001Director Callahan is absent. Director Fletcher here. Director Olsen here. Director Powell here. And director stand here. Okay, let's stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation, indivisible with all. Okay. I move that the board approve the amended agenda for this April 7th business meeting as presented. Order, please. Uh second. Um I've asked that we append an executive session at the front end of the meeting because of some late developing um issues and I wanted to provide some legal advice. I appreciate the opportunity to have you out that. Thank you. Okay. Any further discussion on that? No. You seconded, Mary? Yes. Okay. Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. I. Director Olsen. I. Director Powell.
002I. Director Waller. I. Okay. Motion approved. Uh, next up in executive session. And I move that the board move into executive session under Colorado Revised Statute 24-6-424B conferences with an attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice um on specific legal questions regarding the charter school contract and negotiations with Independence Classical Academy. Can I get a second? Second. And can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsson I. Director Powell I. Director Waller I. Okay. Motion approved. So I do want to say at this time we'll be back. So at this time 602 we're going to head back to executive session and we'll be back to continue maybe. Yes. All right. Next up, approval of minutes. I move that the board approve the minutes from the board of education meetings on 20 March
00324th, 2025 and March 28th, 2025 as presented. Second. Any discussion? All right. Can I get a roll call, please? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Powell. I. Director Waller. Hi. Okay, next up we have communications and we have the patient Brett McClendon here to present on behalf of the high school. Just hold it down to turn it on, Brett, when you get up there. Hold the button for a minute to turn it on. Yes, ma'am. Till you see numbers. I see numbers. All right. Well, yeah, I see numbers. Got to make sure I got my reading glasses on. Well, I can relate. Uh thank you for having me this evening. Uh just a few things. This is uh a really busy time at the high school. Uh as we're getting ready to wrap things
004up, uh a lot going on. That's pretty much what I wanted to kind of highlight for you tonight as we get ready to finish. Uh we did just finish registration uh so we can start the staffing and scheduling conversation. So I just got those numbers uh this afternoon at at about 5:00. And so we'll start that. We'll start that process and I'll be putting things together. Uh a lot of things this week, the art show, uh in case you didn't know, started this uh this evening at the high school. This is also Red Ribbon Week at the high school. Uh which culminates in a dodgeball tournament on Friday. If any of you would like to participate, get a team together. Good. I used to love dodgeball. Used to loved my passing. It's free. doesn't cost
005you anything or and it's free to come and watch. So, medical is not free. Medical is not free. That's what valid. Yes. Yes. Uh we also have CMS testing uh this Friday. Uh we begin that for our 11th graders in science. Uh right now I believe we're looking at uh without any additional optouts around 140 kids taking that. I'm sure there will be additional optouts but uh a lot of kids which is which is great. We really like to see that data. Saturday night, as you may know, is the Stars banquet. So, we've got that. You know, that's just this week. Uh next week, we've got the SAT and the PSAT on the 16th and 17th. So, we'll be uh doing more of our state testing. And um the week after that, we've got just
006a few more things. We've got our awards night on April 22nd at 6:00. All of you are welcome to come if you could. Um, our big help day where the whole entire building gives back is April 23rd, which I believe is Wednesday. And then we have prom on Friday, April 25th. So, uh, and then we have our jazz dessert concert on April 26th on that Saturday evening. So, a lot going on this month, the next few weeks, a lot of great activities for our kids uh and for our community to to come out and participate. Just a few more things that that I'll highlight for you. The auto building is coming along. They are working on it periodically out there, which is great. We're we're moving along there slowly but surely. Um, we are we're
007getting a lot of student certification opportunities this spring with CNA, with some of our Adobe Photoshop, with our auto programs. So, uh, looking forward to hopefully being able to put a little bit of money in the coffers uh, for next school year uh, based on how our students do this spring. They've been working really hard and um we we culminate and this is a formal uh invitation and I'm sure Brooke will be extending more to you, but we culminate the year on May 24th at 10:00 a.m. with graduation hopefully in the stadium um weather permitting. So would love to see all of you there. Great opportunity to celebrate our seniors and and celebrate their accomplishments. Uh, and as I finish, I do have to say a big thank you to Lowe's and Jonathan Glasburn. Oh,
008so exciting. Yeah. Uh, just in the last three weeks, we have had four ovens, four microwave ovens, and a refrigerator donated uh to the high school for our culinary and special education programs. And uh without Mr. Glass burn and Lowe's. You know, that building was built or opened in 2000. The ovens and the vast majority of microwaves are in there are from the year 2000. And uh he is he's been wonderful helping us in that in that program and has expressed an interest to help us with a few more things. And I just can't say thank you enough to him and thank you to the board for allowing him to to put that in their building and and you know really benefit kids. I was in there today. The people who were at the art
009show uh this evening got to have cookies that were baked in those brand new ovens. So uh we're putting them to use already. Probably tasted even better. Oh, I'm sure they did. Uh so really that's it. We've got a lot a lot going on. It's a very busy time. Uh, but we're winding down what looks to be another successful school year and I'm very excited to get ready for next year. Awesome. Cool. What percent returning do you have for next year? What's the percent returning for next year? Staff or for children? Uh, it's probably hard to say. You're just Yeah, I I haven't looked at those numbers yet. Like I said, I just got them at about five. So, I don't know what our what our breakdowns are yet. I know I know we're going
010to be a little bit down just because we're losing 164 seniors and at the middle school and I I'm not sure how many are coming over from Legacy. Probably 20ish. That's normal. So, we're going to be there's going to be about a 30 student 30 to 40 student what comes what leaves and what comes in. Yeah, that's what we're we're looking at, I think. Okay. So, cool. All right. Awesome. Thank you all very much and uh have a wonderful evening. Thank you. Should I turn this off, Jamie? No, it's fine. We'll have someone using it shortly. Okay. Uh next up, board reports. Bless you. God bless you. That wasn't a good report. It's a report of allergies. The sneeze or the God bless you. Um well I'll I'll start if that's okay. Um just two
011quick things. I we had um the CAC meeting last week that I came to and it was very good and very productive again and we went over the um sick leave policy that you know everybody had input on and what we had talked about at our last meeting. We kind of brought that to them. Uh got a couple of other ideas that's now going to be um uh presented to TAC also. And so then we'll we'll bring that back when it's time to bring it back when everybody is looked at appropriately that it was a productive meeting. And then just the other thing is one more fundraiser for uh EF uh on uh Wednesday, April trying to read it through the bed. April 16th is at Jack's Pizza. So um this one will be kind
012of a little bit different and hopefully uh even better because you don't have to say anything. They're just going to give a percentage. I'm not sure how much exactly. of their day sales without, you know, you don't have to say this is free EF. So, it's just whatever their sales are that day, they're getting pretty cool a a percentage of that. So, it's from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. go and have some pizza on April 16th. Great. I haven't really had much happen since the last meeting, so all right. Okay, Dan, you're up. Okay. Couple of updates. Just want to update folks on Frontier. There's been a lot of chatter out there. Just want to present some facts. Um we did have uh uh some concerns surface on our roof at Frontier. Um and so
013we have relocated some of our renters. Um at this time uh we did have um in investigating some leaks uh on our roof. We did have a couple of roofers who indicated they're concerned that the roof may need to be replaced. um that there was some deterioration in the roof deck. Um out of an abundance of caution, we went ahead and relocated our renters, which is our Legacy Homeschool Academy. Um they are currently going to be using our modulars at Elizabeth Middle School uh for the rest of the year. Um we are uh there was some concern at some of the spots that there could have been some potential mold. Um we did do some mold testing and there is no mold in that building. So, we are able to reopen our um gym. So,
014the gym will reopen um effective tomorrow. Uh so, there is no mold in that building. So, we're happy to report that. Um we are going to keep the building closed while we um have a few more people look at the roof and determine um exactly what the extent of that repair uh might be. Um, but again, I know there are some people who have made statements like we put children in jeopardy and I can say by all means that's not the case. Um, our roofs sometimes on our own homes have to be replaced. Um, we just felt like because there were leaks, um, especially when there was an indication of there could be mold starting to form where those leaks were, we felt like it was in the best interest of those renters um, to
015just not be in that building until we checked that out. and certainly to confirm. Yes, we did have that inspected twice. Yeah, actually it was inspected many of times. We've had leaks uh fixed earlier in the year. Um and at that time roofers had not expressed any such concerns. Um the the current roofers indicated um that the deterioration likely happened because of the snowfall. We had that heavy snowfall in November and we've had snow sit for a period of time um on the roof. Um and that's where they suspect that the significant deterioration has happened. So, it was inspected twice by insurance. We actually had two different insurance companies inspect um the entire building this year. It was inspected by the state building department in uh December to determine that the charter school was fine
016going into that building. Um and as I said, we've had it uh some roof repairs done on that building um throughout the school year. So again, um, out of an abundance of caution, when when we saw leaks occurring and again there was some expression of some potential mold starting to form at those leak spots, we felt like it was best um to close that down. So uh, when when the mold uh, potential mold was seen, Cara Gerinski, our fire marshall, felt like it was best because of the shared environmental um, uh, feature with the gym. She felt like it was best to close all of it until we had the mold testing done. So, the mold testing inside the building is actually no more than the mold outside the building. There's actually more mold outside
017than there is inside buildings. So, I guess we should stay inside the buildings. Um, Stars Banquet, I think you already mentioned Stars Banquet is probably my favorite event of the year. Um, I think we recognize children for something that we don't do enough of, and that's recognizing them for character. So, um I this is my third although this is only my second year. It's my third STARS event. It was one of the first events I got to go to uh when I was selected as superintendent here and it is my favorite event. So that is this Saturday at 5:30 at the high school and I certainly encourage any board member who's able to join us uh to come. Uh these are amazing kids. um and to be a stars alumni. Um that is a big
018deal. And so all of our stars, we're gonna recognize some on the on the EF board. Some there's a lot of stars people just on the EF board. I want to just say real quickly, I just noticed today, thank you for submitting to the newspapers. Um the Albert County News posted it on their Albert County News Facebook page today and I assume it'll come out in their print thing soon and then hopefully in the wrench and then news coming up too. So fantastic. So and that includes all the names. So everybody's That's great. So even more recognition for them this year. That's great. And that's tomorrow at what time? It's Saturday. Saturday at 5:30 in the in the cafeteria. Um and do let me know um if you're there because I definitely will want to
019recognize board members who are present. So definitely see me see me if you're there so I know that you're you're present. Um state budget. Uh again, we're at $1.2 billion shortfall this year in the state budget. um continuing to hear positive signs that the state is trying their very best not to impact the implementation of the new finance bill. It will slow it down but not stop it from implementing. There are triggers within that new finance bill that we fought so hard for last year uh that would stop it from implementing. There there is a lot of effort from Speaker McCcluskey um to still implement it, maybe cause another year to be added on to the full implementation plan. Um but we are currently looking at um uh those implementation plans and and and budgeting
020accordingly for next year. Uh so we hope to at our next board meeting actually have a draft budget for you to start looking at and seeing uh where we expect to fare next year in the budget. do want to announce some administrative changes. I shared with the board um uh Mr. Seaff Freed at Running Creek has announced his retirement. So, Michael Seaff Freed is retiring as our principal at Running Creek. So, we have begun the search. I'm excited that posting on Friday. We already have several applicants um that have reached out. Uh Mrs. Sorg has been a a major source in and helping us recruit. Um she's a of course has been an amazing principal at Singing Hills um and has helped us in spreading the word to to her colleagues um from our neighboring
021districts who she's worked with. Um so we are excited to have a a already a great pool of candidates and it's only been posted about four days. Um and then his wife uh Dr. Seaff freed our special ed director obviously is also retiring. The one's not going to go without the other. Um and so we've also posted for a special ed director and also al also have applicants. So um one of the things that we've noticed um is that our applicant pool is much deeper um in the last two years. So we're excited to be able to attract um some highquality candidates. Um and then Rebecca Brooks, our CFO, um we have she has accepted a job in D49, which is great for her. It's a bigger district. Um her last day will be uh
022Tuesday the 15th. We are going to do a little reception for her on Monday the 14th for anyone who would like to uh come and and uh wish her well. Um so that will be from 3 to 5 here in the boardroom. So again um we wish her well on her new adventure. Um and so we currently have candidates that we're screening uh for that position and um Mike Callahan as your treasurer is going to be involved in that interview process and we'll certainly keep the board aware of that process. And then I did want to let people know people may wonder what's going on at at Singing Hills. We have brought in some asphalt through a partnership with the county. Um any parent at Singing Hills will know that traffic backs up quite a
023ways on Singing Hills Road. Um we have uh expanded the teacher parking lot. There's an area um uh off from the um well area that teachers have parked in. We've expanded that with some crushed asphalt. Our hope is to clear the parking area in front of the school to allow some more parent uh pickup uh particularly preschool in that area, but also uh some potentially some other parents to pick up in that area, which will hopefully uh shorten the line on Singing Hills Road. Right now, that line is at times backing up all the way past the fire department and blocking the fire department from getting out. Um and so that's been a concern. So, if you're wondering why did the school district do that, that's been in partnership with the the county. The county
024provided that crushed asphalt at no cost. they had it in their yard and so we were able to bring that over and spread to expand that parking lot for teachers so that they will have their parking lot and that front parking lot will be used for parents and hopefully will allow us to redesign that parent pickup in the afternoons so that hopefully um we can shorten that um parent line in the afternoons at pickup. So I think that's probably enough from me for tonight. So thank you. Thank you. Public comment. Yep. Just one. Okay. All right. Michelle Gazinski. I think uh Mike's on. That new asphalt's great for the um food trucks. That's right. Smashing success. I keep seeing that truck over there. Yep. Everyone's at 4:30. I am a mom at Singing Hills. And
025I will say the scuttlebutt about what's going on here is different than what you guys are hearing. Um, a lot of parents are scared to speak out and that's why I couldn't get anybody here to come with me. Um, they're scared. They're scared of people being attacking them. Um, and to say how they feel about about the school. So, I just want you guys to know that. So sometimes when you don't hear voices, other people speak for their behalf. And that's kind of why I'm here. Um, I want you to know you could put the 19 books behind the counter in the library. Just put them behind the counter. Put them under lock and key if you have to. That way they're still accessible. That ends the lawsuit, but they're out of reach. They're not
026going to fall into the wrong hands. And that that ends the lawsuit. That puts this to bed. It's a simple solution. Dan has told me that the book list, this the sensitive book list is one click in the library portal for parents to choose that they want they don't want their kids to have access to those books. These these could be the exact same. That's what parents want. They want accessibility for the kids that they they want to have it for their kids and then it's not in the hands of of kids that their parents don't want it. It's about parental control. Parents can pick and it's a simple solution and the lawsuit's done. I appreciate the survey you sent out about the cell phones. I will say um but your continued discussions about it
027seem to be over complicating things. You need to allow parents to decide if their kids can have their cell phones, which is parental control. Keep a simple policy on the phones that can't be distracting during classroom time and make the punishment just swift and severe. Punishment that involves the parents because a school board can't make policies faster than technology moves or faster than kids can find loopholes in rules. I think we all agree with that one. We don't need the school board to create micromanaging policies, procedures, or protocols. The strongest planks of the Republican party used to be small government and fiscal responsibility. What you guys are doing right now is neither. You're creating profound government overreach and you're taking away parental control. But let's talk about fiscal responsibility. If the board believes in the
028removal of these books so much, why are you guys hitting the media circuit? Why is he out there doing it? And Jeff, the two highest paid Excuse me. If you read our policies, it says no name calling, public defamation of individuals. Don't Why are the two highest paid employees? I'll just leave it at that. on the media circuit instead of the elected board. If you guys believe in it, it's you guys should be doing it. Um, parents don't want you to take direction from outside influences and everyone who speaks in this room wants parental control. What I'm here to do is tell you it's okay to change your votes. If your motivation is to indoctrination and fear, keep doing what you're doing. If this is about safe kids and parental control, make the change. Okay.
029Thank you. And I would like a point of order. Why was that executive session called when it wasn't on the agenda? We approved an amended agenda, but doesn't have to have to be posted before. We can amend the agenda at the time of the meeting. Oh, okay. All right. Good. Ask for legal advice. I'm just asking. Okay. Next up, we have consent items. I move to approve consent items 9.1 through 9.4 is presented. Second. Can I get a roll call? Director was going to say director. Sorry. Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsson. Hi. Director Pal. I. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. Motion approved. Next up, action items. So, um, we have our third reading of revised policy IHAM, health education. I move that the board approve the third and final reading of revised policy IHAM, health education.
030Second and discussion. No, I think it's I think it's I think it's dialed in now. Yeah, we kind of captured all of the changes. So, yeah. Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsson. Hi. Director Powell. I. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. Motion approved. Next up, we have our third reading of the revised regulation associated with IHAM, which is IHAM-R Health Education. I move that the board approve the third and final reading of revised regulation IHAM-R Health Education. We'll second that. Any discussion on that? Apparently got that dialed then, too. Yeah. Okay. Way to go. We we uh amended little bits and pieces of that. Looks good. Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. I. Director Pal. Hi. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. Next up, a motion approved.
031Next up, we have our second reading of revised policy, ensuring all students meet standards. So, first up, I move that the board approve the second and final reading of revised policy Ike, ensuring all students meet standards. Can I get a second? Second. Who was the second? John, you can have it. No, I got it. I got No, I So, so on this one, we wanted to add math. Um and and while there's no research study that shows that that lack of proficiency in math does doesn't lead to a student not being successful or not being or more likely to drop out. We just added that that um and I will say I used AI for this. So I will confess I used AI for this. Um I did like the way that it came out
032that obviously promoting students without math proficiency does lead to um limited career profer opportunities, reduced problem solving skills, decreased confidence, and certainly lower earning potential. So I thought those were actually really key areas that that capture um where that is. So I think that was the main thing you sent me back to make sure that we weren't leaving out math. So, unless there's something more you wanted. Um, does that did that capture it? Yeah. Okay. Okay. That's good. But I I think the readings improving their reading will improve their absolutely there is correlation there. Clearly correlation. Yeah. And I think you know we heard with legacy removing removing technology from that. I think we'll help get to that some point. Agreed. have to memorize the tables. Yeah. And then I I did add You have
033to actually show your work. I did add the word math to that last blue paragraph. Um so it's more than a grade level below in the area of math or reading or math. Um because we'll look at both when we look at promotion for students. Okay. Got to get a roll call. Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olen. I. Director Powell. I. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. Motion approved. Next up, second reading of revised policy ILBC, early literacy and reading comprehension. I move that the board approve the second and final reading of revised policy ILBC, early literacy and reading comprehension. Second and discussion. Think we through it. Yeah, we've looked. Okay. quit beating it to death. Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. I. Director Olsson. I. Director Powell. I. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. Motion approved.
034And next up, it's our second reading of revised regulation ILBC-R, early literacy and reading comprehension. So, ties with the last one. I move that the board approve the second and final reading of revised regulation ILBC-R early literacy and reading comprehension. Can I get a second? Second and discussion. All right. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. I. Director Olsen. I. Director Powell. I. Director Waller. Hi. And last action item. It's our 2526 board meeting schedule. Um, so I move that the board approve the 2526 board meeting schedule. I or second whatever I short circuiting this whole it's a draft but you know it looks okay. So Mary's got a second and an I. Okay. Any further discussion on that? Does it look good to y'all? Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher.
035Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Powell. Hi. Director Waller. Hi. Okay. So, our next board meeting is going to be April 21st, 2025 here in the boardroom district office at 6:00 pm. Does anybody have anything else they want to add for new business? Okay. I will just say that we will be bringing a lot of finance policies to you. So, one of the things that I have been doing with Rebecca, there's a number of finance policies that are not in the CASBY that that are leftovers that for whatever reason this district has put a number of very odd finance policies on the books. So, we're we're going to be repealing a number of policies so that there'll be many coming forward and Francesca will come because a lot of them are related to grants and they
036kind of all intertwine. So she'll be coming to the meeting to explain any questions. That'll be the next group of policies that will be coming and we'll try to get them to you early so you can look at them. So yeah, we finished. Okay. With that, I have this meeting adjourned at 1:00 7:17 p.m.