001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Ready to go? Okay. All right, it is Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 and I call this special meeting of the Elizabeth School District Board of Education to order. Can I get a roll call? Okay. Do you want to say the time? Oh, it is 5:02. Okay. So, I have Director Callahan. Here. Director Fletcher? Here. Director Hunt? Here. Director Olson? >> Here. Director Powell? I am here. Whatever it is. >> [laughter] >> I am here. I'm here. Okay. >> How do we do the pledge >> [laughter] >> of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, I move that the board approve the special meeting agenda as presented.
002Can I get a second? Second. And any discussion? Okay, can I get a roll call? Director Callahan? I. Director Fletcher? I. Director Hunt? [clears throat] I. Director Olson? >> I. Director Powell? I. Okay, um, next up, I am going to move or I move that the board move into executive session pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 24-6-402-4F for discussion of a personnel matter concerning the superintendent. Can I get a second? Second. And can I get a roll call? Director Callahan? Aye. Director Fletcher? Aye. Director Hunt? Aye. Director Olson? >> Aye. Director Powell? Aye. Okay. So, with that we're going to go into the other room. >> Mhm. >> All right, it's 6:00 and we will move on with the rest of the regular board meeting. So, first up we have approval of minutes. I move that
003the board approve the Board of Education business meeting minutes from April 28th. Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? All right. Can I get a roll call? Director Callahan. Aye. Director Fletcher. Aye. Director Hunt. Aye. Director Wilson. Aye. Director Powell. Aye. Okay, [clears throat] now it's the fun part of the meeting. So, we have um communications. So, first up, we have our transportation showcase. I don't know how many of you have met Jeff before. Jeff Canales our director of transportation. I've been very fortunate to have him assume the helm of transportation this year. He's done an amazing job, so thank you, Jeff. I appreciate that. Um so, I just wanted So, my name is Jeff Canales. I wanted to thank you for having me today. Um I wanted to just give a brief overview
004of what we've done for the year as far as transportation goes. Um our buses, which we have 25 school buses, drove 262,583 miles this school year. Uh we did a total of 231 athletic trips, and that made up 246 buses. Some buses had multiple and some trips had multiple buses on them. We also did 88 field trips, and that consisted of 111 buses. We currently have five special needs routes. We have six paraprofessionals on those routes and one sub. We are looking to add a couple more paraprofessionals for the next school year. Um as I said, we have 25 school buses, and they are a mix of 2018 and 2024 buses, so they're all relatively new. Uh we do have one older bus, um bus 70, that is a favorite of our parts specialist, so
005we're hanging on to that one for a little while longer. It hasn't been used, so but that one is an older one, but it's not too much older. I think it's a 2009. Um four of those school buses are our special needs buses. We have three that are full-size, and we have one that's an activity bus that a small vehicle driver can drive. Uh we also currently have six small vehicles in service. Um three of them are newer and three of them are much older. Uh we're looking to at some point in the future, um, upgrade those cuz they're they are getting beyond their, um, years of use. Um, we have two maintenance trucks. Um, we have a total of 22 CDL drivers. That includes our bus drivers and staff. Uh, we have 14 routes
006currently that are CDL and we have three that are non-CDL. So, we have two that are out of district small vehicle routes. And then our one, um, special needs driver is a non-CDL but the 14 passenger bus so she can drive that one. Um, our goals for going forward is, um, I'm hoping to be hiring a couple extra people couple more drivers, not extra, couple more drivers. I have lost a few. Uh, lost one to retirement and a couple others due to due attrition. But my goal for next year is to bring back one of our Sheep routes. Right now, we only have three Singing Hills general education routes. And one of our drivers we currently have trained in past, um, he is going to bring back the Sheep route. So, if any of you
007know the routes out there, the Sheep route basically, um, serviced north of 166, east of, um, the church. And then west of basically 13 to the Gopher territory territory way, Madrid, that whole area up there for Singing Hills. So, we're going to bring that route back. We had combined some of those students onto the Independence Sheep route and Gable Oaks. And then the other one is Spring Valley. As you can imagine, those neighborhoods are still growing. So, those routes are getting pretty full. So, if we're bringing the Sheep back Sheep route back, we'll take that pressure off those two routes and it allow for more expansion when Independence gets done. I'm going to probably need one bus just for that neighborhood because it's so big. Um, my one of our other goals, Dan and I
008both, is to reduce route times. It's It's less of a load issue at this point and it's more of kids being on the bus 2 2 and 1/2 hours. So, we're looking to add a couple more drivers so I can split a few routes. I'm looking to get another route out in the um Sun Country area for middle school, high school. Cuz we have we get those bigger kids out there, and the buses are rated for 72 passengers. Those are honestly 72 kindergarteners. So, doesn't really translate to high school, middle school. You can fit two of those kids per seat, and that's pretty much capacity. So, we're looking to um add a route out there, and then we're going to rearrange a route close to town. We have one driver that goes down 86 to
009Kubota, and then down 1721 all the way to Elbert and picks up kids. And that's one of the longest routes by time, just because she's you know, has to go down those neighborhoods there and stop in each one, and those kids are on for about 2 2 and 1/2 hours. So, we're trying to reduce that route time, but that's what I'm striving for, you know. Um we have also uh my predecessor applied for a grant last year for tablets for the every bus. Mhm. We didn't get it because the company we use, Transfinder, they put all of their customers into that lot to submit it. Mhm. So, we were smaller, and we didn't wind up getting it. Well, we reapplied this year, and this time Transfinder only put us in. Now, it's more of a
010state. Anybody can apply for it. You can have DMV departments apply for it, and anybody can apply for this um for this this uh grant grant. Thank you. Apply for this grant. But, our company that uh we use right now just put our name in. So, we have a much better chance of getting it. Fingers crossed, if we do get it, it'll supply tablets for all the buses, parent app for all the parents. There'll be key cards involved and it will be Traversa's complete suite of products. So, there'll be a advanced fleet fleet management system where we can track pretty much every aspect of the bus. Not only that, they'll be equipped with GPS so we can get alerts live of what's happening with the bus. If the check engine light comes on, it'll alert
011[snorts] me live on my computer that something's going on with this bus before the driver even knows where it is. So, we applied for it and we hopefully we get it. If we don't, we'll keep applying for it. Uh Francesca's really good at writing these grants for us. So, she helped me out and the guy with the Traversa helped me out as well. So, we're we should know maybe middle of June. I was hoping to know sooner, but they don't they started a month later this year. So, it's going to wait going into May before they decide. So, we're we're hoping we get it, fingers crossed, and it'll be an implementation process. It won't be immediate. We have to go through and find what we need, order it, they have to install it. So, if
012we do get it, the earliest we can deploy it would be probably spring break of next year. But, it'll be and then with the training and everything else, but it'll be a game changer for all the parents out here and for us in transportation. I can track a bus live wherever wherever it is and see what's going on with it. So, that's something we also reapply for. Um we recently added a a second mechanic. Um and he just recently got his annual inspectorship certification certification. So, we have Corey, who's been here for 27 going on 27 years. And now we have Chad, who's also our second mechanic. So, I we have two mechanics that can do everything with the buses. And Chad's really stepped up and he's cuz Corey went out on on medical leave
013and Chad was here and he has been a godsend for our department. He's taking care of all the buses and we started working recently with repairing and doing maintenance on the Elizabeth Police Department vehicles. So, we've been doing we're been doing that as well and then we it's cheaper for them, we make a little money on it as well, and we fix their vehicles and they they seem pretty happy. They keep coming back to us, so it's kind of our little the win-win exactly. So, um we've been doing that recently as well. Um we do have one current applicant that just applied thanks to Jeff and his advertisement for me. Um he hasn't started training yet, but we are in the process of getting him started training. It's a lot of paperwork process. So, we
014do we do have one more. I know we're looking for three more. Um Bus drivers? Bus drivers, yes. I am looking for three more bus drivers that we have an ad on our district website. So, click it. It's a perfect opportunity for stay-at-home parents. I mean, I I started with the district a short time in '22 and I did it for the insurance. I had time during the day. I I had a second job at where I just I took a computer I could work from anywhere. So, I had a time during the day and I wanted health insurance, so I started doing it and 4 years later somehow I'm the director of transportation. So, you know, it's the sky's the limit with our with our district. [laughter] So, it's it's nice, but it's a
015great opportunity for parents that have stay-at-home kids or kids that go to school. They can take their kids on the bus with them and drop them off at school and get paid for it. They can you know, they can go on field trips, go on their band trips, or watch the football game. They get paid the entire time they're doing it and their kids involved. It's even better, so And they get the training. Yeah, and they get the training and they get the CDL class B with their, you know, passenger and school bus and that's their CDL. As long as they keep doing the DOT every year, it's there. So, it's a and we pay for training. The only thing we require is you you stay a certain amount of time and, you know, just
016run our route. So, it's A lot of parents that have joined have are grateful for the opportunity and I've had I have a couple parents that came on with drivers now and they stepped up and done more in the department. So, it's there's definitely opportunity for growth and it's a great job for a stay-at-home parent. Um One more thing I wanted to cover real quick is we also used 14 of our buses for the Big Help Day. Um we had all hands on deck for that and I think that went off pretty well. We got got them where they needed to be on time and a lot of the the kids all helped the community out. Um we are also um doing bus service this year for Stampede. Um we're looking at using the high
017school and middle school parking lots and we're going to bus for Stampede and they're going to you know contract us for that. So four days of Stampede. So I'll be there all four days, probably 14 hours a day making sure everything runs smoothly. But we're going to we'll also be doing that. We've done it the past couple years, but this time it's a little bit different. They're not going to be using a dirt lot just because as it always happens during Stampede, it rains and it becomes a mud pit and people get stuck. So we're going to shifting it all to the high school middle school to uh utilize those lots that people don't use during the summer and you know, we can be contracting out for it. So it's going to be a it's
018going to be a win-win for everybody on that scope. That's awesome. And um Yes. >> [laughter] >> We are being compensated for it. So this is not something the district is spending money on. Yes, no they Yes, they Stampede is paying us to do this and they're so they're covering all the expenses and so it's it's going to be a win for them, it's a win for us, win for the department and for the income for the district. So it's going to it's going to be a win-win. And then uh the last thing we did was uh the homecoming bussing. We did home uh bussing for the homecoming parade. And that went off pretty well, too. We managed to get all the kids there and we got most of them back, but a lot of
019them walked. And they you know, the high school and the middle school, they just want to walk in groups. So we did get all of them there and I can't guarantee they all got back on our buses, but they did get back to where where they were supposed to be. So We accounted for them all. Yes. They all made it back. >> [laughter] >> Um So that's pretty much a overview of how our year's gone so far. I'm looking forward to next year. We have a busy summer ahead. I mean, we're going to go through all of our buses. Uh we do still have the five that we're trying to offload. Um we're working on working through that. But, we're going to inspect all the other ones. Uh we are looking at all of them.
020We're going to redo all of our cameras. Now, we do our camera system, just you know, check them all and make sure everything's working properly. Um I'll be going to summit uh the uh CSBTA holds an annual um summit, like an educational summit. So, I'll be attending that in a few weeks. Actually, the day after Stampede. So, I get to be exhausted and then wake up at 5:00 in the morning and go up to North Glen to go to the summit for 2 days. >> [laughter] >> So. Um so, I'll be doing that. But, we'll we'll be redoing routes and getting all the kids assigned and getting ready for the next school year. I have a question, Jeff. >> Yes. You mentioned that there is one route that's the longest route. It's like 2 or
0212 and 1/2 hours. Is that round trip or is that just one way? >> That's from the time we pick up the the students up at the Running Creek. And then, the last student getting on. Wow. So, that's So, that last student has been on for a very long time. >> That's a long one. What is the average route time for kids? We've managed with a lot Not a lot of kids having As the years the year progresses, they more kids either drive with older siblings or their parents are bringing them in. The average time I would say is about an hour and 45 minutes. Um my to 2 hours. >> up at school to the last kid. >> from pick up at school cuz they we start at Running Creek typically for the little
022ones. And then, they go to the high the high school. And then, we wait for them. Legacy comes and drops off at the high school their kids. And then, we go to the middle school. And by the time we get to the middle school, it's the kids get on the bus at Running Creek at like 2:30, 3:10. They don't leave and pull out of the middle school till 3:45. So, or they're already on the bus at 3:45. I see. Yeah, just sitting on the bus. >> Collecting kids from each of the schools. I see. And then from that point we're trying and that's why I want to try and I can't reduce that just because of how it flows now. But I can try and reduce how long they're actually driving to get to their
023house. So trying to add a few more routes, split some ones up then I can have them to their location quicker. When they finally leave the last school. And is it is it is it only with Running Creek Elementary kids that it's the longest or does it also play out as No, that's because Running Creek gets out at 3:10. The middle school gets out or the high school gets out about 3:20 and then the middle school gets out at 3:25. So they're still in school with the those little ones are still on the longest. Doesn't really affect Singing Hills at all because those routes are just Singing Hills. So those kids get out at 3:00 and a lot more home by 3:15, 3:30 just because that's all they do. We have the middle school and
024high school routes that we have to take them from here all the way up to Sun Country, you know, all the way down to Albert yeah, Albert line basically. So Singing Hills is a different animal because they they kind of have their own buses there but it mainly affects the Running Creek little ones because they're they're off for so long and they're the ones that shouldn't really be on that long, you know, but it's just the way it it flows that it makes the most sense and especially with the the times that the schools let out. So once we when we we try and arrange the times that make sense to where nobody's waiting. We pick up Running Creek but by the time we get to the high school Legacy's it's just about showing up
025to drop the other kids off because they're at their release time and then when they're all loaded the high school kids are pretty much walking out and then when they all load so they're not there too long. Just they they're there long enough to allow for all the other feeder buses to get there and then get to the middle school and by the time we get to the middle school those kids are typically already out so they get out loaded and they're all gone. So we're we're not there very long. Just long enough for them to they on and get roll called and then we take off. Thank you. I look forward to hearing your suggestions on how to minimize it at the tail side. Yes. Tail end of it. Yes, that's what I'm That's
026what we're going to We're going to work through this year trying to see what see where we can minimize and get the drivers to do that. Cuz I have the buses, I just need the drivers. Thank you. I think you did a good job. >> [laughter] >> If I didn't have a day job, and a night job, Right. and a weekend job, and a volunteer job. [laughter] I think you did a good job. Thank you, Lesher. Thank you. Thanks to everybody over in transportation, please. Okay, next up we have Independence Classical Academy. They're here to give us an update. Thank you all. Sure. Um I had to write things down cuz I didn't want to forget anything. I can relate. >> So, um you probably all can relate. Uh so, good evening board president, board
027directors, uh Superintendent Snowberger, and then members of our Elizabeth community. Uh tonight I rise not only to speak for Independence Classical Academy, but I'm also here on behalf of our families, students, and a community that has already demonstrated its commitment um to the school through action, sacrifice, and partnership. Independence Classical Academy is no longer a proposal on paper. It is a school that has met its milestones, honored its commitments, and proven its readiness. Over the past year, ICA has worked hand in hand with the Elizabeth School District. Together, we executed a charter um contract that was effective on November 19th, 2025. Together, we secured a fully leased district-owned facility at the former Frontier High School. And together, we have ensured that this building meets all occupancy and safety requirements. While ICA invested nearly 200,000 of
028its own funds um to restore and improve the spaces it will occupied, these benefits not just ICA students, but all the tenants in the building as well. So, this is not the work of a speculative organization, but it's a work of a committed partner. Financially, ICA is sound. The school has been awarded a $1.29 million uh Colorado Charter School Program Grant, uh a highly competitive award reserved for schools that demonstrate sound planning and sustainability. ICA submitted a budget to the Elizabeth School Board that demonstrates viability at just 60 students, while already exceeding that number with 79 confirmed and registered students as of today. Our budget was also reviewed by a third party, uh the Charter School Institute, and ICA's budget was determined to be sound. Quite simply, ICA has done its work, um done what
029was asked of us on time and in good faith. But tonight is more than just a checklist and conditions. It's about why this matters. Independence Classical Academy exists because families in this district asked for it. They wanted rigorous education grounded in strong academics, character development, and civic responsibility. They asked for a school that partners with parents, challenges students to think, and prepares them not just for the next grade, but for life. And so, and those families have showed up. They enrolled their children, they volunteered their time, and they placed trust in this district and in the charter process. A vote tonight allows for ICA to open is a vote that honors that trust. Importantly, ICA is not in competition with the Elizabeth School District. We are an extension of its commitment to serve students well.
030ICA is a public school. Its success strengthens the district's portfolios of options and demonstrates the Elizabeth School Board's willingness to meet a diverse community needs while maintaining accountability and oversight. Looking ahead, ICA is not asking for shortcuts or extensions or exceptions. Um we are asking for approval to move forward because we have met all the requirements of the Elizabeth School Board. We are looking for permission to open our doors, educate our students, and continue working together um toward a long-term partnership with the district including a future permanent facility that could serve the northwestern side of the district for decades to come. Board members, the hard work has already been done. The planning, the collaboration, the implementation. Um what remains is a decision that says to this community, "When you do the work, meet the conditions,
031and act in good faith, we will stand with you." Tonight, a yes vote is a vote for students whose families are ready right now for this school to open. On behalf of Independence Classical Academy and the families it serves, I respectfully request that you formally acknowledge that ICA has met its conditions and allow the school to open in the fall. Thank you for your leadership, your partnership, and your commitment um to the students of Elizabeth. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Next up, we have board member reports. Who wants to kick it off? I will. Okay. This is our last This Sunday is our last um restaurant fundraiser for Elizabeth Education Foundation for this this school year. Um Fox's Pizza uh who has been a wonderful partner for EEF and our school district and
032just they're they're wonderful people. And uh so all day long uh they are open 11:00 to 8:00 p.m. They specifically I have to really shout out call out them because I set up the various fundraisers with different restaurants for EEF. And most restaurants will not allow you to do a fundraiser on a Sunday because it's their biggest day. They specifically said, "Why don't you do this on a Sunday? Because you're going to get more." >> [laughter] >> I love this guy. Anyway, so um I encourage you all to eat pizza this Sunday. [clears throat] And uh they I mean and they also give uh 20% of all proceeds that day to EEF. So uh just remember that and uh just plan on eating pizza on Sunday. And they also have really good wings and really
033good strombolis. The stromboli is my favorite, can you tell? >> [laughter] >> Anyway, thank you. Um I had the pleasure of attending a private donor opening of the Elizabeth High School Auto Shop yesterday and that was really special and I just wanted to take a moment to publicly say thank you to all of the donors cuz we had a significant amount of donors who made that happen. We couldn't have done it without them and um it was a it was a great event yesterday. Many of them were there and um I was just grateful to be part of it. Um and then just I can't I can't go without mentioning I had a I had a great um reading time and at Singing Hills. I love it when the teachers open up the classroom to
034invite mystery readers to come and read to the class. So I got to do that this last week. I had a lot of fun. So, um you know, any teachers out there, if you're looking for mystery readers, I'm your girl. >> [laughter] >> Me too. Invite me, please. So, just thank you to those teachers. Um it's just it's always a blessing to go into the classroom and just see the kids so eager to learn, excited to see you, polite, kind. Like, we have great kids and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for giving us an opportunity to to be a part of the story because it's special what what our district is doing. I'd like to tag on to that and extend a thanks to Dan because the auto shop,
035I believe, is open because of you. Yeah. It It was you two. To kick it off, it was it was kind of a in disarray, to say the least. Um the progress in the building and you picked up the ball and you pulled the people together that needed to get it done and and yesterday we opened. And wow on the inside. Oh my gosh, state-of-the-art stuff in there. It's amazing. Yeah. It's definitely teamwork and and certainly people like Eric Spawn, who was our former teacher, um Brett McClendon, John Eberhart and the team at the high school, Corey Robinson. Um I think everyone's pitched in. Building a building under state and I think I see I can attest to this. Um when you have to get the state involved, the bureaucracy is huge. Um and so
036Real streamlined. I know there's >> [laughter] >> there's definitely there's definitely some frustration with the amount of time, but um the good news is it's behind us and it will fully open and students will begin using it fully next year and that's exciting. So And and Dan still has hair through it all. It's all [laughter] It's great. I used to have black hair, but Um uh so, yeah. Um the uh I attended the Was it last Thursday? Ted uh yeah, present presented the new kind of teacher team model over at Running Creek. I think there were some parents who came in there uh suspect, but I think everybody left with my kids not going to be hosed. I would go as far as to say feeling hopeful. >> Yeah, I That [laughter] this is really
037going to work. >> I think I think they did. I think everybody really kind of warmed up to the idea and I think it's I think it's really going to be great. I think uh um the kids are going to probably respond pretty well to it, you know. And the parents were definitely on board, so I appreciate you and Ted kind of fielding the you know, the questions and everything. I think everybody left feeling happy. Yeah, and a shout-out to the parents cuz there was a lot of folks who showed up and they asked really good questions for like 2 hours. >> Yeah, yeah, it was a 2-hour meeting, so >> It was a It was a long meeting. That's great. Yeah, they were engaged, so Yeah, for all you parents out there, stay engaged.
038That's great. See, I can't I can't add anything more to that. I was I was at uh the um Running Creek presentation and the auto shop and both were very exciting, very exciting. So, if anybody gets a chance to go poke their head in and see the big plaques for the donors Very big. Big plaques. But they were big money, so they they deserve a big plaque. Those ones like that, yeah. I don't remember. All right, just a couple of things. Graduation is on Saturday the 23rd at 10:00 in the morning at the high school. That's always uh you know, sometimes people think it's a high school celebration. It's a district celebration and every person in our district that works really um I always encourage people to go because it's it's about celebrating 13 years
039of of completion and that for many of those students who have been here, you always recognize the schools they went to, uh the elementary schools they went to and I think it's important that uh we all celebrate that. Obviously, summer is coming rather rapidly, it's hard to believe. Uh district office typically does shift to a 4-day week um for our 12-month employees to get a little downtime over the summer. We do work 4/10s. And so do if uh anyone's looking for uh connection with district office, it's probably Monday through Thursday and and do watch their doors for for hours. Um but that's uh uh a chance for us to really get some major projects done. Everyone says to our 12-month employees, "Have a great summer." And of course they still do what they always do,
040which is show up at work and continue to get our district ready for next year. So, um just want to acknowledge that and and certainly thank all of those folks. We do kick off the year and board members you're in invited. Um the 2nd, June 2nd, we do a barbecue um here at the central office um 11:00 to 1:00 to just kind of kick off the summer and thank our 12-month employees who are continuing to to work through the summer. So, anyone who's interested, please feel free to stop by celebrate with our with our 12-month employees uh the great year and and the summer work ahead. With that, I'll go ahead and stop. I'll celebrate working 12 months, too. >> [laughter] >> Okay, so next up we have public comment. I have the sheet here.
041And first up we have Maggie Weatherby. >> It looks like the mic is still on. Yeah. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening, everyone. Good. Good. Great. How are you? Great. Um I'm going to keep my comments short. I just want to thank all of you for your your consideration of ICA and our continued force from here. Um a lot of work. I'm not really going to repeat what Jess said because I think she said it all. But a lot of work has gone into making sure that ICA is already ready to go. And we will be ready in August. And the one key point that I wanted to make is that we would really appreciate seal of approval, which is unconditional, and not fettered with any >> [clears throat] >> things that might say to
042the public, "You're not ready." We need to be able within the next few months to be able to market and say, "We are an totally accepted entity within the Elizabeth School District." And we're going to go forth uh from there. And we would really appreciate an unconditional approval seal. We need that seal of approval from all of you. It's so important. It's going to make a big difference in our ability to continue to do enrollment, our continued ability to reach out into the community. So, that's the one point I want to make. I think it's really critical at this point in time. It'll help us our PR, our advertising, our marketing, whatever you want to call it. Social media. We really are we would We sincerely appreciate that. So, that's my one point. So, thank
043you very much and uh we will continue talking with all of you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, and I sincerely apologize for I will probably mispronounce. So, we have is it Kelsey Lemaire? Hi. Good evening, board. Good evening. And Dan. Um my name is Kelsey Lemaire and I'd like to just take a moment to introduce myself and my history with the Elizabeth School District. Currently, I am a mother to two students that are at the Running Creek program. Um previously, I was a student of the Elizabeth School District from 1997 to 2003. In my time here, I attended Running Creek Elementary School, Elizabeth Middle School, and the Elbert County Charter School, which is now Legacy Academy. I loved my education and my experience here at Elizabeth that it is actually one of the main
044reasons that we chose to move back here and raise our family here. This past year has been really rough at Running Creek, which I know you all have been made aware of. So much so that I actually started to look at different options for the education of my children. Sorry. Um I have done a lot of research and I've looked into all of the options that we have available in our district and that is actually something that I'd really love to highlight and talk about is what a blessing it is for us to have options as parents in our district. I know that there's a group of people in our community that are very against the opening of Independence and they just keep labeling it as another charter school. Independence is not just another charter
045school. There are major differences between Legacy Academy and Independence. While Legacy is a more STEM and technology-based school, Independence is focusing on the foundation of learning and the love of learning, slowing things down, focusing on handwriting. Um they are pulling the plug on technology. Both schools have sound but varied curriculums and our community would be nothing but blessed to be able to add Independence into one of our choices as a parent. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Next we have Candy Potch. Hello and good evening. My name is Candy Potch and I'm the board chair of Independence Classical Academy. Two years ago the Elizabeth school board made the decision to initiate the development of a classical charter school here in Elizabeth. A small group of individuals was entrusted with the responsibility of bringing that
046vision to life and I was honored to be one of them. Since then we have worked tirelessly to fulfill that mandate. Along the way we have faced many challenges but I am proud to say that we are on a positive trajectory towards accomplishing our mission. On behalf of the ICA board members, headmaster, parents and students, I would sincerely like to thank the Elizabeth School District board and administrative staff for your support. Um if we are so fortunate as to receive your approval tonight on the ICA resolution, we will be grateful for the opportunity to bring the school choice to our community, and we will look forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead. Thank you. Amber Boone. Hi. >> [clears throat] >> So, some of what I wanted to say has kind of already
047been said, but um thank you for allowing me to speak, and I really just want to say um I really hope you guys approve ICA at this point. Um I have three kids in the district, two of which would be going to ICA. Um and I understand that um enrollment has been a little bit stagnant in the last month, but as a parent, I've been dealing with um finals, teacher appreciation, I've been dealing with field trips, I've been dealing with field day, happened today. So, it hasn't really been on the top of my priority. Um but I have a long list of other families that have at been asking about what does ICA look like? How do I enroll? What does this look like for me? And I've been giving your information out to them.
048And whether or not they've been actually reaching out to you, I don't know, but hopefully they have been. Um and over the next probably two weeks, I think they will be, honestly. So, I really, really hope ICA happens. I don't see a negative thing with ICA happening in this community, honestly. And I really hope that you guys understand how positive this will be for our community. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Sandra. Okay, next up we have consent items. Items 9.1 through 9.4. I move that the board approve consent items 9.1 - 9.4 as presented. Second. Can I get a roll call? Director Callahan? Aye. Director Fletcher? Aye. [clears throat] Director Paugh? Aye. Director Olson? Aye. Director Paugh? Aye. Okay, next up we have action item 10.1, action items. And 10.1 is the resolution of
049Independence Classical Academy completion of requirements. And um, so I move that the board approve the resolution regarding the completion of requirements for Independence Classical Academy. Second. Okay, and discussion. And you know what, perhaps I should read the resolution. Yeah, that's a good idea. So, [clears throat] whereas the Elizabeth School District is author- is the authorizing agency for the Independence Classical Academy charter school, and whereas on May 12th, 2026, the Board of Education approved the charter petition for the charter school subject to the fulfillment of specific pre-opening and operational conditions. And whereas the district's oversight team has conducted a comprehensive review of the charter school's documentation, facilities, and operational protocols. And whereas the charter school has successfully provided evidence of compliance. Whereas the district superintendent and staff have verified that all conditions and contingencies previously imposed
050by the board have been met in full. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Education of the Elizabeth School District as follows. One, certificate of compliance. The board hereby finds and determines Independence Classical Academy has fully satisfied every condition, requirement, and contingency set forth in the May 12th, 2026 approval action. Removal of Two, removal of contingencies. Any and all conditional status previously applied to the charter school's authorization is hereby removed. Three, authorized status. The charter school is recognized as being in good standing and is authorized to operate in accordance with the Charter Schools Act and terms of its approved charter. And four, direction to to notify the Colorado Department of Education and all relevant fiscal agencies of the charter school's full satisfaction of conditions to ensure the timely release of all entitled funding.
051So, um, discussion. Well, I'm excited for ICA to start. I got to have a tour, you know, I think several of us had a tour of the facility. We see, you know, we are well on track to get that place going, and it's an exciting place. I think it's going to be an exciting place to be, and uh and I'm excited for it to start. One thing I would like to throw out there because I know there are the naysayers and there's all of this stuff on social media, you know, the social media fodder. Um because I knew no matter what we said, there would be some on this side, there would be some on this side, so we had it reviewed by the Charter School Institute. And you know, they are the experts. They
052look at this um from a perspective of is is it viable? And they came back with their recommendation that we go ahead and move forward. So, um with that I I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied. It takes out any It takes out anything in my mind on either side, the fact that we had an independent review for viability. Agreed. Yeah, I I think they they've met their requirements. They've done what they set out to do to to get this started. The uh um it's theirs to win or lose at this point. I I think I think they got a I love the I've always loved the classical education model and uh I think that they have uh the the people on board to to make it work at this point, which is really the most important part
053is people that have a heart for classical education and uh to that love the students. So, I think they're I think they're ready. Yeah, I I just want to take a second to say that I think y'all went above and beyond. I think you didn't only just meet the requirements, but I mean I took the tour of the school. You guys did a really fantastic job with the renovations. I think it's going to make a difference in how the kids learn. Um it's a great place to be able to use the space that we have in a way that's going to benefit families and children, students. Um you guys provided 79 redacted enrollment applications for us to see that they are real children. And there were some parts that you left unredacted that had to
054do with why why parents or why families are interested in going to ICA. And I just think it fills a gap. That like what I saw a lot was we're really interested in classical education. We're really interested in this type of an environment for our children to learn. And that it is different. You know, as one of our speakers said, it's very different than a legacy which is more STEM-focused or a traditional public school. There's a focus on traditional Western civilization and the great books and a certain type of learning, you know, a more more attentive type of learning with with less group projects, more individual Socratic type method. And so I just I think it does fit a need that that this district doesn't quite serve in the same way. And I just think
055you went above and beyond to provide extra evidence to demonstrate that you have the you have the real students who can sit in these seats. You can make it work with 60 students, but it looks like you've got even more than that interested in coming. And I did want to take a second cuz folks who don't see these redacted paper this redacted paperwork wouldn't know, but the very last um subpoint for the terms of the enrollment form says, "By submitting this application, I fully intend to enroll my student at ICA should my student be offered acceptance." And they have to say yes in order to submit this form. So in my mind this is, you know, a done deal that folks who are signing up for this, they are very serious. If they are offered
056the seat, they're taking the seat. And that I'm I'm excited for you guys cuz I think that there's a lot of kids who could benefit from this model. And overall, I think this is just reflective of our board's position, which is we want to give parents choices. This is about education freedom. And one fit isn't perfect for every family or every child. And I appreciate that we're going to have this offering to potentially bring others from outside of our district who are interested in classical education as well. So, thank you. I'm glad you I'm glad you said that because, you know, we one of the things that we have been wanting to do in this district is provide parents choice. You know your kids the best. You know what kind of education works for your
057child. We have all sorts of choices here and we're proud of that and we are excited for this to be another one. The skeptic that I am, uh >> [cough] >> I will [clears throat] say I do want parent choice. Um being a parent in the district, um I do want choice. However, as a board member, I also have to protect the financial interests interests of this district. Um and should something happen and ICA um not be able to move forward or start and not be able to move forward after, that puts the district in a bind. Initially, when 2 years ago, whatever, when ICA came up, they were looking at a budget of 200 students and now we're down to 60 with enrollments. Um the margin for the surplus or the margin is pretty
058small. Um I don't know if it takes into account any any unexpected expenditures that may occur. And if it does, it's going to eat into your taper reserve. Um So, especially in year two, where your surplus is about $2,400, that's concerning to me. Um I know the Charter Institute uh Charter School Institute signed off on it, gave their okay, but as an accounting and finance background for 22 years, I'm going to rely on my own expertise. Um I'm also looking at teacher salaries. Um they're a little concerning. They're a little low to to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, especially teaching a classical curriculum. Um I know they're similar to uh this district's salaries, but I I would think teaching that kind of curriculum is going to take a special person and may require um a
059higher salary. So, looking at that, I hope you guys can find teachers that Let's put it that way, if you haven't already. Um on the enrollment forms, I was a little confused why some that list why they're applying were unredacted and some were redacted. Um makes me kind of skeptical on maybe didn't want to see what people said. Um also, in one of them, or maybe there was two, it said in why they were applying, they were deciding between ICA and Legacy, which tells me they haven't made a decision yet. Um so, that's not really a guaranteed enrollment. And then also, kind of the carelessness in the redacting on the enrollment forms, um one of them actually left the child's name on it. I don't know if clearly you guys didn't catch that, but um
060if if you wanted them redacted, I would have thought that definitely shouldn't have been. Some of them, the entire thing was redacted, which seems a little um a little concerning. Like, why would every single thing be redacted in there? Um meaning the grade level, the school, the reason why they want to go there, all the names, the addresses, the phone numbers. Um others just have their their city and state and zip code were there, the reason why was there, the kids grade and what school they're at now was there. So, that kind of threw me off um seeing a completely redacted one was like was was is this a real one? I guess it made me think. Um And then all the parents that completed the enrollment forms had to acknowledge several terms like um
061the code said at the bottom of the form. One of the terms has a link to the enrollment policy. When you click on that link, it takes you to a dead dead webpage cuz I went through that today um the actual website. Um so, all the parents who have agreed to these terms never even read the enrollment policy, which is also a little bit concerning. So, that's all I have. Okay. So, with that, if there's no further discussion, we can go ahead and do a roll call. Director Callahan. Nay. Director Fletcher. Aye. Director Hunt. Aye. Director Olson. Aye. Director Powell. Aye. Okay, next up we have a addendum to the IGA for wastewater services. Dean, do you want to talk about this one a little bit? Sure. Um we we contract with the town. They
062have the professional staff certified to oversee our well and septic tank at um Singing Hills. Um this has been an agreement that's been in effect for a long time, so it is just time to renew that. Um we work with them. We do compensate them obviously for their time and any um materials that they need to meet the state requirements for inspections. So, this is actually going to the towns Board of Trustees as well. So, we wanted to simultaneously bring it to you so that we can go ahead and execute this. At the next board meeting, we will have an IGA on our school resource officer. So, we'll come to you as well. So, that'll be the next one that So, we're just trying to re-up our IGAs that are expiring this year. All right.
063So, I move that the board approve the addendum to the IGA for wastewater services. Can I get a second? Second. And any further discussion on this one? Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Callahan. Aye. Director Fletcher. Aye. Director Hunt. Aye. Director Olson. Aye. Director Powell. Aye. And next up, we have um a repeal of our policy GBE hard-to-fill, difficult-to-retain incentive purpose. And you want to talk about this one? >> I'd be happy to. This This policy is actually outdated. It's It's not accurate. Um we will be bringing back to you a policy, but because it's not in effect, we felt like we need to go ahead and repeal it. Obviously, this is the time of the year. We do have hard-to-fill and recruitment and retention bonuses right now that we're using that are
064outside of this. Um those are determined based upon the hard-to-fill nature of the job. The other thing that's important for our district to know and for the community to know is we are a rural district. Um and there is there are rules that allow a retired teacher to actually come back and work in a rural district and continue to re- uh draw their um uh retirement and work for us. So, um that is something that um tonight has really brought to the district and tried to clarify on our our post dates because obviously you have a teacher who may have retired from a metro area district and tired of the rigmarole that they're doing there that you know, we have a district that's that's very focused and and gives them that opportunity to come out
065here. So, we'd like to make sure all of that's captured in our new policy but we really felt like we needed to repeal this one just so it's very clear that this is not how we're moving forward. So, quick question on that. Um so, for the retired teacher who might come here and they're collecting retirement as well and that's great. I'm so glad that that is available but um would they qualify in a certain situation also for a hard to fill bonus? Unlikely because they would be drawing the two salaries at this point time. It also can be an administrator. So, we have an administrator opening right now that that we've tried to emphasize that for principal who still wants to lead a school but maybe wants to get out of the rigmarole of the
066larger district. >> Yeah. Um but that that is allowable. The individual does have to retire through the natural retirement process. They can't retire early. Um so, if you retire early and then want to go to a rural district, that's not going to work. There's just a period of time you have to sit out before you can come back and work. Um so, typically I want to just clarify that if anyone's watching and thinking, "Oh, I I'm going to retire from my district early and go out and work in Elizabeth." It doesn't work that way. So, you have to have completed the natural retirement course which is certain number of years by certain age before you can be eligible for that. Cool. Thank you. Okay. So, I move that the board repeal policy GBGN hard to
067fill difficult to retain incentive purpose. Second. Okay. Any further discussion on this one? I'd be excited to get some some experienced >> Yep. retired teachers that want to join us. Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Callahan. Hi. Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Hunt. Hi. Director Olson. Hi. Director Powell. Hi. Okay. Next up, we have board planning new business. Our next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for May 26th, 2026. In the board room district office at 6:00 p.m. Same time, same place. Do you have an item? For new business? Yeah. So, um I just want to announce to the community um and the board has been aware of this for a period of time that um I needless to say have greatly enjoyed my time here in the district. This has been an amazing
068opportunity uh to come back to a district and lead. Um I care a lot about this community and what I want to make sure is that um you know, at the time that I choose to step away, there is a transition plan. There's an opportunity to have new leadership come in, that there's that overlap time. I think we've done a great job with so many jobs in our district to make sure there's that overlap time. So, I have notified the board that I plan to retire in May of 2027. Now, people will say, "Gosh, that's awfully early." And yes, it is. Um but my intent really is to make sure the board has time to to make some decisions about continued leadership. We've had a very distracting year with a lot of strategic initiatives we've
069had on our plate. Um and it's really important to me. We're We're extremely excited about the academic efforts that we've started um this semester and the work that's happening at Running Creek and and all of our schools, our distributed leadership teams. And so, to me it just was really important for me to tell the board that um because obviously I think it's important that they begin thinking through um their transition plan because obviously it's not mine to determine, it's theirs. So, I do want to announce that because I think it's important that that you understand that's that's a decision I've made. Um again, May of 2027. I have a year left and that would be a a 4-year period of time that I've been here in Elizabeth. Um but I'm going to turn it back
070over to the board to share a little of what their thoughts are. So. Well, I think everybody knows how much we appreciate you. It just feels like it went by. Just like that. Um but you know, again, you know, May of 2027. So, we get we get to enjoy Dan for another year. Um >> [laughter] >> let's just make that clear. Um and we will work on a transition plan to bring in a new superintendent. Um Dan is going to he's going to stay with us to help that transition um until May of 2027. So, um what we will do is we will go ahead and um work on getting a posting put together. And go through the process to get applications and um and uh go ahead and get who we feel is going
071to be the best leader for the district um moving forward as Dan transitions into his role. Um so again, it's I don't think it's meant to be. Um so um you know, I'm I'm excited about the opportunity. I'm excited for Dan and I'm excited that he, you know, we get another year and he gets to go off into retirement and enjoy life. Um I'm excited for the opportunities to um advance the everything that we've started as far as the educational initiatives. Um we just need to make sure that we find the right person to pick up the pick up the baton and continue running with it. So, um we will go ahead and again, we will post and we will go through the process and Dan is going to remain in that superintendent role until
072we make an official decision on who's going to be the next who's going to be the next superintendent. So, do you guys have comments? Well, I just I just want to say thank you to all that you've done these four years. It's been a whirlwind. We've gotten a lot accomplished. There's lots more to do, but we have gotten a lot accomplished. It wasn't an easy road to hoe. And um there were things that worked, things that didn't, but Dan kept us in course correction. He brought many amazing ideas and processes to this school district that were sorely needed and that we wouldn't have known about without you. So, thank you. Thank you. Do you want to say it's a it's an important time to think about this. Uh We currently have an open COO position
073and an open CAO position. And so, I think it's important to note that that this is the right time for the board to to start thinking about these decisions and another reason why um we've begun this conversation because obviously we've had three executive leaders at the in the district. Um right now we're down to me um and a consultant who is working on our academic programming. So, um it's the right time for the board to start thinking about how they want to proceed and I think that's really important. It's actually a cost savings um right now to look at potentially um partnering with with a new leader who's going to carry this forward long term. So, I'm excited at that opportunity. Mhm. Yeah, I just like to add I mean I I thank you so
074much Dan for all that you've had on your plate. You've had a lot on your plate. I like the idea of you being able to focus on strategic initiatives in this final year and I like the idea I mean I think what I heard a lot on the campaign trail was that families want us to have excellent excellent academics in our district and that is so important to me. I think that this is a great district to be a part of. I think it's a great place to work. I think we're going to attract really fantastic candidates to be able to step into that superintendent role. So I'm excited about I'm excited about what that future looks like. So thank you for your service. Thank you for how you've led us and I look forward
075to this next year. I'll congratulate you when you really leave. >> [laughter] >> Cuz cuz you still got you know work to do. There's [laughter] a long road ahead. No doubt about it. For another year. Yeah, you're not getting off that easy. And I know the timing you know the timing is right before the school ends but you know the school year ends but we want to make sure that we have you know all of the staff buying and that everybody you know we we get you some we don't want to leave you in the lurch over the summer make letting you wonder what's going on. So we're going to try and make this as quick of a process as possible. >> Stay tuned. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Well with that I will adjourn this
076meeting at 7:01. >> Mhm.