001effects, and implications, whether these are positive or negative, both for families, staff, and students. We have a workforce such as leaders, teacher groups, employee groups, and the Human Resources Department. Uh, in this proposed timeline, uh the draft will be finalized and presented to the council at our final meeting in June. And believe it or not, families and staff are already asking about the calendars for 2027, 2028, and 2029. They're eager to see the final result. The following two slides, the first in English and the second in Spanish, are the proposed drafts for 2027202 and are also in front of you. And to facilitate comparison, if you have the 2026 27 calendar as well as the 2025 2026 calendar, we also include the calendar which is currently in effect. We will also present the two future
002calendars for 2027 and 2028, as well as 2028202. And with that, I would like to answer your questions. Council members to frame this conversation, and since this is a new process for us, I'd like to hear if these draft calendars will be presented to the workforce and what factors they will consider as we move forward in this process. For example, in one of the academic calendars I noticed that in academic calendar 2728 the school year ends on Monday. Perhaps there is something we could change. I don't know what the most acceptable exchange would be, but we would have to... I'm curious, what would be acceptable? We hear that Mondays and Tuesdays are difficult to have as non-working days. This is an inconvenience. We only have alternative solutions on Mondays and Tuesdays. In the year 2728
003we started on August 11th. I preferred to start two days later and finish later. These are the types of questions that the council members will focus on. That would be useful to start a conversation, a discussion about this, about these exchanges. I don't know if what I'm saying makes sense. Lelania would like to begin. Forward. Could you first tell me a little more about what it means that Veterans Day should be celebrated on November 11th? This means it has to be a non-working day. Please tell us. I understand that if we are going to recognize Veterans Day it should be on the 11th unless the 11th falls on a weekend. So it is observed one day earlier, and this is true in the 2029 calendar. Because November 11th falls on a Saturday, and Friday the
00410th is nationally recognized as a holiday, and state law says we have to have a non-working day. No, not all districts in the state recognize this as a non-working day. So we would have it in our slides, it makes it a little confusing. I understand that it must be non-working, but if this is proposed to our community, that would be my first suggestion for those interested to review, and secondly, could you enlighten me a little about the family preferences calendar that in September the beginning, what is it, when was it done and where was the survey carried out. Our community since 2020, 2022, and 2024, I believe, and the survey was done through the family survey that is sent to families in February, which I believe has a response rate of 50% on average. But
005I don't know, I would like to know the sample size because I don't know what 50% means, and I would also like the interested groups to review this. On August 8th and 4th it's going to be very hot, and I know Jason talked about this before, but the groups involved should also consider that I'd like the community to understand the interaction with Chasa, and I don't know what movements are in Chaza, but in August, for example, starting on August 4th would have a lot to do with those who play soccer, etc. I would like it to be reviewed. And lastly, for now I see a slight decrease in the number of school weeks being cut to less than 5 days. We have six weeks where this happens. Both the 27th and 28th, as well as
006the 28th or 29th, are like 9 weeks, depending on how you count it. If you count the first week, for example, the last day of classes being a Monday, I agree with Nicole, that has to be reviewed and I would not be in favor of those weeks or n weeks being cut according to the cadence and the family survey. She also fills out a survey for the academic calendar. No, no, that wasn't asked. No, no, not this year yet, but I can check if we could make this change now for the council's benefit in order to conduct a survey, since we haven't sent this survey yet. If it's as simple as adding a question, I'll go ask. I think so. First Jason, then Alex. Yes, thanks. And well, I've heard many teachers talk about this.
007Well, one of the points I was going to talk about has already been covered. When you're at school on a Monday, as this calendar says, what are the projections for the number of students who will be present? student attendance projections. Aside from discussions about swapping days, if 60% of students don't attend because the last day of school falls on a Monday, then we would have to look at other swaps. Furthermore, the 27-28 calendar , if we return on a Tuesday after the winter holidays, having our children at home all day for 18 days, is challenging, and I speak from experience because it presents difficulties. with childcare. That 's potentially another blow when you add another day. So, I'd like to consider the additional Tuesday after returning from winter break, uh, what the impact of these
008options is. And I understand that if we're looking at finishing the school year and it only applies to this first year, not the second, but finishing the school year on a Monday, well, maybe we could have snow then, but we start very early and finish very late. Maybe we could delay the first day of school by a week and finish a week later. So, to talk about these situations, extend August a little bit, and I don't know if this would work, but potentially we would like to talk, discuss these points. start very early. And that's all I have to say for now. Alex, I wanted to add another concern, which is teacher absences, because that becomes a problem of, well, it doesn't happen on the last day, but we have to be there, uh, if
009not, if the teachers are absent and then... In these two calendars I am worried about two holidays in November, which are Veterans Day and Professional Development or Labor Day. The teachers have said that this year has been very difficult because instructionally they barely begin teaching and then they have a break. So, personally, I would say that November 11th is a very good day to teach how important school is, or maybe Presidents' Day, or Lincoln's birthday. I also heard, I said Lenia, it 's hard to start and stop, start and stop with school. So, now yes , I would be interested in groups like BB EA giving us their opinion on what the best days would be for their teachers' professional development , what works best for their teachers. And I acknowledge what Roben says, that
010we could move some professional development to the second semester. Is that correct, Robin? And that's something teachers would like. We would try to help them on professional development days and I am interested in finding a way to schedule this alongside a non-working day. Yes, this information also came from the teachers and the academic team. And the last point I'd like to make to counteract the fact that we potentially receive a lot of feedback when we talk about this for our high school students, right? Many were very excited to return after the winter break for final exams. That's very difficult. And I'm curious about what feedback we get, about the relative importance of having final exams finished before going out for winter break or not, because if we hear about it, especially in this climate, I
011actually heard the opposite, including from one of my children who did very well on the final exams after the winter break, but the opinion of other parents was different. I wonder if there are teachers who have been giving final exams after the winter break. difference, but I think my son did very well in the finals because he was very rested, probably. So, I 'm in favor of doing some kind of exploration that goes beyond the second half of the school year to see if this, but this continues to be a challenge and interested people have to take the calendars into consideration . appreciate the back and ending before the Christmas break for the first semester. I do believers on this one to me listen to the op Anderson and also these grades based on the
012high school performance of these students so that the final exams are more stressful. So, in a university setting, the final evaluation makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't make as much sense in a high school setting. That said , endings can be more or less stressful depending on the topic. Thank you for this question. I do believe that we need to do more work on our grading policy. In the last few days before the winter holidays, we are contemplating what we would do. There is a lot of variation in the weight given to final exams, and that fits in with the district's grading policy. And while I have the microphone, I have several questions. Where is? One of our agreements states that we have to observe Veterans Day, or it's part of school policy.
013It's a question for Rabin. I don't believe that state law is mandatory in terms of a negotiated agreement. That's why we updated the calendar list. That's what needs to be considered. This is the language used in agreements with unions. Secondly, several members have asked for other opinions from stakeholders and how we are going to collect this data. Typically what happens is we talk about the schedule, the generalities, whether they like it, don't like it, the things they can live with, or there are requests to ask the groups if they like certain things or not , but if that's the case, how are we going to contribute those opinions? How much detail are they looking for to make their decision? I want to assure you that we can deliver what you're looking for, and I think,
014you want a list of the groups, here are the things, you want a vote, you sent a survey to get the quantitative data. Typically, Ren, what we've done is present the schedule and have a conversation. So, how specific do we want the data to be before we come to present it to you? For us, I don't want you to lack information that you would like to have. I think I wouldn't like a very high level of detail. We like the recommendation of that group more than the other. That can be detrimental, I believe, but the majority opinion across certain things in certain groups and preferences, the council has never been in agreement about the highest priority and policy indicates the considerations we have to consider, but having some opinions about, for example, when we start
015or end Veterans Day, but I don't necessarily want it to be 20% or 23% of the school accountability committee saying such and such, but asking the questions to get an idea of the sentiment of the stakeholders and we are already behind schedule because we take so long on the policy. So, we would like the general opinions of the groups and any changes they recommend to the schedule to be made when you come back to us for adoption. That was overwhelming. Well yes. And there are other recommendations. We are going to make such adjustments. That's what we did, and that's the schedule we recommend, and that's going to keep us on track so we do n't fall behind anymore. And as for all the work we did in politics and we have these initial opinions today,
016it's going to be an effective way to address this. What I can say is that not everyone will agree. If they hear something, everyone will have an opinion. There are certain groups that have stronger opinions than other groups. I believe that the BBEA union will have an opinion that needs to be considered, probably from the groups that will have a formal opinion and the other groups, I think they will have different degrees of opinions. Some opinions suggest that ending on the 22nd seems a bit awkward. Veterans Day. I appreciate your opinion. There are other school districts that do teach on that day. So, I think there's enough we can discuss with people, but I would n't want to come back here and there's a difference of opinion among the members who are stating the facts.
017At this point, the decision will be made by the board, and we will consider the data, but it will not tell us exactly what to do or not to do. The process is difficult because we all have different opinions and points of view. We're going to consider everything, we're going to listen if something is extremely important to the majority. We'll take that into account. We will listen to what you have indicated and try to create a schedule that makes more sense. Thank you so much. I think that's useful. And speaking of what Nicole indicated, regarding the details, we have to trust the district leadership to adjudicate that and to give us a summary about all of that. I am waiting for your expertise in how to interpret that and how you arrive at your decisions.
018Like Nicole, I don't need such detailed opinions from all the groups, but I would like to get a sense of their thinking, wouldn't I? I 'm noticing that many people are indicating yes with their heads. Yes, absolutely, that's very helpful. It may also be helpful for you to hear that the traditional way we gather information from interested groups is to share the same information and then ask the group the question, giving each person the opportunity to share their opinions in English or as we present it in Spanish. What are the important points or strengths? Regarding the calendar, what changes? If you would like it to be considered for inclusion in the calendar, or what your thoughts or suggestions are to share with us. We put that in the format of a Google form and collect
019the opinions by group and then search for the topics by group. We provide an opportunity to answer questions, to gain more clarity. Furthermore, the way each part of the calendar connects with every other part. An example to incorporate change days again, this one for conferences without extending the school days, the number of school days during the school year. All of that needs to be arranged somehow, and the two parts we have to do that are at the beginning and at the end of the school year. The entire calendar, as we are currently focused on regulation, the first quarter will end before the winter holidays. That determines how we go from that point forward to this point in the winter holidays, because we have to balance the number of days in each quarter. For example, if
020we start the school year later, the first term is one week shorter, and the second term will be one week longer. They are never balanced. Exactly. They vary by a few days, but we're not going to extend that difference by more than 10 days. Every small change causes another small change. So, finally, we have to ask, what are the stakeholders' priorities? Ultimately, we receive this variable information depending on the group. The priorities of some families are different from those of other families, and so on. And that's why having the power to make decisions based on the council's policy and the agreements negotiated with the unions and according to the Colorado State Department of Education, that serves as the basis and everything else we take into account. It's a little more information about how the process
021works. Yes, President Rashpald, this information is very helpful as we are looking at the broad themes through stakeholder groups and our thinking about how to prioritize those views. Thank you. It's very exciting to start the calendar process again . With that, the council will take a break to reorganize the hall and then we'll start again. Reported Superintendent Dr. Anderson. Good afternoon. Thank you, council members. Good afternoon everyone. I hope you enjoyed your vacation. Happy New Year. We are excited to welcome the students. It's going to be an amazing quarter for the future. Earlier, the Colorado Department of Education released its graduation rates. Good news for our district. Our 4-year rate increased from 1% to 93.3%. 3%, that's higher than the state average of 85%. From what I heard from the staff, that's the highest rate
022in 20 years for our district. I believe that the new increases for subgroups, especially for Latinos, will be approved. The rate rose 8%. The number of bilingual students also increased, as did the number of people living on the streets . Our dropout rate has dropped from 0.7% to 0.4%, and the state average is 1.6% dropout rate. I want to thank all the educators and leaders for all the work they have done for our students and I want to congratulate our students who are having more success than ever. I want to thank everyone at the district level who has worked very hard to ensure they are doing the right thing for our students. That 's a very exciting part, and the data trend is going in a good direction. Last week Governor Polis visited the district's
023culinary center, where he was welcomed with a presentation about healthy food pathways. That is guided by several foundations. It's from the Chef Foundation. She was part of our district for several years and she is a national leader in bringing best practices to different schoolchildren. As you know, particularly those of us who have children who eat our food, which is cooked with ingredients from Colorado farms. And we are an example of investment in healthy food and what it can achieve. That has impacts even on our local economy. It's better for our students, our local farmers, it's better everywhere. The agriculture department and the labor department were also part of it, and Alex and I represented the district with staff members. I am very proud of our team and the future of food in the district. It's
024a source of pride, something we may take for granted, but we are a national leader in what can be done with healthy food in schools. And finally, before the holidays, you remember when we were at CASPI, the Association of School Councils, we met the students from the Equity Council. During a very special breakfast. Students form an important part of the leadership in the district, sharing their opinions to ensure that we are aligned with the strategic plan thanks to the student leaders of the School Board. And I can say that it is a moment every year that I feel very moved by the courage of our students, by their experiences that they have had in our district and that they are willing to share and that are encouraging us to do our best for the community.
025So I appreciate these moments, this is something very important and I hope that it has been very important for you. That's also all I have for my speech tonight. Thank you for your comments. Council members, do you have any questions? There are none. Let's move on to the next topic, which is public participation. The following is the board's respect for the public's right to speak about matters related to the operation of schools. The board does not endorse any speaker's remarks and reminds all speakers that they are responsible for their own speech. Each speaker will have 2 minutes to speak, but a yellow card will be shown when they have 30 seconds left and an orange card when they have 10 seconds left. If you are running out of time and would like to share additional
026information, you can send an email to the board. That's how we'll begin with our students. The first healthy Propero. For those who have not made a public comment, you can move to the podium. Pressing the drink button will turn on a green light on the microphone, indicating that it is on. Now they're listening to me. Excellent. I can start whenever. I'm going to start now. Good night. I am healthy, I am prosperous, and this year I am in my senior year at Fervi High School. I am here working with the bonds for resilient futures campaign because our planet is dying. In 2023 I made a request to get this passed on a compact disc, right? And that excited me, but since it happened you haven't implemented the necessary changes in several schools. We need to
027think about that. Today the sun is shining and the temperature is 60 degrees. Temperatures shouldn't be like this in January. If that doesn't raise alarm, easterly sea levels are rising, deforestation is changing ecosystems, and many animals are being killed. Plastic is eating everything up. calibration. The greenhouse effect is affecting us all, and you can do something about it. It has to be an investment in renewable energy, it has to be for our planet and also the financial opportunity. Energy is the second highest cost for the district. We need to switch to renewable energy. That will decrease carbon emissions and can neutralize the effects of the greenhouse gas effect . We need to make the change for both economic and environmental reasons. You were an inspiration in 2023. You need to continue to uphold this resolution.
028It's going to be significant; it's going to cause movements across the entire nation. That could affect the entire nation. They need to support the bond campaign for resilient futures. The next speaker is Dani Bernard. Yes, my microphone is on. I am Dan Bernard. I am in my last year at Fairview with my climate change club. I am here. Thank you for allowing me to speak and make a public comment about important issues in our district. Several weeks ago we had a closure in the district due to a strike by Excel Energy. We missed school, and there were families who had to find childcare. That event was important for our security, but it also reminds us that we are very vulnerable to outside influences. It does n't have to be this way. Energy independence, such as
029solar panels and battery power, can improve conditions, and we need to explore other ways to achieve this. Schools can be more than just places to learn; they can better serve their communities. Gear, for example, gives us the opportunity to adopt energy in a format that is more sustainable and more cost-effective. During the last few months, community members have been participating in the campaign for healthy futures and that is an important initiative. They don't have to vote tonight, but we're asking them to keep the conversation open, that we're partners in building a stronger district. Thank you so much. The next speaker is Kelsey Glass. I really need this. Yeah I know. I am Kelsey Glass. I am a mother of children in the FET elementary school. I have had the opportunity to speak with you and
030I respect your service. Tonight I'm going to share my experiences that led to the teacher being removed from the classroom. My son is neurodiverse and needs a strong relationship with his teacher, and fortunately he has had that with his teacher. The positive experience she has had with her teacher has been good, but I am not waiting for details about the investigation, but I do expect that there is a standard procedure for notifying families of the situation and they need ongoing communication. I didn't know the teacher had been absent from the classroom before receiving a notification. In this context, my child has had many difficulties. He had tantrums that affected the whole family. If we had known that the teacher was absent, we could have changed things at home. We've had several replacements and we've received
031this notification that they are looking for a long-term replacement. That was a very important challenge for our family. We were aware of this in order to ensure adequate support. No. Did we have the information to make the right decisions for our son? No. That's not acceptable. They need weekly communication about what we should expect. I appreciate your attention and the research process, but it does not meet the needs of the students and families. That has a negative effect on families. We need to support families so they can make decisions. They need to review this procedure regarding how they will approach it in the future. Thank you so much. The next speaker is CGER. C is not there. We're going to move forward with Christin Campbell. The next speaker will be attending remotely. K. I'm sorry
032if Katie Jour is listening . I'm Kitty Ken and I'm here to address the policy regarding employee investigations. My daughter is a student at the faith primary school as well. And as Kelsey said, at the end of October the fourth-grade teacher was removed from the classroom for a district investigation. I support the responsibility of investigating employees because the safety of children is very important. The concern today is the absence of a clear plan. Once we had classroom changes, students experienced significant disruptions during the first month of classroom instruction. They have had several replacements. They have a long-term replacement, but he is not certified as an emotionally supportive elementary school teacher for children. has caused confusion and anxiety for students. Classroom interruptions interfere with their learning. My daughter asked Santa to bring back her teacher. The
033parents did not receive any information about the absence or the time. We did not receive these updates regarding contact points and deadlines. We respect confidentiality requirements. ity. Families need communication about their students' education. I encourage you to strengthen your policies regarding reporting in these situations. Thank you for your consideration and time. And they both must be into that. My son is also in the My daughter has also seen her educational experience decline significantly due to the practices the way BBD is currently implementing staff research, especially by primary school teachers is out of date, because she is coping with the goals to be able to prepare the students. The practice is to prioritize children and minimize the risks of litigation, and prioritizing the impact on children's education should be the primary concern, not something that comes
034later. I am here to make two requests to address this very clear problem that is affecting families. First, the BBC should conduct a study on the district-level effect when someone leaves a school, and with that data, demonstrate how it is affecting children's educational experience and publish the information they found. Second, PBC must create a written policy for when administrative investigations are conducted; the negative pact of this does not have any written policy and leaves out certain criteria for the investigation. What obligations does the district have when there is a staff or teacher absence based on its own human resources policies ? This is what you must believe. We also ask that resources be provided for students, not only after something has happened. And the decisions about the layoffs happen behind closed doors without consideration for
035the students and without accountability from the district. Apparently, these practices must change urgently; they must be provided with a public study and make changes that suggest necessary changes to formalize limits within written policies and will help us a lot to understand how they affect students. It is what every member of our community should expect and every member deserves. Thank you so much. Thank you. Our next speaker tonight is Fen Dudck. Hello, good evening council members. My name is Fen Jurat. I am a mother of students at LAFA Elementary School. I am also here to talk to you about the impact of the extended absence of my student's teacher. I am going to ask you to consider additional policies to the investigation process to ensure that our children's right to education is protected. I understand that
036this is confidential and a very sensitive process, and protecting privacy is an essential action. The new environment created for the students was removed on November 28 without informing the family. There is a lack of trust, there is a social regression and a lack of structure; what were apparently small fractures in the research are now large gaps for these children. I believe this could have been avoided in the future, and I suggest that parents be notified daily, starting with the first day, that their student's teacher will be absent for a certain period of time, and with identification to help meet their student's needs. We also ask that they please create a support plan during the first week of school. This will help us address needs that have not been met in a timely manner . We
037ask that you please consider a long-term teacher if a replacement cannot be found soon. Please consider what our families have gone through during this process, and we would like to work together and do what is best for the students here at BBD. And thank you for your time. Thank you. The next speaker tonight is Katy Telahun, who was granted 2 minutes by Emily Brook Mcrey. I'm going to give two different things, one from me and one from the group of parents, and I'm not going to go over 4 minutes. Sorry, it's all part of my comment. Good evening, my name is K. I am a fourth-grade and second-grade student. I have been part of this meeting to express my frustration regarding teacher investigations and I am not satisfied with the way PBD has communicated with
038us and how it has responded to parent outreach. This complaint was made by Kner, who was new to the faith and had already made a positive impact on her community. She was taken out of the class starting on October 28th. That was on October 28th and now it's January. The children have had substitutes for that time. BD did not provide any support to the school by covering this extended absence, and the way this policy is written does not mean it is correct. I understand the need to investigate when a statement is made, but too many weeks have passed. The students have not had a licensed teacher since October 27th. This is not acceptable. The lack of a licensed teacher has greatly harmed our students. Our students don't have the power, but they bear the negative
039impact. When parents have tried to contact babies, we either don't get answers or the answers we give are that we are following policy. Following the letter of the policy without addressing the impact on the students you are here to support is not doing your job. PBC needs to look beyond the steps of politics and worry about its children. You must have a plan prepared in case this happens. If this does not exist in the current policy, the policy of investigations must be carried out quickly and efficiently, keeping the children in mind, and this reflects a lack of leadership and responsibility. I would like to continue with a letter written by the parents of Professor CA, members of the Council. We are speaking as a collection of parents of students who unfortunately have not been able
040to have their teacher. We want to express our support for Professor K and the profound impact she has had on our students and communities. Professor K is an exceptional teacher. Many of us have worked in education in various settings and we can say that she is one of the best educators we have ever encountered. Her teaching reflects professionalism and a love for children. She has high expectations for the children, giving them a warm welcome. This is a rare and very valuable balance sheet. This year our children were very successful in their class, they felt safe and seen, they trust it and were successful emotionally, socially and academically. She fostered a safe environment, and these are not unusual qualities. This is what it takes for students to be successful; it has had a great impact on
041our students and has been stress-relieving for the children. Many of our children keep asking about her, they feel confused and are very confused. The way in which this has affected them in such a negative way has been very shocking. And please let's hope the teacher can return to her students. Being able to bring him back would be a step forward in building the trust that families expect from public schools. Teachers like Mister FM are the backbone of the school district, and we want the best for the students. Thank you for your time. The next speaker this afternoon is Crouch. Good evening, my name is Crouch and I am the mother of three students who are parents of students. The first one we're talking about is the teacher who was removed from fourth grade, just like
042any other mother. I support the safety of our students, but removing staff, regardless of the nature of the job or the reason for its removal, should be addressed, especially if it involves removing a teacher. And without explaining the absence of our teacher, our children have paid the price; they have lost confidence in school and the structure of routine. We cannot replace the confidence that a teacher develops over months. And yes, I love creating new connections with my children. No, I don't want him greeting me every day with a thumbs up, a thumbs down, whether he liked the replacement or not. A few years ago, the assistant principal and the principal were away for several months, and this created a rift in the school, the school community, and the district, and that awareness has not been
043recovered . For some students, especially younger children or neurodiverse children, these disruptions really affect us negatively and also destroy their sense of security and their ability to learn this research. Hopefully there is another way and the district can evaluate this practice and find ways to protect student safety without causing further harm to schools and communities. Thank you for your time. The next speaker tonight is Michael Waker, who was given 2 minutes by Jennifer Waker. Hello, Michael Wer. I have one ninth-grade student at Fairw and one sixth- grade student at Southern Hills. Some remind me perhaps of the fall when we talked about AI and were told it was going to be a priority as soon as January arrived, and here we are in January. I need you to understand that because of the lack of
044the council taking a break, my children have not heard anything, they have not been given any guidance. I was told there was going to be this very clear guidance on AI, and three of the seven AI policy findings are things I wrote, two others are from a few years ago, two others are statements from candidates in this election, and one was a comment from a student. There isn't a clear policy for children or parents to understand, and what is happening to our children in the classroom? I'll tell you, they are living in an environment of uncertainty because they don't know what is allowed, and it changes from class to class. They are being divided because there are things that AI can do to their development if it is not done in a safe way. They
045don't know how to have a healthy relationship with IAP; they can go down a very dangerous path if they don't know how to use it. And I've spoken to several students in the district, they're blundering their work so they won't be accused of using AI. They are taking more complicated words out of their essays because they feel they are going to be told that it is tertiary intelligence. They are making decisions about how to do their work, and this is also drawing attention to students who don't speak English, and the better they speak English, the more they will be notified. And what's happening with the parents? The parents don't listen to anything, nothing. Um, I have a workshop with, um, how to use this artificial intelligence, the disappointment of artificial intelligence. I wrote a book
046since the last time because of the parents of Guienza. This book talks about how to use your wisdom as a parent to guide your children when you 're not an expert, when it feels impossibly difficult. And you have to say something because the institution is designed to leave your children behind. Then the responsibility of the parents returns. I'm going to tell you that the district and the schools have enough knowledge and enough guidance that they can either seek accountability or build more skills. Choosing not to send our children out is not an option and is critically important; it will only accelerate a more serious problem for our children starting in the fall. And I'm going to tell you that Sain is ahead. They are holding a summit with 175 teachers to discuss the use of
047artificial intelligence. I have a workshop there to guide parents and children. They have a children's framework that is guiding parents and teachers on how to use artificial intelligence. It's not impossible, but it does require action, and silence is an option. If that silence is because you're afraid of making a mistake or not knowing what to say. Yes, it's a very, very unexplored territory. We want you to adopt this as a priority. Go and talk to the community and see where everyone is and have intentional conversations with parents and families. The next speaker tonight is Mens, who was given 2 minutes by Megan Muire. He 's not here. Let's go to the last speaker, who is Catherine. I apologize, Kather. Lar. I am a mother of three students in the district and I want to commend
048or congratulate the students who spoke for their conviction; it takes a lot of courage to speak in front of this group. Second, I want to thank the members of this council. Hey, we're here because we care. We are here because since October 28th, Professor Carschner has not returned to school, and it has been almost three months of this uncertainty at the elementary school . From the point of view of meeting the educational needs of the students, Professor Kber is one of the best teachers I have seen with my three children. The parents and children have not received any communication; we have not been given a timeline for the return of this teacher. I believe it is the responsibility of the district and the school to provide a certified teacher for the class. Turning around substitutes
049doesn't qualify as that, and the new responsibility without a timeline for how many we 're asking to come in and take responsibility for the work that was done when they allowed our teacher to be removed from the program, to bring back that teacher who we thought was an amazing teacher or provide us with a date for when she's coming back. Thank you. This concludes the public participation, and on behalf of the council, I want to thank everyone who was able to join us in person or remotely to share their ideas and comments. Let's keep that in mind because we have new council members and new people who have never been here before. As a reminder, when we listen to and participate in the public comments, we will continue with the council's communication tonight. Council members,
050who would like to start? Dian. Hi, I would like to acknowledge something amazing that is happening at one of the schools in District E, which is Monar High School, which has a tremendous leader and teacher , Jennifer Dixon. Uh, Mrs. Tixen has organized a certified bowling tournament at CCE Balling on January 22nd, and I've seen many of these unified events, and they are done with such passion and such greatness and care for the families and students who participate. I would love to see everyone attend, if you can go to CC and I want to honor Professor Dixon for her dedication to this cause, which is something very close to my heart. My brother would have loved to participate in this bowling tournament. Thank you. S wanted to take a moment to thank all the district
051staff, both well and I. We've been on a training schedule these past few weeks and have been able to meet all the directors. We are missing a few, one and I am so grateful for the time everyone has taken to talk with Dian and me about how the district works and I am continually growing impressed with Dr. Anderson's leadership. Thank you. First, I want to give you what the tournaments are saying. I've been to some basketball clubs; if you're on the board, I suggest you go to one of them. These are some of the most powerful things you can do. I also wanted her to have the opportunity for the culinary tour with the governor and the culinary association. I want to congratulate the members, the chef, and the district for the center that's there.
052What we don't know is that with the SH foundation, we have a program for nutritional staff to be able to do training and different opportunities for professional development so that they can participate. And again, it's not just that we have something cool we're doing, it's that we care about the people who work for us and we want them to be well represented in the nutrition program, and sometimes they are the people who receive the lowest pay . A collaboration with Chef An's foundation is a joy for everyone, but I'm always frustrated by the size. I'd like to see more later, but I also want to thank all the speakers, especially the students. I appreciate the passion. I wasn't on the board when the green resolution was passed, and its implementation is a key priority for
053me, and I believe it's a priority for everyone on the board based on the conversations we've had. I also do n't want to talk about the case that is in front of us regarding the teachers. I want to congratulate the student on the research process. We have a site that includes a place where you can report the kinds of things that lead to an investigation, including explanations of what might lead to delays and why there are times when there isn't as much communication. I understand that it is very frustrating to hear from teachers, families, and the community who are involved in this process in some way, and I understand their frustration at not knowing what is happening. But I appreciate all the comments being made, and there are many legal restrictions or limitations that we
054cannot mention, but I do agree that when parents are facing a long-term absence, they should be contacted. We shouldn't, we don't have to talk about detailed things about the case, but when parents, especially of children younger than their main teacher, aren't going to be there, they need to know what's going to happen to their student. Therefore, the reason why we as a district continue to think about this from that point of view. I know we have to handle these things in an appropriate way and that it's difficult, but we also have to follow the limitations we have and still maintain communication with the parents, and that may be with this medical absences or what we can't mention, but when parents are facing this long-term absence, I think we can address that anxiety they feel. Jorge,
055I would also like to begin by thanking our speakers for their passion and the commitment of the students and families today, and I truly appreciate it. I also want to congratulate the staff, the leadership, the board members, because we had an opportunity to connect with Casby some time ago and yes, it has been very helpful for us to get to know each other a little better and see that commitment that everyone has to the work we are doing here with our students. I was able to attend some very good sessions, particularly the participation of families led by Sina Anderson, talking about the work we are doing, and I understood that we are leaders in this area. Up until tonight we have talked about how we include families and the community in the calendar we are
056developing. We are leaders in this area. I appreciate that and I understand that there is always room for improvement. Uh, I thank the community, the students for that, and the staff as well. And I know that there are also families who don't feel comfortable communicating, who don't feel comfortable coming to meetings. And I hear from many families, students who attended last year and this year that there are many things happening in the political climate and not everyone feels comfortable coming to speak at these kinds of events. And then I want to talk about the need we have to support all of our students and the need for our students to feel safe. And I want to talk about our council's commitment to continue this work, so that our students feel secure in the work we
057are doing and in the work they have to do to achieve success, because they are our future. I want to emphasize that and reflect the commitment we can make to continue doing this work and improving our communication. One last thing, we'll be having our prioritization meeting next week, but I want to reiterate that in my day job I look at the increasing impact of artificial intelligence and I think it's a huge priority for us to figure out what we need to do. I know there are several things we 're doing differently, but focusing on how it's affecting students' educational experience needs to be a bigger priority. I don't know what we'll do about it, but I know it's one of those things where we 're not really understanding the impact of the students' educational experience.
058We'll be talking about that next week, and as a reminder... They can discuss points they want to include in that meeting next week . This, council members have comments. I also want to thank the taxpayers, the council members, and for allowing us to go to CAS and learn from other people in the district so that we can be leaders in the good work we are doing. I think there were different themes that I observed in the topics that were discussed at CASVID, the decrease in enrollment was one of the things that were discussed several times . One thing that made me feel sad and worried was the lack of communication about the relationship between the board and the superintendent. What happens if they hire a new one? So, Dr. Anderson and I presented on that
059relationship. We had a lot of assistance with that. Colleagues presented on council governance and I think many of us attended on different topics. We were asked many questions, we were looked up to as leaders, and I am grateful to have past members, present members who really represented around the state, and the work we are doing is making an impact, not just here in BD, but statewide. And it was very nice to be at CAS and since we returned I was able to attend the DAC meeting this month. The main topic was the budget update that they will be presenting on January 27th, and I think it will be one of the clearest budget presentations I've ever seen. We have many recommendations that we want to discuss on January 27 related to why we had previously
060prioritized IAG, but we are planning to give more comments to the board on the IGA policy and the ratings policy, because those were previously prioritized in our previous working sessions. We'll try to figure out how to adjust that with the Jack. They continue to work on that and also on thinking and working hard on school involvement. Very good work that they are doing with best practices and having that authentic communication between the school and families. And finally, last night I realized, with Ky's resignation. We did n't have anyone representing the council in Raak and I was able to get to that meeting. It was nice to see, and I had never been to a Rack meeting in person before. It was nice to listen to their conversation and I think they are answering questions that
061will help inform the Council on the 27th. Thank you to the members for everything they have done over the last 4 years. They have brought us to a point where we can reach a phase of taking action, and yes, I was able to do that. And finally, the open registration window closed last week. The first round of open spaces were sent. There have been many questions and I asked Robin, what happens if you are put on a waiting list and you choose the second school on your list? You can still go back to the first school you put the answer to. Yes, you stay on the waiting list for your first school on your list, and if you choose the second one, for the public, if they are watching us, if that is the case,
062ask because there are people who still plan to go to neighborhood schools and don't know what they should do. So, for staff, that communication to be able to capture intention to attend neighborhood schools, I 'm really not sure where the misunderstanding is, I don't know, and that's the yes, open enrollment is a turbulent time for BBD and I appreciate the patience of everyone on the waiting lists. And they have done a very good job managing that whole role until we reach the end when there are no more places available. I think that's all I have. Yes, I agree with the comment you just made about Gasby. And Nicole has already given a summary of this experience. I would basically like to add that to the summary you did of Casby, and that concludes the council's
063comments, and now we're going to talk about legislative updates. I give the floor to Dr. Anderson. Thank you, President RP. Council members, as you know, the session is beginning. I would like to highlight a few things for the audience. Budget 2627 is going to be a very big issue in this legislative session. I can say that all signs indicate that we are going to try to eliminate legislation that costs money, because it may disappear. I think this is what we need to pay very close attention to. The way our government has balanced the budget was through the sale of Pinac. We need to pay attention to this because it's million when selling Pinnacle privately. We'll see if they sell, and if not, they'll continue with this gap of 400, a difference of 400 million. In
064addition to the budget, we are paying specific attention to property tax. We've had JBC meetings to work through those budget differences, which are very significant, and we're going to include this as one of our legislative priorities. On the 27th we will have a meeting with our delegation at the Capitol. We will finalize legislative priorities regarding the budget to ensure that we are able to provide educational services for our students and their families. Legislative session. Here we go. He has ideas about the other legislative proposals from Adams and others from our neighboring districts. Yes, there is a proposed law that would make significant improvements to childcare, specifically regarding the number of places they want to increase. In some instances, children can be present during the day, but in some areas they cannot attend after-school childcare or
065daycare. Thank you. Council members, some questions about the legislative update. For your information, Dr. Anderson and I meet with legislative promoters every other week . The cycle is progressing and in what events regarding the candidate, the laws they are reviewing have a fiscal note. That was the question. Let's now go to group consent 8.1 Eh, 8. 3, approval of minutes 8.4 acceptance of the University Hill donation 8.5 acceptance of the donation table. 8.6 adopt the measures and amendments. 8.7 eh reimbursement to council members. 8.8 new courses. 8.9 New resolution 2601. Members of the Council wish to remove some of these group consent, as I see that there is no motion to approve it grouply. Motion by Lelania, seconded by Ana. I'm very excited about all the... especially the new optional subjects in secondary school, and
066above all, that the vocabulary is being updated because it reflects modernization. Uh, our staff continues to improve the BBSD course catalog. Our students can have access to better study opportunities. Thank you very much also for the change to the quotas document. That will be very useful because we currently have no control over changing the vocabulary. Then we'll have more control, and if there was an increase in fees for taking exams. Then some students said, "I don't have the money to pay for these exams." So, financial support is offered so that all students can take the exams they need to take. Okay, let's raise this and if there's no discussion, we'll vote. Could you please take the vote? Yes. Chávez. Quin, the motion is approved. The following is the topic of policy action thanks to the
067good work of our staff. 10.1. DD Policy 10.2 DDR1 Policy Projects and collaborations 10.3 DR2 Policy 10.4 EB Policy loan program and cooperative fund programs. 10.5 5 policy deb, state revenues of the federation and tax resources. 10.8 Capital Goods ID Policy 10.9 DN Policy 10.10 EDA Policy 10.11 Policy 10.12 12. Are there any items you would like to remove from the group consent? Council members and I listen. We need a motion to pass. Motion by Alex, seconded by Ana. Is there any discussion about these policies? Well, I know it's a very long list and it's a big step towards our goal, but I want to thank Kathn Sullivan and the finance team for answering our questions on this very complicated topic we've been studying, and I want to acknowledge their work because it's about being
068a more efficient manager of public money. I want to echo what Alex said and after reading this. If you want to have some fun and want to shorten the title of the DDR1 policy, because this is a title that is a whole paragraph. Any other discussion, board members? This will greatly help our operations and finance teams. I see there are no comments. Can the vote be taken by group consent? Yes, Chávez. Yes, yes. Laa Ringer. Yes, the motion is approved. Next on today's agenda is a policy study. We previously went through this policy a lot. I hope that the approach of that study is in a language that Kathleenn Sullivan has proposed for review in this section, and I give the floor to Kathlyn. Thank you, President Rashford. As Robin Fernandez previously presented, we are
069now in the first cycle of implementation of the council's new policy . As we reviewed it, I realized that we had combined two concepts that cannot be mixed or combined. So, the correct statement is that we have instruction days referred to in the contracts in article 176, but we also have other teaching days. We have a reference from the CASY council; it must be a rather long concept to satisfy this explanation, but it is also in accordance with the council's guidelines. We want to make sure that we're saying days of instruction is not the same as active participation, and that would be a fairly easy correction. Thank you for your explanation, Kathyn. I know this is in the paragraph we've been talking about, but the process here says that the draft must be submitted no
070later than January 10th. Uh, and that provision is actually in the negotiated agreement. That's the reason I left it in politics, because we are bringing up all the details so that the requirements we must meet can be understood. And that's why I said we were a little behind when we were discussing the calendar this year. Any other questions or comments, board members? Yes, Alex, I had to step out for a moment, but regarding the January 10th issue, wouldn't the second Tuesday of January be better? Because, to ensure we actually have a meeting in January, yes, I think it's directly based on the negotiated agreement. We can think about it as we get closer to the negotiations, a pretty clear measure. We typically present this well before January 10th, usually in November, but it's something we
071can discuss with BB EA, but until we do. Well, part of this is that we had a conversation that took several sessions on this topic, that we had to have this policy defined before writing the draft, because typically it is in November when we present the proposal to discuss the schedules. Yes, Jason. Well, I have a clarification. about our conversation about Veterans Day. The slide says that it is recognized by the State, so it must be recognized, it must be observed, and it is a non-working day. We need to be very clear today, maybe... there's something I 'm not reading. I think what actually happened is that there was a graph on that slide that we were going to omit because we understood that those non-working days are required and we have always referred to
072them that way. And when I came back and checked, it had been negotiated according to state law and we realized that it is not a mandatory non-working day and that's where the confusion came from, and now everything is cleared up and the language is consistent. It is consistent, but it is not mandatory. But then we omit that because it says, "Ah, okay, it doesn't have to close." I understand now. The corrected articles look great. Thank you for the amendment to make it accurate. Anything else, board members? I see that's not the case. And with that we conclude the topic of study. We have a session to review the budget. Do you want to take a break or talk? Okay, then let 's continue. B. Oh, okay, the next item is Bill Sutter's presentation on the
0732025-2026 budget. Good evening, President Rushpall, members of the Council. We are in the final phase of the budget review. We started this 6 months ago with the fiscal year and almost a year ago we submitted a fiscal year report. Colorado state law allows for budget revision after tuition and revenue adjustments have been made. If you recall the video of the December meeting, we were discussing the next fiscal year with the proposed budget. We are now reviewing this school year with a revised budget. I will try to keep the color code consistent as we move forward. This is a review of what we will cover, the registrations, the General Operating Fund, and strategic investments that are included within the revised budget and the steps to follow for registrations. As it has been a topic of discussion,
074we are still in decline, we are below what we had thought in June and Glenn Grew spoke the details at the meeting on December 9 and we see a drop in enrollments overall and we have made adjustments in our non-traditional schools. When we looked at it by grade level in our traditional schools, not charter schools, we saw a greater decrease in enrollment in high schools, but generally across all grades up to preschool. We have students with individualized education plans. There has been a decrease in the UPQ program and in the number of students paying tuition in preschool. There is a little hope that we can generally maintain because of the small increases in preschool. What we can conclude is that the decline in enrollments continues to have an impact on BBSD because it reduces progress
075through the education system. And speaking of the General Operations Fund, starting with the initial balance, it is a portion of the budget that it represents, it was finalized last year, it is the balance and what is carried over next year are the unspent budgets, the Medicate fund and property taxes, the net transfers that we have received, more income than projected. This is what these changes refer to. This is transferred in such a way that we did not have to transfer other dollars to other dollars to the general fund for the general operations fund and it is described in terms of personnel and what is not part of the personnel budget in the revenue part, specifically the property tax portion is the portion that is not an equalizer. This income of 800,000 is actually 6.8 million.
076It's a budget reduction and the changes will be implemented this year. In the ongoing revenue streams under the finance law, we see a decline in enrollments and the number of students. Property taxes and bond revenues have projected a loss of fewer students, which affects the total number of revenues and is a portion of the property tax. This tells us which, and in comparison to other counties, we haven't increased the budget by the total amount because it can have peaks year after year. So, we measure it as a one-time income and we also take into account donations for education. On the expenses side, the unspent budgets have resulted in income that has been carried over to the next year, such as materials, the Medicate fund required by law as part of school resources, applications for new
077income activities, one-time funds for special activities, for mental health advocates, and this relates to donations made by Impact on Education, the income side and the expenses side, technology equipment and translations. In summary, with the reduction in enrollments we were able to reduce the number of staff according to the October count and we were able to allocate the funds for the staff. and carry out the process because the students were not showing up . So, the staffing process was affected, and we used a formula to achieve the necessary staffing levels. We have continuous changes in resources and this is in addition to the budget. Transfer. We have a transfer of 5 million dollars in our budget. That's going to be the second year of the third cycle of the differentiated cycles that we have done. It's
078somewhat confusing. We start with a 3-year cycle and in the second year of this cycle, or second 3-year cycle, we have funds available for the third year and two years beyond. So the differentiated funding program is funded for several more years. preschool funds. There was a change regarding the AIDS committee that is funding preschool; there was a reduction in funding. So we have to make a transfer, a one-time expenditure reduction by the Impact on Education fund for that fund and the adjustments. Transportation is also a small amount, but there is regulation due to personnel changes related to changes in the transportation department, other changes to the charter fund for student number adjustments , athletic and one-time expenses required by contracts and the state. We have to balance expenses and we have to charge charter schools
079for the funds we give. If we buy too much, we have to return some money, and there is also a transfer to the reserves. Regarding reserves, there were increases in the taber and contingency reserves of 3% and 4% respectively. We need to add to those reserves. We've added something to the budget. It is a $ 5 million long-term planning reserve to address the decline in enrollment. It's just in case something needs to happen. We have that reserve to address any expenses related to enrollment that are decreasing. lower enrollment, a reserve of millions of dollars for special education staff . Considering the needs regarding special education for simply maintaining some unique activities, this makes it a reserve to repurchase materials. So when we buy these books, we receive a discount, so it 's an accounting reserve
080that we have to designate. So, we also have project funds for several years, and it's a reserve of $1.2 million, and it's a reserve that can be spent in future years. a summary of the adopted budget from June, the changes, and then the revised budget that is being presented. There is a final balance in this proposed budget. So we have $2.6 million . a rounding error in the projections. We're talking about $440 million in revenue this one and then a little over $500 million in expenses. The key takeaways about all of this are the district continuing to balance unique resources and investments to meet student needs, operational requirements, inflation pressures, and maintain our fiscal well-being. Other one-off funds , as I mentioned when we were talking about transfers, a Chartes Schools Fund , a reconciliation
081donation from the Preschool Fund, a reserve fund for capital projects and this differentiated support fund for schools. Next we have the charter school fund and adjustments for enrollment, the preschool fund, a change in funds received from the state, and the athletic fund. We updated ticket sales and participation revenue projections, and sales weren't as we had anticipated, so we had to lower that amount. The transportation fund also underwent a reorganization of positions, as I mentioned when discussing strategic investments. The important point of all that is, those are the things that are in a budget that you can say can be easily identified. It's government accounting, not cost accounting. To do that, for an activity it is difficult in the accounting structure for the government requires fields and parts of the accounting code that are determined by
082the State. Those are things we have in the budget that we can identify. What that staff does not include is the time spent by staff performing work beyond identified positions. For example, the cost of the coordinator is identified as a strategic investment, but school staff is not . for professional development, implementation of practices, board members. That's the answer. During last year's budget process. The question was asked, how do we say where we are investing dollars in our strategic plan? So, that 's the first intention: to at least quantify the things we can easily do. To help you understand this advice, the previous advice covered ongoing investments and unique investments that end at the build point. When we talk about the strategic plan, we are not saying that the investment plan is 400 million or 300-something
083million dollars. We are doing this for the public to let them know how we invest the dollars to achieve the results. Is it new? Is it different? I want to thank Billy and his team for doing this for you, and certainly if there are any questions, we can answer them. That is why we are presenting it in response to the request to look at what we are currently doing with the strategic plan. Those investments have already been made or spent and are included in this year's budget. It's not what we spent last year. Those are updated numbers 26 and 27. These are the investments we made previously with adjustments to the one-time investments due to the change of 5 million pre-weighted and the related change. the pre-weighted and differentiated funds. The program we have is
084very easy to identify because it is a separate accounting fund; it's quite straightforward. We have $5.2 million included for this current year and also $21 million for future years. professional learning and I don't know what groups, those are, I repeat, it does not include the time of the staff who are working on that, but that is the contract with VA for travel expenses, etc. The support team for the strategic plan that continues into the coming years, mental health advocates, are ongoing dollars in the general fund and also a little for, I believe, 000 for the wellness centers, I believe the technical education programming, this dual version, this dual language, these Fed teams, families, educators together, the wellness halls are already in place. This is impact funding for education for wellness centers. The curriculum, we have
085dollars in the current budget for the curriculum and 9 million are one-time expenses in the current budget, restorative practices, assessments, this leveled support. That's in the general operating fund. Before we go any further, I would like to highlight for the board and the public the significant investments we have made in curriculum. The ongoing budget is 2 million each year. We have used unique challenges to make a significant leap forward in updating the high- quality materials that teachers need to make a difference for our students. For those who have been on the council, we have used those dollars to accelerate the high school math curriculum and have noticed the positive results. for the first time in many years. We have also updated science materials, reading materials, and materials for elementary school. If you want to compare
086our budgets with other districts, we've changed what we're spending on curriculum. That's a significant investment that's changing the way we're teaching. Moving on to the next steps, we have the budget adoption scheduled for the next meeting on the 27th. Adjustments can be made to the budget until June 30th with additional information if we have anything important new. The council can adopt this budget change. This may include adjustments, which may result from changes in income, unexpected expenses, or transfers to other funds as needed. If there are accounting activities that need to be done, we present them to the board as a budget change as needed. end. Thank you for the presentation. I see board members, questions, and comments regarding the revised budget. Dr. Anderson, I want to congratulate the academic team. Uh, I would say when
087we're adjusting practices because of the decline in description, we have to make tough decisions and we decided not to respond to what we thought the numbers were going to be. We are allocating according to current numbers, as Bellución indicated in past students or the number of students we lost this was a fiscal transaction, we don't have to cover it. staff that we had hired with one-time dollars that we had made in the past. That's almost $2 million that we were actually able to save and refine the staffing numbers. So we think that these students are going to present this and when it doesn't happen we have to change the funds and update the positions at the end of the school year, which feels like we are cutting people, that we possibly had staff that we
088didn't really need. It's something they did very well, and it's not easy. I congratulate the team for creating these efficiencies that saved us $00. Speaking of that, I also want to highlight that our investments in the strategic plan are paying dividends. We all need to focus on supporting the strategic plan with dollars and not get sidetracked in terms of where we are spending the money. We need to support the plan first and continue that effort; the staff and students will support us . I congratulate everyone who is working on that. Alex, I want to follow up. Thank you Bill and team for the presentation and especially for the strategic investment. I was very curious and I love seeing the transfer, but the scale reflects our priorities. Budgets have many numbers and hundreds of pages, but
089they are also a reflection of values. And the fact that we are valuing the things we are doing to increase student performance and outcomes, we as council members know how to protect. So we also need to continue protecting our budget in the future. Thank you so much. I want to point out one small thing. The smallest thing in the whole plan is program V, which we are doing ourselves. This VBA was point one and I think it's a good program, it's very transformative. We probably don't need to do it ourselves. If we can pay for that company with VBA, we should follow through. So, I'd like to talk to Roben or someone else about continuing with that partnership instead of bringing it in and doing it ourselves. That doesn't capture all the money we've already
090spent. For seven years we've been sending groups, and whenever we feel it makes sense to send people , we do it. We're not trying to save money, we're not, but we are doing something ourselves. It's a good practice for those who are watching and those who are looking. It's a smart and economical thing to do when you're thinking about best practices, but I do appreciate your opinion and I think we've sent a good portion of the head office staff. I know that at least 10 principals and the leading teachers and administrators have participated. It's something I fully believe in, that program, and it's a wise investment. I would certainly like to begin by thanking Bio staff for doing that, for the strategic investments. I think it's helpful to understand that this goes beyond personnel, which
091is the largest part of the budget, and we're really focusing on the needs of the students, and those commitments are now and in the future, and more work is coming for mental health, for our students, and those differentiated funds thinking about the pathways students have after leaving the district. These are important chains that we have been developing in recent years. So, we need to move on . I appreciate seeing that in the budget. Thank you so much. On a different topic, I want to point out the slide about the universal preschool program and something that has concerned me is the proportion of students with disabilities in our preschools, and that was almost 42% of the students in our program, and that becomes a point that makes sense, affecting environments with fewer restrictions. So, I love
092that the balance is shifting back to the place of less restrictive environments. Now that we are serving, we are creating a context that all students can learn from because the program has expanded. So, I love seeing the trend, I'd like to keep an eye on it. Council members, other opinions, questions. I anticipate how we will continue to make strategic investments for the year for the budget of next year. Council members, we will follow up on future requests. I know we're going to prioritize the council for next week. If there are any topics you would like to consider for prioritization for Fall 2026, now is the time to add that topic to the list. I would like to assure you that we are prioritizing a review of the GBEA policy that defines a conflict of interest
093for staff. There was confusion about what this means for teachers and principals, and I would like us to clarify this policy. Anything else, board members? It's hard to know. We have a long list for next week. It's difficult to know what will be accepted or not. We will continue with the requests on the agenda. The next business topic is the executive session. There is a motion for us to agree in session on a motion under the revised statutes of Colorado 266 402 to receive legal advice regarding the policy of Charter schools. schools and to receive legal advice regarding current or potential litigation involving civil rights, dismissing teachers, and insurance claims. You can take attendance. Booker, yes. Chávez, yes. Mler, yes. It remains, yes. Rush. Yes. Yes. Yes, the motion passes. That concludes the public portion
094of tonight's meeting. Council members, we will meet in the Glacier Public Room. Good night,