what's happening right now, and then, what are the critical things to get to the next step? If it's the path, the trajectory we want to offer, I think it's important. I think you both mentioned quite a few important points. I'd like to talk about some points, but I feel very overwhelmed by the number of things we could address. Equity in access is It's very important, and I think we don't have it right now to the extent that people have demanded that certain elementary schools prepare students for certain high schools, or that teachers with the credentials we have in certain high schools—these are very structural issues in human resources and the high school schedules, the teachers' schedules. For a principal, it can be very easy to
084have equitable access so that everyone can prepare. So, when are we going to have the staff in every high school to do it? And in the meantime, what's the band-aid we're going to put on? So, I'd like to talk about the principle or foundation of equitable opportunity and what is required, what is expected. We have neighborhood schools, focus schools, charter schools, and there are many different things in their missions, like other policies that aren't clear. It's not clear what it means to be a focus school and how this interacts with that. And if a mountain school wants to do something different or related to its mission, how do we feel? So we want that equitable access, but half the families are choosing to send their children to another school, a school that offers something different.
085They want it. So we don't know what the options are, and neither do the parents, and what the flexibility is. And I would say that in terms of something that's important to me, it's the equity of opportunity to have fun, to enjoy fun things, for children to enjoy being in schools, in the district is very important. The extent to which we choose. What? Parents, English, and math should be excellent, but for some children it's theater, and for others it's something else. We need this lens, right? So, we're saying that children want to enjoy their education. What do parents and children want? That would make classes fun. When we address things like, for example, music and art, the district has a history of prioritizing theater over other things. We can make preferences about fun things. We
086need to think carefully about fun and paying attention or engaging. And if not in this document, then elsewhere we want to understand the combination of educational infrastructure, the interaction of this with the infrastructure that will keep the district on the trajectory of supporting what we're doing. And for parents, that It becomes about what the profile of a graduating child is, a child in eighth grade. For parents to understand student readiness at each stage, we need to think about the types of schools, the fun, the flexibility we have, and how that interacts with our ability to support all the schools. And I don't want to lose all of those things. I appreciate your comment about fun. We need to encourage kids to take classes that they wouldn't normally take, that they can try something at a
087time that won't affect their final high school grades. Another thing I was thinking about related to what Alex said, and I had to speak after Alex, is that we've made significant investments in the curriculum and we've received the lifelong learning opportunities in which we're teaching the standards, and we have consistency in educational programs across the district, and that has a positive effect on student achievement. The board wants to give teachers the tools to teach the standards. That's another thought Tian had. I'm going back to some comments. For middle school students, emotional regulation in policy is very important. I would say words like community engagement because so much of middle school is about teaching students that they get along well with each other, and that should be part of the learning. It bothers me a little
088that parents are talking about gifted children, and then we have a statement that says we're going to have advanced learning in math and literacy, but we're going to provide advanced learning opportunities. We need to provide those opportunities differently. And the statement that says each school should determine the elective courses. We've talked a lot about this word, the courses offered from the district high school catalog . For someone who has taught in a high school, and still sometimes teaches, it depends on the teacher they have available. If we don't have someone who can teach a certain class, like we have at Plat High School , where the kids are composing and performing music, we can't offer that course. That addresses the equity issue as well. We were probably giving programs that parents are choosing schools based
089on the elective courses the school has. And then when we talk about high school, the high school program, there's something about the second section where we have many elective programs, among Quotation marks, some are capitalized, some aren't. It's very subtle, but it makes some things seem more important than others. And I wonder, industrial arts is very 1970s. It's a language we use now to describe what we do with students in these incredible programs we 've built. And that's very detailed, but the format makes some things seem more important than others. Dr. Anderson, I think the essential question is, how much do we want to cover with this policy? To the extent that this policy has to reflect everything we believe about instruction, the things we want that are in strategic planning or other policies, in
090regulations, expectations. I think to focus, I think we need to take into account what the district accountability committee is saying, what's happening at the district level, how enrollment is going to impact all of that, the program. So, certain high school programs are very different from others. So, I don't want someone coming to me and saying, 'You need to provide me with such and such at my school because the policy says so.' How are we going to be meaningful? Policy? How do we reflect their interests? If they're mentioning things we can include elsewhere, we should do that. Describe the work we're doing right now. If it works at some point in the future, other councils are going to change what we're doing here. I understand that. How are we going to do it? That's what I
091'm thinking. That's just my opinion. Alex, I appreciate your input, Dr. Anderson. We believe policy empowers the current administration to do what it's doing and support the direction we're taking. But I think if we empower the district to make change, that's good policy. It might be difficult to implement, but if we make it possible to have more equitable access, that's good policy, even though it involves work or may guide something that's difficult to implement later. We need to reflect on our values. There are two things we've said as a council quite a bit that we can incorporate somewhere here. One is about gifted and talented children . We can talk about differentiation, acceleration, and not put it in a very small box, but it would also be good to have a statement that includes all
092students, including Neurodiverse children in this policy. Is there an opportunity to include that in this policy? I agree. We have two policies about gifted and talented children. We have graduation requirement policies. Is there any direction? Is there any flexibility? How do we write it meaningfully? And I'm listening, and Dian said it exactly. There are people who are making their decisions based on what the school offers. They would like more consistency across schools. Sometimes it's based on staffing, the facility, the family's willingness. I 'll continue to say, the quality of the school shouldn't impact the experience. We can't include things we don't have funding for, but we do have funding for them because sometimes we don't have the funding or the staff. I appreciate that comment. I think we can find an appropriate balance. I think
093you're going to have to revisit this policy several times. We're going to study it again. It's not right. Absolutely. We received the memo from the district accountability committee after we set the agenda. So, what comes first? We need more conversations with The staff to ensure we're capturing current practice, and I have pages and pages of council guidance to incorporate. How has that been more common practice this year? It wasn't in the past. That's capturing individual ideas that came up during the district accountability committee . There wasn't a consensus. It was capturing individual comments that had been shared with them. As you know, before it was a different process so that we all understand what this memo represents. That's an excellent point. I want to say I appreciate your ability to present things very quickly and
094on time. I appreciate that. I was present for the discussion, and it was a very rich discussion. You weren't arguing about these things. This is also good. The other is also good. Another discussion about this policy before we move on, council members, I'm going to pass it to Kath for policy J. There are three for the next group. The council has asked us to accept public comment. So, all the policies are on the website for your public input, for your comments so that people can have their say. Moving on to the next group of Policy, we have four policies related to health and medications. These were identified by staff in areas that need updating. The first two address policy 12.2, JLCD, administering medication to students, and regulation 12.3, which is due to a change in
095state law. Previously, the medications students could bring were for asthma and allergies. Now, state law allows all medications. We want to uphold the law. So, the policy is more general, and the regulation is more detailed. And we need that detail. Number one, if the student is going to bring their own medication, the law is very specific to ensure that the family and the school are in communication. We know that the student has a medication they will be able to access. It also includes language regarding the event of a problem. If a student has a situation where the child may be in danger, the nurse has the authority to make an individual decision about that student. We are proposing minor updates recommended by the health team to ensure we can facilitate compliance with the law. Thank
096you, council members. Do you have any comments or questions about these two policies? Jorge, that may be as I am reading it, But it starts off very positively. Yes, a student can administer their medication, yes, they can take it to school, yes, they can carry it with them, and they have to follow the regulations. And the regulations don't allow for such a thing, unless they've complied with BCDE. That raises concerns if the policy is very easy to do, but the regulations indicate that it's not very easy; it's only for high school students as well. So, I want to understand, I appreciate your comment, I noticed it too. I think we need additional language in the policy and also cross-references to the law. I also noticed that when you read the policy, oh, okay, a child
097can do this, but it's really only for high school students to self-administer. So, it would be good to clarify in the title that it's only for high school students because it's not clear in the title. Other questions, comments, board members, there aren't any. We're going to continue with two different policies in Category E. We have 12.5 and 12.6. These are policies related to measles. I'm going to say the word. So, no I want to say this with Director Ramsy presenting. We need to clarify and update this policy, the language. We're talking about preventing the transmission of diseases and also managing bodily fluids. Since it hasn't been addressed since 2019, there was no reference to the pandemic; what we had learned was more focused on the past. And there was other language we didn't need, like
098asterisks, which are part of Caspi's example. So we need to update and formalize the language by removing certain things. With that, I wanted to ask why measles wasn't specifically named. We have many contagious infections that were named, and measles wasn't mentioned. Given the situation we're facing, it should be included on the list. Also, in the regulations, I appreciate that it's heavily weighted with AIDS, or it says BHBH COVID and then it goes back to BH. Council members, other opinions about the policy. Along the lines, I'm asking about the inclusion of measles if we don't include pertussis. That's fine with me, but if we're going to include measles, we need to consider other diseases that affect the community. And that's fine with me, Alex. It needs to include all these community-transmitted diseases and we must not
099relax our attention to HIV because it remains important. We're going to continue with the G policies. Okay, this is the last group of policies we're going to study tonight. I tried to organize them accordingly so that you can see which policies are absorbing the others that we are withdrawing. We have two main ones. The first is going to be GBEA, which is personnel ethics, conflict of interest. This is a policy that is required by law and has not been revised since 2017. I believe this is an area where conflict of interest may be a legal term or its origins under statute. There is a lot of confusion among the general population about what a conflict is. So what we're trying to do by raising these policies is to provide clearer, more modern language that reflects
100our current practices. We have a number of policies that had been prioritized, for example, GCQB, which is paid mentoring, which is a very small paragraph. And because of the way the Casby sample is written around conflict of interest, we have integrated conflict of interest, relative apparent nepotism, oversight that has been this for other districts. The second part of this policy is the sale of goods and services by district employees. This is where we are trying to integrate the other policies that only had one or two paragraphs so that they could all be found in one place. This change in GBEA would also incorporate regulation or rules. They will know that the regulations have some language regarding changes in circumstances that will result in changes to nepotism, changes in elements and protocols surrounding transfers. That's very,
101very unique, but this language can be helpful. I removed the language or languages that have already been integrated, but I left it there too so you could see it. Is there something more to it? No, with your permission. I would love to talk about this separate exhibit. Can I start with that if it helps? No, it's fine. I just wanted to make sure of that. Look, the line immediately raised its hand, the first two, and then Alex. We can go down to sales of goods by district employees. We could have an employee who wants to offer tutoring during the summer holidays . I'm getting the picture that this fits under that . If it was my intention to address GCEQB in all of this, and I feel like I 'm a little confused, confused about
102the $00. No, if you were tutoring a student during the summer or several students a day, you would be earning more than $500, or that's per unit cost. Because if there are people or employees of ours, you want them to be able to spend their vacation earning money if that's what they want. I do n't know if I'm reading this right or not, Katne. When I read that paragraph I said to myself, maybe I don't understand what's going on. I think in this paragraph you can see that the change I changed the phrases and I think that changing the phrases, incorporating the tutoring paragraph two paragraphs later, is not consistent. I agree with that. It's like the thread got lost there, but there's some part that can't earn more than 500 without this political agreement.
103if that's in the existing policy. Well, then what I'm trying to say is that I don't think that's right. And I also think it's super important that students receive free assistance from their own teachers, but I also know that a teacher can tutor someone one summer after they were their student. My concern would be, what if that teacher is then transferred to the next grade the following year? I just want to do what teachers can do—whatever they want during the summer— but I don't want it to be a conflict of interest. If they have that child again, I do n't know, maybe we'll have three rounds at each school so he's in a different class, but I do think we have to be very careful about that. I appreciate the feedback we've received from the
104public about our investigation process, the procedure, and the time it takes. From my professional experience in politics and conflict of interest, it's very complicated, and you'd be surprised at how many things people have to say. They'd tell you, "Go talk to a lawyer and find out." And that can be all the people involved in the best interests practices. You need to talk to a lawyer to see how this can be handled. And if we're going to say we can't talk about communications and it's not resolved, I would like an acknowledgment of being involved in a conflict of interest issue. It doesn't mean that nobody did anything wrong. I can be a little inappropriate, right? But it could also be someone trying to answer an illegal technical question, and a personnel person would say, "Ah, that's
105a conflict of interest. That's a very professional step because something was going on at the school." So, I don't know how to handle that, but I would like people not to feel like they're getting burned by something and that because they talked to a lawyer and the case got more complicated , because that happens very often. I'm going to talk about the question you asked about the regulations. I do n't know if it's worth changing it. I believe there is a sentence in GBEA, first paragraph, second page, where it says, if circumstances change and an employee has an immediate relative, there is a change of employment. I think the language that's there isn't very helpful, and I know there will also be groups involved in negotiating, so maybe not having a negotiation and adding that
106sentence would be appropriate. I appreciate these changes given everything that's been happening. The clearer we can be, the kinder we will be to all those interested or involved. Alenia, okay, you're saying GB and A and not R. There are certain points that she had specifically asked me about. We must either stick with the regulations or change them. We're going to talk about that exhibit right now. Oh, exciting. Let's move on to the interesting part. Exciting. I think this is a very interesting appendix. It is with the Casby sample in the 17 years that I have been practicing law in Colorado. We have literally never referred to this. It's guidance. There are two components in state law surrounding conflict of interest. The elements we just discussed are established, required principles and these are referred to as
107ethical principles for officers, delegates, officials, employees. And to be honest with you, in my opinion I think it's very confusing in the context of these policies. Yes, I do think that if you think about this from a board member's point of view, a board member is more likely to be able to take official action or leave the office. This language, in my opinion, is written for delegates and is less applicable to our employees who will be looking to these policies for specific guidance, and after surveying all my colleagues, none of us can identify any beneficial contributions from this policy. I couldn't even understand what he was saying, and I read it at least three times. I'm sure it's not helpful because the average person won't understand what it's saying, and if there's a need to
108have it, we should change the language to make it understandable. And in fact it is not required and most of the content here we touch on these points in other policies in another chapter. So what I thought was, it doesn't even align with what we consider appendices, and we're going to remove it because it doesn't help us in any way. Board members , Dr. Anderson, would you like to add anything as a rule? If you have something that people don't understand and they violate it, how can you hold them accountable for that? So I'm in favor of removing things that nobody can understand. Look, I see that everyone is saying they agree. Now we will continue to the GB EB sections. The following policy came out because staff conduct does address conflict of interest and
109occupies the same space, which is frankly how we got from a relatively manageable meeting to 37 to 19. This reflects the Casby sample. It is coincidental policy because it gathers different elements of law that live in different parts of policies. It can be difficult to find and places them within a policy. We just updated. These changes are to ensure that we are not using gender-based pronouns so that it is easier to incorporate the additional expectations we have of staff with due diligence of care, and as we have incorporated on page 3 updates we have to the law around behavior that breaks the law or if a staff member is declared to have committed a crime, I think being specific helps our audience understand some of these difficult issues that we sometimes navigate. The updates are
110very consistent with this CAS sample; it is intended to modernize it to meet new legal requirements. The line on page 3 says, "In addition, the district will ask the employment office to provide fingerprints." This is something we always do. Page 3, second paragraph. Every employee and volunteer who will be having any level of independence will have this fingerprint tracking. Then we can change the word from 'we must' to ' we will have more talks about this'. Seeing as I don't have any, let's continue GBS. Thank you for reading all the letter codes. In fact, they are indeed in partnership. I heard President Rashp use the same codes so that people can find it. If it's a word search. This policy is about staff gifts. This is another place where the law is unclear and is
111not helping us. We've put everything in one place to remove politics. The first paragraph of this policy states, it is written with the intention that the value will float while the State increases that gift limit over the years. That's why the language says, "For purposes of this policy, the substantial value declared by Colorado state law indicates the current level." I think that does help us. And going over this beforehand to talk with the council, I think we can use another sentence. One of the things we see happening in our community is that amazing families care so much about their educators and like to do fundraisers or different fundraisers, gifts, which is a very nice intention , but it's not really something we can abort in the policy. So, maybe it could be student or family
112gifts that I need to add a line to talk about. That particular issue, what we do in the next policy. We talk specifically about fundraising. Thank you for that review. Laura had prioritized this policy in strategies. Oh, if you can take it away from council members, who wants to start the conversation about this policy? I appreciate this floating around. That's why people say, "In the community, you've really never changed the amount since 1970." And I have another question related to this policy. Is n't it Is it uncommon for athletes and their families to receive gifts at the end of a season? Often, a parent goes and buys a gift card or something, and the parents contribute. What I'm wondering is why I feel bad because our coaches are some of the lowest paid in Colorado,
113and they take up a lot of time and effort, and people want their coaches to stay. Most people read this policy as teachers only, not coaches. Our coaches are included in that, too, and they're going to want clarity. And it breaks my heart a little because these people work so hard for so little, if we're going to include them, but there are misunderstandings about who this policy applies to and who it does n't. So, I would love for that to be clarified. I think that's going to take some additional research and discussion, but I'm happy to come back with more information. Ana, just one clarifying question. Is the $53 per person, per gift, or is it because I'm setting an example—I'm thinking of myself. I like to give gifts to the teachers. At the end
114of the year, my son has four people he interacts with, and I want I'm really messing this up. When I give them this amount, it applies to the gift. So if you're giving a teacher a basket of things, whatever , that's the gift. And it would have to be a total value of less than 53. But per individual employee and per gift. Jason and then Jorge. So, I could give four different gifts over the course of a year, each worth 3. I 'm just thinking of this as less than 53. Yes, we could have a frequency limit. This isn't referenced, but it would benefit from better language. The point of this policy today is to ensure this isn't a competition, a way to influence. We just want to honor teachers, but not expose teachers to
115inequity. On the same note, student gifts. I know that coins—I don't know if that's the right way to spell it, but it sounds a little off. I don't know what word is better. I know it sounds a little off; I don't want to say " thank you" because it can be misunderstood, but there's a better or more modern way to talk about thank you gifts for the year that's within the limits. Legal. I do n't know which one it would be. I'll work on that. Any further discussion on this policy, Council members? Thank you. Let's continue. This is the last substantive policy you need to discuss because the remaining ones are already incorporated, and we have proposals to withdraw this last policy. It would replace a couple of existing policies. This is a new GCS
116policy, which is professional consulting and research publishing. The policy we're incorporating hasn't been changed since 1978. I know this policy doesn't appear to you as a change, but it would be eliminated. Section 12.4 is incorporated into this general policy. GCS includes professional consulting; it formally includes GCQB, which is research publishing. It was incredible to read that regulation and realize that I'm in charge of a publicity committee, and I was going to be identifying things where we could be laws. I've never seen that policy. We're not recommending this. It's very outdated. Our friends at Saint Frame have a policy they call intellectual property, and we captured a bit of that to try to connect these concepts in one place. And I would also remove the IO policy on educational research. Uh, IOR. Those are recommended in
117the incorporation of this new general policy. Council members, Alex, as a researcher sometimes and a formal person who has researched Boulder Valley, I feel strongly that we should remove the paragraph on the first page that says all our research is conducted and must be approved by the superintendent. We have a lot of public data on babies in Colorado and Colorado students, and it's in the public domain. The district has no business deciding who has or doesn't have the right to conduct research. Many people do it to advocate for our children, and when people in our community do research and say, "We've discovered a change, we want to welcome that," we do n't want to create a district where we 're trying to say, "No, they can't investigate; we want to protect the rights of the
118students." It's about the use of data, data research, but it's written so generally that it says the district can take charge of any research or data research because I read it as if it's our employees, it's not governing people outside our district because It's in Chapter G. So, I would love some clarification on what you're saying versus in practice. This was used to prevent me from using or seeking research on the data in the children's campaign. We were looking for information on graduation data, and I was told here at Babies that it was inappropriate to discuss this in this district. These schools. In practice, this policy has been used exactly as it has been used. And with Member Mler, you're talking about the last paragraph. This paragraph did come from existing policy, and I take
119your point, President Rashford, because I thought the same thing. The language we had in the staff policy applied only to staff, to make sure you're following correct procedures working with your administration. But if the council withdraws it, we would be directing all research questions to this policy. So if we withdraw it, there is no longer that policy, which is in a different chapter. If you'll allow me, if the other one were to exist, and I'm reading this paragraph on my own, all the research that is used in the district—comma— cannot be used in the district—they are different clauses separated by Commas as a policy guide. That means they are two separate and different things and are applied differently. Your point is taken. It's noted. Jorge, I think to talk about Alex's point , I think
120limiting the use of data that's out there means they can't use it, even though it's on our website. It's a little confusing, but I think we do need some protection for educational data, private data, so we need to find a way to provide this distinction and how it works. And that's what I was thinking about, because there is data that members, employees, have the privilege of knowing how we protect that data. And to your point, Alex, all of this is verifiable and public, as Dr. Anderson—sorry, I had just stepped out for a second. This policy is talking about the fact that we can control investigations of people that are outside our authority, that we can stop or halt these investigations from being done outside if we have data available. You ca n't. How would you
121do that? Go back and talk to your staff 18 years ago, and there are also information requests that involve discretion, in terms of what It's going to be collected, or the format in which it's given. I've seen data changes that have been made in PDFs as a strategy to make us fight. I've seen fights to share financial data. There are many things that districts have done in the state, including BBDs to limit third- party investigations, and we could argue that this data is public. And currently, in this environment, we can see public institutions using the excuse of limiting data sharing so that the public doesn't find out about certain things. So, I'm in favor of retaining public access, and that makes us and the administration responsible. Public data is very different from private data. We
122have to make that difference. Well, we receive many data requests, and that requires time from our staff who have to gather the information and make a presentation that aligns with something interesting. Of course, if it's public data, it has to be available, but if someone wants to do a study or a dissertation on access to information, I understand that's something different . These are the data; let me see them. I fully support it. This, but there are, for example, the results of workplace climate surveys, but in my experience, random requests about procedures or because a question isn't acceptable, but if the district isn't applying the same standards, then we have to defend the district, and I've seen that frequently. So, I like to refer to other policies on data requests and public transparency, and when
123a question has been asked. But anyway, what I want to say is that the district's behavior is quite poor in terms of providing information, but that was a long time ago. Yes, but that's real. And people are doing data research, and we could see administrations that are avoiding having public analysis of how things are going, when I think public analysis is very valuable. Go ahead. Yes. Well, my comment is, where are the limits? There needs to be a very clear limit on the implementation of artificial intelligence. So, we need to make sure we're raising the red flags. Well, it's good that everyone spoke before me, because now I'm even more confused. I still don't understand where this is going. Alex, when I read this, the new paragraph in green above the paragraph we just discussed,
124I thought it referred to research organizations with whom we had a signed contract . It's true that it's written for them. That language comes from the IO policy, which dates back to 1976. I believe it referred to PhD research when they asked us for information and when the council talked about many things, about transparency, strategic plan indicators, everything that the doctor and the staff have done with this council. We need language at the beginning of this paragraph to explain who it applies to, who it applies to when they request something from us or when we make a request. And also to differentiate between public and private data. Yes, please. At first, I didn't like the language used there at all, protecting the learning environment, a lot of the way they talk about physical education, psychology
125education, I don't know what they meant. I think it's important for us to clearly detail, for the people in our community, what we want the rules of participation to be in data management, for organizations like Ren Crown where We already have an agreement; it's another approach. But we need to clarify this. I've had the opportunity to work with researchers in my classroom and work through this process. It seems to me that the real concern has always been, what about personal information, and are our students protected? I mean , I was talking with a Google researcher in my classroom, and it went through the superintendent, and it was determined to be okay. There was a time when people objected to any survey given to their students because they didn't want that, because it exposed them to
126mental stress. Go ahead, Jorge. Thank you for this discussion. Um, going back to policy, and either it refers to the school, or we have to differentiate between data and the school. I have a comment on Alex's question. He's the director of assessment, and that's the professional title we use. It's the title. I work with Jessica Olson. They have n't changed the title. I'm going to work with her again. I mean, should I call her superintendent or designee? Well, every time we reorganize, the title changes. So we want something aligned with the policies. Alex, Well, I want to be clear in my comments. From personal experience, I 've seen this interpreted in a way that's not how it's being discussed. This paragraph doesn't say anything specific about what kind of research is being done. It could
127be anyone in the public who's concerned about this policy that's been in place for 40 years and that we want to update. That's optimistic. So, I've seen when I've worked with BBSD, who have been great collaborators. I worked to get graduation rates, and well, from September to May they said there were 97 graduates, and then that data changed a state law, and for 20 years the state law didn't support the graduation rate, which was 82%. So, the district fought very hard against the use of that data. Historically, this district has manipulated data that could have yielded better results for the youth. This was to protect the district when things could have been better; they were protecting the district leadership. Members, is there any further discussion about this policy? I see there isn't any more. As
128Kathine said, the following policies These are incorporated red lines. And 1219 is recoding. Yes, we already put this policy in accordance with Casby's samples. Any further questions, council members? I see there are none. The final item is, council members, are there any topics you would like to address on future agendas? I see there are none. The meeting is adjourned . Thank you.