001Good. There we go. Am I on? Good. All right. Good evening, everyone. We'll go ahead and get started. Am I Can you hear me? Is it Am I on >> Yeah. >> Hear it? >> All right, we're going to get started. >> I don't know. For some reason, mine's not very loud. Okay, I will just speak up. There we go. All right. Good evening, everyone. We will go ahead and uh call the meeting to order. And if you don't mind standing with us, we will go ahead and do the pledge of allegiance. And Director Jones, would you mind kicking us off one last time here? One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, thank you everyone. All right, we can go ahead and take roll call. Amy, >> Mr. Chavez,
002>> Mrs. Evansson >> here. >> Mrs. Heights >> here. >> Mr. Jones >> here. >> Miss Lima >> here. >> All righty. Do I have a motion to approve um the agenda for this evening? >> Motion to approve the agenda. >> Second. >> Mr. Chavez, >> approve. >> Mrs. Evansson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Heights? >> Yes. >> Mr. Jones? >> Yes. >> Miss Lima? >> Yes. >> All right. Do I have a motion to approve the meeting minutes for October 7th, 2025 and October 14th, 2025? Motion to approve the meeting minutes October 7th and October 14th, 2025. >> Second. >> Mr. Chavis. >> Mrs. Evansson. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Heights? >> Yes. >> Mr. Jones? >> Yes. >> Miss Lima? >> Yes. >> All right. We have our recognitions this month. Um, first off, we
003have our Native American Heritage Month. So, the board has a proclamation that I, um, will read here. So um whereas Native American Heritage Month is an essential opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and reflect upon the profound history, vibrant culture, enduring traditions, and invaluable contributions of Native Americans who continue to play a vital role in shaping our nation's heritage and future. And the Native American community continues to enrich our local, state, and national identity through their ongoing achievements and leadership across education, art, science, public service, agriculture, environmental stewardship, and countless other fields. And whereas District 51 remains committed to fostering a culture of mutual respect, belonging, and understanding by recognizing the unique perspectives and valuable contributions of Native American students, families, and staff within our schools and broader community. And whereas this month highlights the importance of
004education in preserving and sharing Native American histories, languages, and cultures to ensure their stories are understood and carried forward by all future generations. Therefore, be it resolved that District 51 Board of Education hereby proudly proclaims November 2025 as Native American Heritage Month encourages and encourages our community to honor Native American history and culture while reaffirming our commitment to educating students about their contributions and legacy. And then Director Jones is going to um take care of our two other recognitions. Our Chassa Hall of Fame inductee will be our first one up. >> Will Tina Puce, please join me at the front of the room. [applause] Hey, >> Tina Pruce, our D51 spirit director, has been selected as one of seven individuals named to the Chassa Hall of Fame class of 2026, a milestone that reflects more
005than four decades of service to the dance cheer and spirit community across Colorado. Since 1991, Tina has served as chassis head technical judge and state rules interpreter for Dance for Dance, helping shape the state spirit championships and advancing the standard of the sport. She's now the owner and director of the Express All-Star Cheer and Dance Academy, a nationally certified judge and a choreographer whose athletes have earned hundreds of national titles. Her work has taken her everywhere from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Olympic torch relay. Here in 251, Tina has been a steady leader advocating for spirit athletes, supporting coaches, and elevating our four comprehensive comprehensive high school spirit programs with her vision, compassion, and high expectations. Off the mat, Tina is known for her genuine genuine kindness, her willingness to lift up others,
006and a passion for building community. She treats every student and colleague with respect, invests time in developing talent and character and remains committed to the value and spirit activities create excuse me to value that spirit activities create opportunities for growth, confidence and leadership. The board of education and Dr. Hill would like to express our gratitude for the many years of service Tina and congratulate you on your well-deserved recognition. This is this Hall of Fame induction is a testament not only of your achievements but your positive influence you have on student athletes, coaches, and spirit culture across Colorado and here in D51. All right. Well, Alex, wait. Was it Wpole? Waffle. Waffle. Please join me in the front of the room. >> [applause] >> Alexis, a senior at Grand Junction High School, has excelled both as
007a third baseman and pitcher for the Tigers varsity softball team and was recently named the 2025 Southwest League softball player of the year. An honor that reflects not only her impressive athletic ability, but also her leadership, character, and commitment to her team and school community. This season, Alexis posted standout numbers, including a 482 batting average, nine home runs, 31 RBI's, and a 965 fielding percentage, and 23 stolen bases. That also led her on also led her team an onbase percentage, slugging, and total hits. And beyond her athletic achievements, Alexa is also known for a strong work ethic, drive, and humble ship leaders. humble leadership. Coaches describe her as someone who elevates others, always encouraging teammates, supporting younger players, and consistently putting the extra time in to improve. She is now she is respected by her
008peers and staff for her kindness, reliability, and genuine care for those around her. Whether on the field or in the dugout or representing her school, Alexis models the qualities that we hope to see in every student athlete. Discipline, respect, teamwork, and perseverance. The board of education and superintendent Dr. Hill like to recognize Alexis for this amazing accomplishment and commend her for her dedication her for her team and the support. Congratulations on being named the 2025 Southwest League Softball player of the year. We wish you the best in your next endeavors. All right, congratulations. We'll um give you all a couple of minutes to leave the room unless you are dying to stay for the rest of the board meeting. [laughter] So, thank you all for coming tonight and congratulations. So, thank you all for your
009support. Thank you, Director Jones, for presenting those recognitions. So, um, next up we have, uh, board reports. So, um, board, if you have anything, um, good things you want to present for the last couple of weeks or any committee or activity updates, um, that you've done over the last couple weeks. >> None for me. I know I will be going to Aona to do grandparents day here in a couple days. So, >> that's right. I think it's just been so busy the last few weeks that that um I didn't have any committees or anything like that to work on. >> I was at um Fruit Bill yesterday for um they had like a community member um day just like you know what different community members do and so I got to talk to little uh
010kindergarteners about my role as a board member. So um I actually used um AI to um how do you because how do you take a board role and explain it to 5-year-olds um because it's not very exciting one and two like how do you explain what we do at this highest level to relate to them at the kindergarten class. So it was actually pretty helpful um you know to kind of take uh so it was it was a I put a good prompt in and then it kind of broke it down to that level. So, um, so it's interesting to, um, AI can come in pretty useful to think about how to, uh, take those options and and break it down for that. So, it was actually really fun, um, to use that. And that's
011always fun to, so thank you to the fruit bell staff that invited me out. That was really fun. And again, since, uh, I went to Fruit Bell, it was fun to be able to walk those halls again and, um, and see the school. So, [snorts] um, all right. Well, thanks for the updates there. Um, Sierra, we are ready for the D-51 happenings and celebrations. Okay, good evening board. I'm Sierra Hawkins, marketing and communication specialist for D51. Before we begin, I want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our outgoing board members for their dedication and service to our students, staff, and community. Your contributions have helped shape the work we continue today. Tonight, I'm here to share the latest happenings and celebrations from across District 51. I'm excited to celebrate our most recent
012Golden Apple Award winner. Congratulations to Valeia Sanchez. Talia is a moderate needs pair professional at Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary. She was recognized for her exceptional dedication and she brings calmness, positivity, and patience to every challenge and consistently goes above and beyond to support students with diverse needs and the staff she works alongside. Thank you for your commitment to our D51 students to atliff Middle School. Thanks to the leadership of Mr. Jeff Lamble, the school has earned a bike grant from Outride through the writing for focus program. BMS will integrate cycling into the school day with 30 brand new specialized bikes, an evidence-based curriculum, teacher training, evaluation tools, and ongoing program support. Thank you to Mr. Lamble for bringing this program to Bookcliffe, and for finding new, engaging ways to support students throughout the school day.
013At Mesa View Elementary, D-51 Hawks partnered with the Grand Junction Riverhawks, Mesa County's new local hockey team, for a special PE visit with third through fifth graders. Players spoke about goal setting, teamwork, and what it takes to be both a strong student and athlete and led engaging hockey drills that brought great energy to the gym. The Riverhawks compete in the National Collegiate Development Development Conference, a tier 2 junior hockey league that develops elite players for NCAA and professional opportunities. Their dedication to education, growth, and community was clear throughout their visit. We appreciate the Riverhawks for being positive role models and for inspiring our students to work hard, stay active, and support one another on and off the ice. In [snorts] honor of Veterans Day, fourth graders at Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary visited the VA VA
014hospital to share Oops, sorry. To share music and gratitude with local veterans under the direction of Mr. Rose, students learned and performed patriotic songs as a way to honor those who have served, connecting their classroom learning to real stories and real people. The school also held its 11th annual Veterans Day breakfast and ceremony, bringing family, staff, and community members together to recognize the courage and dedication of our veterans. Teachers and staff prepared a warm meal as a small gesture of thanks. A special shout out goes to Carmel Wilson who launched and continues to lead this tradition. The Grand Valley Patriot Guard for their presence and the many LOM families who have served. Appreciation also goes to Miss Wilson, Miss Loier, and Miss D. Rose for making these meaningful experiences possible for students. Steam at TOE
015recently hosted its NFL themed night of family literacy, tackling a good book. Families enjoyed dinner provided by nutrition services and teachers setting up engaging literacy activities throughout the school. Colorado Mesa University's football team along with coach Anthony added extra excitement by joining in to support the event. A big thank you to the CMU football team for engaging and supporting our students. [snorts] Five students from the Fra Monument High School and Grand Junction High School orchestra programs auditioned for and were selected to perform with the Western States Honors Orchestra at UNC in Gley. This three-day festival includes master classes, sectional rehearsals, lectures, and multiple ensemble rehearsals. Students Carter Hansy and Aaron Fran Franden were also selected to perform in featured master classes during the event. The festival concluded with a culminating concert featuring performances by both
016the chamber orchestra and the symphony orchestra. Congratulations to the selected students. Alexander Barry, JJ Franen, Rand Zen, sorry, Aaron Franzen, Carter Hansy, and Sarah Gamman. And finally, big news. Parent Square is coming to D51. After months of cross department collaboration and a steering committee dedicated to reviewing, demoing, and selecting the platform, we have officially adopted Parent Square as our new two-way communication system. To support a smooth transition, five pilot schools will launch on December 1st to help identify any needs, gaps, or challenges before expanding districtwide. The full rollout will take place when staff and students return from break in January. Parent Square will streamline communication, improve accessibility, and strengthen family engagement across our schools. This work directly supports priorities in our strategic plan and will elevate how we connect and communicate with families across D51.
017This is a major milestone and we are so excited for what's ahead. That's all we have for November happenings and celebrations. Be sure to catch up on all things D51 by following us on X, Instagram, and Facebook at D51 schools. Thank you. >> Thank you. That's exciting. It'll be great to hear um that how that rolls out. Um all right, Dr. Hill, we are ready for the superintendent report. >> All right. Well, [clears throat] we have three items this evening. So, the first one is a legislative update uh from Amy Atwood. So, hopefully she is online. I'm here. Can you hear me? >> We can hear you. We'll get your video up in a second, but we can hear you. >> Okay, great. Amy Atwood, contract lobbyist with the district. So, tonight I just wanted
018to go through uh a little bit about what the governor's budget looked like when he released that a couple weeks ago. So, if you remember, the governor releases his budget around November 1st. And this is his wish list of what he would like the state budget to look like. The joint budget committee and legislature are the ones that vote on, create, build, and vote on the budget, but he puts forward what he would like with K12 education. It was really relatively good news in that he does not propose any cuts to K12. He can he wants to continue the roll out of the new formula at 30% keep student count at three years and inflation it looks like will come in about 2.3%. So on average is about $400 more stu $400 more per student.
019Now, that depends on a lot of different factors, but I think he is sending the strong signal that with all the work that's been done with the new formula, but also not having a negative factor, he doesn't want to reinstitute that. And that's a good signal. He's sending a good signal that this is not a place that um he is looking for, the governor is looking for to save money. Every department within state government was asked to cut 2% out of their budget. CDE has done that. They're actually present or that is actually being presented tomorrow to the joint budget committee, but they didn't cut any um any direct programs or services to districts. There was some there's some staff open positions that they are not going to fill. And there are a couple grant
020programs that just were not being used. So the money will revert back. We are looking again at a bad budget year. The governor has some ideas about how to cut um cut the deficit pinnacle. Selling pinnacle is one idea. And then there are others to get back up to $800 million. We knew we were going going to be we knew we were going to be short again this year or in the red again by about a billion dollars. So it's not a surprise things start to look better with the 26 27 and out here budgets. Okay. So with that are there any questions? >> Um so just to clarify because I think it could be easy to hear. um good news for K12, which your your um definition for good news I think is is
021valid, but good news means that maybe we were not going to cut from public education, but um but just to clarify, going down to three-year averaging, that was already the plan, right? So, we went to four-year, now we're be going down to three-year. Um, and so for a district like us and other districts across the state that are declining in enrollment, I just want to clarify for folks who are listening that any potential increase we would see in per pupil funding will be negated by the fact that we're declining so quickly in enrollment. So, um, if you're declining by 4 to 500 kids a year, um, having more money per student isn't necessarily going to mean that we're going to get more money for our budget next year. So, I just want to clarify that.
022And then um do you know I know at one point they talked about putting a hold harmless in there for districts like us. Have you heard if that's still the case or do we know if that's still up in the air? [clears throat] >> I believe that the hold harmless was in the legislation that passed in 2025. I will check on that for sure for you. >> Okay. >> But I believe that that was part of those part of those negotiations. >> Okay. because I and um Mel knows this better than I do, but I think the idea with the whole harmless was we saw an increase of about a million dollars um because of declining enrollment. We're anticipate that we're actually going to go backwards, but they wouldn't take us any further back than
023than last year's budget, which would mean we wouldn't lose more than a million dollars. But if that whole harmless is not there, then there's a chance we could be um down even more um next year. So, I I um I just want to clarify that for folks because it can be easy to hear that and think like, "Oh, things are great with the budget or we're going to get more money." Um that's not necessarily the case for for our district moving forward. >> And that's that's correct. I guess in these budget times, it seems that not getting a big cut feels like a big win. >> Yeah. >> At this point. Well, and the same with um you know, we're going to we're going to pump $80 million more dollars a year into K12 when
024you have a $ three.5 billion shortfall. Like um it's you know, it sounds great, but it it's like pennies when you're talking about the actual amount we're underfunding K12. So, but yeah, I I I hear what you're saying. I appreciate that. >> Okay, that's all I have. >> Any questions, board? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Amy. appreciate the update. Um we'll look forward to hearing from you um once the legislative season gets to kicking off and seeing what is coming down the pike. So um I'm guessing there's probably not going to be many bills with uh with uh dollar signs connected to them, right? They're the JBC is probably going to probably kick any of those out. So yeah. >> Yeah, they'll they're they'll try that. It was interesting this year we still saw even though
025we were in a a budget deficit of a billion dollars, there were still bills that passed that needed money. I think it in in one respect it helps because unfunded mandates, it's harder to pass an unfunded mandate when districts as well don't have any more money coming in. Yeah, that's yeah, that would put districts really between a rock and a hard place because we're already trying to scrge up any extra dollars that the district has to put towards unfunded mandates are already hard on districts, but then to do that in a time when we're already tight is going to be would be really hard. So, um yeah, we'll we'll we'll talk to our representatives and help them advocate for us. So, thank you, Amy. >> Thank you, All right. Um, so next up, I'm going
026to invite um Shannon up and he's has our boundary presentation for this evening. >> Well, thank you. Good evening everyone. My name is Shannon Bingham. I am the district's contract demographer. Um, we have on the agenda an item that is um a high school boundary change uh proposed between Grand Junction High School and Central. I see it on my screen. There it is up there. So, um, basically our desire is to uh, level the enrollment between the two schools via the transfer of approximately 300 students over a 4-year period. We would not be displacing any existing Grand Junction High School students. We would do this one grade at a time starting next fall with the ninth grade um in a target area that is predominantly the uh south central uh part of the district. Um
027we would uh um allow uh siblings to also continue to attend Grand Junction High School if they're currently enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. Um we conducted uh four community meetings over the course of the last three weeks. Um three in-person meetings at Central High School, Bookcliffe Middle School in Orchard Mesa Middle School. And then we also conducted a um online um uh parent meeting that uh actually had about a dozen participants from the area that we have identified for change. These 300 students that we would um shift over time would come very close to balancing Grand Junction and Central right around uh 1,550 students after the change uh is complete. And if we uh failed to act on this, we would be looking at an 1800 and 1,200 student um set of schools.
028Uh this puts us in a situation where we have two large high schools and two medium-siz high schools in the district. Um in conjunction with this uh students that are transferred would be attending um the renovated Central High School. We believe because we're transitioning one grade at a time, there would not be an undue um impact on the school while it's under construction. Uh and we have a $70 million project um in this building that has been well planned by BLE Architecture. It will be a beautiful facility uh very much equivalent to what we have at Grand Junction High School. Here are some pictures of the renewed front facade. A lot of these areas require demolition of some of the obsolete parts of this building. It is a California concept um multi-building campus very much
029like um Fra Monument was before its renovation and this project will pull those buildings into predominantly a central and secured um core where we have uh very few students that would need to leave uh the main building to go to an external facility. Um here are some uh other uh uh elevations of the building where you can see how a lot of the parts have been um attached. Uh in this floor plan you can see um the extent of classroom renovation that will be enjoyed by central. All of the areas that are shaded are classrooms that will be uh significantly renovated, brought up to a 2025 educational specification. These changes will happen on both floors and the maj majority of the building with the exception of it looks like seven classrooms would be um accessed
030by the uh single entry. Um so it would be a significant security upgrade from what we have now. and almost every part of the building will be um touched as part of this renovation. The red rooftops that you see here are places that will be demolished and so we will be tightening up what we've got at Central High School and adding new spaces. So, um uh that will allow us to um again have a um a single building with a predominantly uh single entry. Again, it won't be 100% um integrated, but uh for the budget that we have, this is a tremendous step forward toward having um a single perimeter building. Uh this is just a summary of the program of improvements that the students involved in the boundary change would enjoy at Central. Uh
031there is a two-story classroom addition happening, the new entrance and the new front facade that uh we looked at. Uh new and updated athletic swing. Um the space layout in renovation in select areas will make passing times more functional. uh reduce congestion in hallways and make the master schedule work a little bit better because the classrooms uh for specific classes are located in the best possible locations. Um our timing is shown in the bottom there. We will have our bid documents uh completed by BLE group uh in February uh and uh shortly upon award of contract construction will begin in March. Um, we will have part of the building complete in December of 2026. That would be the athletics edition and some of the other renovations. And then we would have about a 2 and
0321/2 year uh construction program at that building with all um improvements being complete by August of 2028. The areas that would be affected are shown in this map. There are four areas that um include area one which has 28 road on the west, 30 road on the east. It's bounded on the north by um six and 50 and on the south by the Colorado River. Um this is an area that um is arguably easier to um get to central now because of uh the construction of the 29 road bridge. Um but again in general from these four areas the uh travel distance between uh the neighborhoods and Grand Junction or Central High School are somewhat equivalent. So there's not a longer drive created. I don't really see any safety difference uh between the two routes.
033Um area two and area three [clears throat] are the western portions of the Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary attendance area. So area two is the area north of Uno between 28 road and 28 and a half uh with the river on the north. And then area three is the area north of the B and a quarter uh road alignment which is equivalent to the northern boundary of the fairgrounds roughly where City Market and Taco Bell are roughly along Highway 50 there. So that part of the LLM elementary attendance area would feed in its entirety to Central High School. It's bounded on the west by 27 and a half road and on the east by 28 and a half road and again on the north by unaweep. Um also looking uh down at uh area 4 which
034is the western portion of the Mesa View Elementary attendance area. We have area four south of that B and a quarter road alignment that I just mentioned with 27 and a half on the west and 28 and a half on the east. that extends southerntherly into the Whitewater community including the homes along Reer Mesa Road, Canon Creek Road, and about a dozen other households along the South Highway 50 corridor. So, all of those homes would become uh central high school attendance area uh homes. We would uh dual bus this area as we transition out of it for a one-year period. um and then thereafter parents would be responsible for uh providing their own transportation. Here is a verbal description of these areas that is um included in your board resolution uh that helps you understand.
035Uh area one there includes portions of P Park and Chapa Elementary School attendance area. uh and the other areas uh have a tendency to unify uh the feeder systems for Lincoln Orchard Mesa and Mesa View. Um so that is an an improvement uh to our district map uh which will never be perfect because of the number of middle schools and the number of high schools uh differ. Our advertising for our community meetings was extensive. Um Callie's folks uh notified 4625 families in the Bookcliffe Orchard Mesa Central and Grand Junction uh mailing lists. So pretty much we sent it to every family in those areas. The notices went out toward the end of October. Uh there was a reminder prior to the first meeting that went out on November 5th. There was another reminder prior to
036the virtual meeting on November 13th. Um uh we had media coverage at um both meetings from KREX and the Daily Sentinel. Uh we also posted extensively on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on the D-51 stories and reels. We also uh collected some uh written comments uh via a uh a scan me and uh I'm pretty sure that those were provided to you. We did not have a whole lot of uh feedback on these boundaries other than um uh some parents in the Whitewater area expressing a preference for Palisade High School. And um that was the predominant comment that I heard um at the meetings. Everyone really wanted a clear understanding of what the grandfathering provisions were. And because we are acting early on this, families that would like to take advantage of the district's normal open
037enrollment uh policy uh may do so when those windows open up later school year. So that's my presentation. I'd be delighted to respond to any questions that anyone may have. >> Thanks, Shannon. I was able to make the first meeting. Can you give me an idea of how many families were uh represented in the other meetings um in person? And I then I know we had a virtual one as well. You may not have the number on that. >> I think we probably had six or eight during the in-person meetings. Um >> total >> uh total among the three. And then I think at the uh online meeting I counted uh 12 people that did not appear to be staff and another six people that I couldn't see a visual representation of that were probably
038on their phones that were in addition to staff. So I think the virtual was um the most wellreceived um mechanism. Uh but um we have had other um outreach uh efforts in the district and uh we always go to this level of of effort and try to um offer uh information um and parents choose a variety of mechanisms to consume this information. And in general, in my work with a couple of hundred other districts over the last 45 years, I've seen um a lot of parents appreciate getting information either online or digitally, and appreciate the opportunity to participate [clears throat] in a virtual uh parent meeting, which is the one that's be the most successful for us on this issue. That meeting did last well over an hour and there were uh questions uh back
039and forth uh between various district staff members. Um during all four meetings, we had representatives from SPA, our transportation provider. We had our chief academic officer present. We had our uh dur our uh chief operating officer present. And we had um representatives from the schools that would be affected available um in addition to um other folks from the operations department and communications department to make sure um any questions that parents had would be um answered. >> Thank you. I was on the I was on the last virtual the virtual meeting and um yeah, we had a lot of attendees on there and there was a lot of questions back and forth between um parents and and staff. So, they did a great job answering questions. We had a good attendance on the virtual meeting. >>
040Any other questions, board? >> Right. [clears throat] Well, thank you, Shannon. And um again, that'll be a vote we'll take uh later this evening. So um and then the last item um we have is our new Emerson update. So I'm going to ask uh Jen and Clint to come join up here. Um so tonight is really just an update for the board. Uh we're not asking for any action because it's not required in this case. Um but we just want to um give you all an update. Um, of course I've had conversations with y'all about this in the past, but um, want to let y'all know where we are with the move for New Emerson Elementary School. Um, so I'll share a little bit around the why. Um, Clint has some information on um, the
041facilities themselves. Uh, and then Jen will talk a little about the academic um, impact of being able to move the school to a a better facility. Um, and then we'll talk about next steps moving forward. So, uh, next slide. Um, if you remember back when we did our long-range facility planning process, which was a couple years now ago that uh, Clint's team led, um, we had a committee made up of, um, staff, but also a lot of folks from the community, community partners. And one of the big things that was um expressed in the uh long-range facility planning process was um we want to prioritize putting bond dollars towards buildings that have um the ability to extend their lives of the building versus um putting you know millions of dollars into buildings that are already
042have crumbling infrastructure. And so that was really evident from the long long range facility planning committee that if we're going to have to um prioritize where we're putting those dollars, we would prefer to put them in um to schools that we think we have a lot of there's a lot of life left in the building itself. So that came from um those meetings. And then the next slide, it also came out, [clears throat] excuse me, in our elementary declining enrollment committee work that we did. Um so if you remember on the next slide um we had five pathways um that we looked at um for addressing declining enrollment. Uh the first one was around school closures and consolidations. Um mill levy is pathway two um which we'll have some further conversations about um this coming
043year. Um we also had um an interest from the committee on creating more options for students and making sure that we're um um bolstering the options that we already do have. Um and then you can see the other two pathways around um uh finances. So the reason why I bring this up is because this really ties back to really pathway one A and three. So New Emerson is one of our option programs. Um and again there was an interest from the committee to figure out how we can not only uh maintain those programs but um but maybe even expand them. Um and then [clears throat] also there was an interest from the committee if you go on the next slide when we started talking about closures you can see we heavily weighted the committee heavily
044weighted building adequacy if we're going to have to make a decision around a closure. Um and so if we're again if we're going to have to close schools or take schools offline, we'd prefer to have um the schools that have a lot of deferred maintenance and issues with the building that we're not putting millions of dollars into those buildings and we're maintaining the buildings that um have a lot more life left in them. So um and that's what resulted in, you know, the closures of the schools that we did have to close. Um those were RA those were buildings that were rated F facilities to begin with. Remember that Nisley was a different situation. that was a 5-year clock um academic performance situation. So, I just wanted to kind of take us back a little
045bit um to remind folks that this isn't just something that came out of nowhere. This is tying back to the facility master plan and the work of the EDC committee as well. The next slide was just some of the comments that we had captured. This is back from an old presentation we gave the board on EDC, [clears throat] but you can see there were multiple themes that um arose from that around keeping the best condition schools with adequacy to support all programming um and buildings that are poorly designed for current goals require money and upcoming maintenance and are um aren't safe should be considered um uh either way. So there were issues around making sure that we keep safe buildings online and not unsafe structures. The next slide, um, this [clears throat] is something that,
046uh, I shared with, um, staff and families when we had our meetings, but want to remind folks that this is not the first time that we've had to move the new Emerson program. So, it originally started in the Emerson building, which is now where many of Jyn's folks are housed. Um, if you've been in that building, um, it's being [clears throat] held by duct tape right now. So, um, it's but that's where the program started. Um, and then we had to move it, um, to the Columbus building. Interestingly enough, that is where it's at right now, but it doesn't look like that. So, those bell towers were actually taken down at one point um and the structure looks completely different obviously now, but the program was moved into another building that was also an older
047building um that had a lot of deficiencies and then over time that's just continued to happen as well. So, this move is not um the first time we've had to move the program and the idea was how do we move the program into a space that we don't have to make another move down the road. We can get them into a high quality facility moving forward. Um so the next slide um I'll turn it over to Clint. He's going to talk a little bit about um the current condition of uh the new Emerson building and then also the Nisley building where we're looking to move the program. >> So Dr. Hill already mentioned two years ago you remember we did the facilities master plan and and um the current building that New Emerson is in
048rated a 22.7% which is a failing grade. That's the FCI score. Uh that building was originally constructed in 1949 and the last major renovation was in 1970. Um a lot of deficiencies in that building. HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems are all at the end of their life. Uh no fire sprinkler systems or um life safety protections in that building. Roofs and exterior walls are leaking um around the building. Several areas uh there's drainage issues around the building as well around the foundation. asphalt and sidewalks are also failing and then there's significant ADA issues uh in that building also uh presence of asbestous in the building u throughout the building and obviously that just creates a high maintenance and risk for for us to have uh folks in that building kiddos for sure. So educational limitations
049so the the score on this is a little bit better but absolutely less than we would like it to be. Uh the classrooms are small and outdated. There's poor acoustics in there and lighting. If you've been in that building, you know that there's doors that close and you're supposed to separate rooms with those doors. They're not the best for keeping uh classes separated. Few small groups or intervention spaces spased areas are inadequate. Limited daylight and poor air circulation in that building. Also, preschool and kindergarten areas are not ideal. And then of course the kitchen is undersized and functionally obsolete. The drop off area, if you've been around there for pickup and drop off, you'll know that most people are parking along the street. Um it's congested and it's a safety concern as well. So this
050is a a snapshot of the facilities master plan on the left here, but what I want to highlight uh in this uh slide is that to replace this building would cost us um about $10 million. Um, and the total to do the the renovation itself would be about $8 million. The building is um there would be about a $2.5 million gap there. We wouldn't replace that building like for like. If we were going to replace this building, we would do something more than that. So, it doesn't make any sense for us to to put too uh the money $8 million back into this building. So just to just to [clears throat] piggy back off of that. So back to the other one. So to Clint's point, if we're we were going to build a new
051elementary school today, we wouldn't build it to the same size, right? So that yeah, $11 million to make it the way it is now. I mean, the last elementary school we built was Monument Ridge. And I think at that time it was like 25 to $30 million. So I can imagine what an elementary school would cost today. So that's what we mean when we say we it wouldn't make sense to do $11 million, replace it at its current size. you probably would end up wanting to build something like a um normalsiz elementary school today and that's going to cost over 30 million dollars probably. Um and those are bond dollars that we don't have um as well. So just to to clarify those numbers some more and the land that it's sitting on to wouldn't
052support the size of building that we would need to put in. So why would we move this U program over to the Nisley campus? Well, the building itself uh offers better lighting. It's a better layout. It's a newer building, better security systems. You know that we've already put the Viccata system in that space and have updated that. The infrastructure of that building is newer, a better foundation, u modern utilities, updated wiring, and a reliable building systems. Uh, as I mentioned before, the the old New Emerson building doesn't have a fire sprinkler system. This does. Through this past bond work, we added that in that in that new bond work. uh fenced. The the new um campus is fully fenced all the way around the campus. And then through this last bond work, we did some
053ADA or renovations to the restrooms as well to update those. And that building has been fully abated. And Jen, if you want to touch on >> Yeah. So, I just want to remind everybody or emphasize I think more than anything is we're talking about a bad building, but we have an amazing program and an amazing school. It's a bad school building. And now moving into the Nisley campus that has been um is much more modern. Um the idea of what they can do in a space like this is very exciting. I've had the opportunity to walk through the school a number of times with um Carrie, the site director, and also Aubrey, who is here in the audience um this evening. And it's just it's been exciting to walk through and her mind starts and
054we okay put this here and we have this and like our kids will have a regulariz gym. So there's so many exciting things that this wonderful school and program will have now in an educational space like this. So the first thing is modern better designed floor plan where classrooms are b brighter and better suited for today's learning needs. Collaborative learning spaces, flexible classrooms, and shared learning areas are designed to support teamwork, creativity, and hands-on learning. And I think you all knew know that's that's paramount to and foundational to New Emerson. Beautiful outdoor learning spaces that include more green space and an outdoor classroom. I think that's where Aubrey got really excited is when she saw the outdoor classroom um where students can explore, collaborate, and learn beyond the walls. new playground equipment that supports both
055play and social development. It's ADA compliant. The large gym, I already mentioned that. A full-size gym with proper ventilation, acoustics, and storage will um support both daily PE activities and larger school gatherings or performances. Space that allows for growth, creativity rather than limitations from a seriously or significantly aging facility. So, let's talk about that a little bit. So, this new building that we're moving in was a C when before we started the the bond work. And because of the work that we've done already in that facility, we've raised that grade. So, NLE's condition score uh has increased from a 67% to a 75%. Uh and then their educational adequ adequacy score has increased from 69 to 70%. small looks like a small increase, but really what we've done is taken that building from a C
056to a B. Um, and it was in good shape already and now we've made it even better in a better learning environment for our kiddos. >> You want to talk the floor plan? >> Sure. So, this is the floor plan when you guys are looking on my right side um is the original Nisley building and on the left side is the new Nisley um building. That building was built when? I know Eddie just told me today, but I forgot the new one. >> Oh, >> sorry. I don't >> It was in the late 90s, I believe. [clears throat] But that is the new building on the left side on of our screen or of the floor plan is where new Emerson will go into. It fits beautifully in there. And there's actually additional room um
057in that building that can accommodate all the people, all the classes, and still have some room back in that um back area. Um I'm going to try to tell you guys if you look um it says entrance 4. Do you see that on the back side? Not it's above entrance. Entrance one. That's where the new entrance for um new Emerson will be. So there'll be a vestibule there. that um room 128 um Clint can talk more about it, but that's going to be the main office. So, there'll be a main office to receive um visitors and students in the morning, the principal's office, and then I believe the counselor's office on the right side of that 128. And then there'll be some additional collaborative um space there on the left side of 128. Yeah, we'll
058create a security vest to be right at the entrance and then a window security window for um the secretary to communicate with folks that are coming in to visit and then the offices will be in right on that side. >> And then as a reminder on the right side, the old Nizzley side, those classrooms 1 through eight on the it's the south side of this campus, the bottom part of the floor plan, that's where our early childhood center is. And so all of those classrooms right now on the bottom are filled with our um early childhood PK. We have halftime and we have full-time. And if you ever get time, you need to go visit. It is just a fun place. If you want to escape and be with lots of little people, go to
059the early childhood center. Um and we have some other special education um folks that are in the the north side of the old um building, the older building as well. So, it will be um lots of children and um lots of learning and growing going on in the building. 98. Thanks. Um and we go back uh one more real quick. So I and maybe you said this and I missed it, but there the opportunity if they we were going to look at >> didn't say that. >> So there was a question um at uh staff meeting and the parent meeting around like if we ever wanted to expand the program because right now it's one uh class per grade level and so that um north section of building a those classrooms right now are empty
060and so there could be a possibility if you wanted to look at expansion um to do that. We have told the staff and the families that this transition is going to start, you know, really now through the spring to start for next fall and we didn't want to do the building transition and trying to add, you know, new grade level uh classrooms at the same time. So, they wouldn't happen for next school year, but if we were looking at doing anything like that, you would look for the 27 28 school year, but you do have an opportunity there with those eight classrooms up above um to expand if you needed to. So, um the other thing just mentioned real quick. So, we had um we had a couple questions that just to clarify that came
061up at the meetings. One was um like well why are we moving it there if we closed Nisley? And I just want to remind folks those are two completely different conversations and processes. So, the Nisley campus closed because it was on uh year five of the turnaround clock and um there was a a potential for state intervention and so that was closed due to performance. Um but we what was left there is a building that is in good condition and so we've been able to utili utilize that building for the early childhood center right now and then um to be able to move numerous in there. So I just want to clarify that that there wasn't um this wasn't a kind of close ny so we could move another program in there. That wasn't the
062original intent. The original intent was um because of the um accountability clock having to close that um school but having this building sitting there that is in good condition uh we could reuse it for these two different programs. Um, another question that came up was around um, uh, safety. Um, mainly around safety within the neighborhood, not so much the school itself. Um, so, you know, the responses and it it came up from a couple folks, but the responses we gave to that were one, so yeah, building safety wise, this is a um, better building and it's a safer facility um, than the the current building the students are in. Um, we also there were some questions that were raised and that's stuff that Clint and his team will go out and and look at, but
063like um some fencing if we needed to do any additions to some of the fencing that's out there. We'll we'll look at all those things, but for from a facility standpoint, it's a safer building. Um, and then we track [clears throat] um how many times we have to put a school in and I always mess these up. Lock down. >> Lock down and shelter, >> right? Um for activity outside of the school building. That happens sometimes because there might be something happening in the school building if there's an medical emergency or something like that. But outside of the school building, you know, those are the things that we track and I think over the last three years, we had to um put it in to shelter in places, >> no lockdowns. >> So again, I
064we can't control everything that happens in any neighborhood, but we can control what happens in our school buildings. And so this building also has all the safety upgrades that we've been able to do at other schools with the ricotta system and and things of that nature as well. So that was a question that was raised. And then um another one was raised was around like did you look at any other sites and just to be clear with folks so um we weren't going to move a school a school or a program out of an F-rated building into another F-rated building. That doesn't make any sense. So Scenic was an F-rated building. East was an F-rated building if you remember um when it was a school facility. Um the only other facilities we have available right
065now are Fruda Old Fuda Middle School. It obviously would not make sense to put a choice program um outside of uh town there to try to have you basically be um having everybody have to travel out to Fruda and also that building is not in wasn't in the best condition. And then uh Clifton Elementary I think was a D maybe uh building. It had some work that need to be done as well. Um so this was a viable option as um a really well-maintained uh and suitable building for long-term use. And and again, I said it before, but just wanted to reiterate with the families that um we met with that what we're looking at doing is figuring out how we can create longevity for this program by putting it in a facility that um
066isn't doesn't have crumbling infrastructure that we can actually say this is going to be the home uh for that program and it has potential for expansion as well. Um so those were some of the things that were brought up. Um, there were also some questions about a prek program, but that's an a pre-K program being run by um, Eureka, an outside entity, and so Jyn's working with them on that, but it's not actually one of our um, programs. So, there were some questions about that as well. >> And the bench. >> Oh, yes. Yeah. And and I should say, um, >> the bench uh, that was dedicated to the former principal um, Terry Schmaltz. Um, that was a question about if we can move that over and yes, we can obviously move that to the
067new school. And then al also um if you remember the um New Emerson has a newer playground that was through a grant from um in partnership actually with um uh Principal Schmaltz and then uh the Eureka staff wrote this joint grant through the Colorado Health Foundation. And so um if we need to move any of that equipment, we've always also already had some conversation around that. But the good thing is Nisley actually has a good playground already too and they have a lot of green space. So, um, yeah, that was another question that was brought up. So, um, so the next slide is just the timeline real quick. So, we did meet with staff on the 31st and shared that with them. I mean, they were already aware ahead of time, but we just kind
068of clarified some things for them and answered any questions about the move um because there's a lot of steps that go into the move. And then we had our um meeting with families on the 10th. Um, this is an old slide. It says TBD, but we actually met with them already. Um and then we are um uh having this presentation this evening and then we'll push out communication um districtwide uh to families and staff um to let folks know that this move is happening because obviously the windows opening for um right now I think it's open for sibling uh transfer and then the uh lottery process window will open up soon as well. So we just want to communicate with families that um the school will be in a different location um next school year.
069Um, and then all that transition happens with uh Clint and Jen and all the teams to move staff over. We'll we'll probably be coming back to the board to give you an update in the spring about actually we should probably make that decision pretty quickly, but in the past we've had to um close two days early um to help staff while they're on contract to be able to pack things up and we help them with the move. So, we'll most likely be doing that with new Emerson this year as well. and then we'll have a conversation about whether we need to do a late a one day delayed start as well um as they move into the new facility. So, um any questions? Again, it's not up for a board vote or anything like that,
070but I just we want to give you all an update on where we are and then um the community as well. >> I do want to thank um um Clint and Jen uh and Carrie uh Boinger um Principal Hoffman, everybody who's been involved in this process. this wasn't just kind of a quick decision. This was a um a lot of conversations visiting the site, making sure this is a good move for the program. And so um I do appreciate all the work that's gone into it so far. And then um a lot of work will be coming as well. So yeah. All right. Thank you'all. Um so that concludes the um superintendent report for this evening. >> All right. Thank you. All right. Next up, we have um audience comments. So, Director Jones is going
071to um kick us off for audience comments. You have three minutes uh for your comments. So, when you have about 30 seconds left, you'll hear a shorter beep and then um or a longer tone, excuse me, and then um when your time is up, you'll hear a tone and we'll we'll let you know your time is wrapped up. So, he'll tell you who's up and then who's on deck. All >> righty. So, this evening we only have two. So, up now is Tim Manger and on deck is Anna Hill. Oh, so come right up here to Sorry. Sorry. Yeah. Come right up here right to this middle middle desk right here. And then >> Yep. And then to your right is a little clock that will also countd down so you can also see your
072your time. So, >> all right. I don't think I'll even need three minutes. This is the first board meeting I've ever I've ever been to for like 30 years. My kids received a great education. Uh, and now my grandkids are my concern. And I just had one question to ask all of the board members after I say that thank you for all your work. And I'm sorry to see the ones that are outgoing going because I voted for them. But uh anyway uh [snorts] uh we've all been faced with uh throughout the country of questions of men and boys in women and girls sports competing with them competing against them and using locker rooms and and other such insanity. And I just wanted to get a feeling from all of you. Do any of you
073think that is proper? I I sure hope not. Uh, good. That's all I really wanted to know. Uh, thank you for all your hard work and it's good to see everybody. It's good to see members of the community like this showing up. This is very comfortable in here. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you. I'm done. >> Thank you, sir. >> And our final one, Miss Anna Hill. Good evening. I love seeing you all here. I didn't get here early enough for the tears, but I do want to be the postcript or the PS. This has been such a wonderful ride more than four years ago just getting behind as a community and bringing it bringing forward a change in the education and the community involvement with this SD51. And over the years I've considered
074all of you my family and I'm going to miss some of you just leaving. Brian, you're included in this. Pay attention, son. Get off the phone. Get off the phone. Well, anyways, [laughter] um you know, it was really challenging to begin with. I remember filling up the ballroom and this board taking the time to hear every single comment, every single concern, treating every one of us as just important as every student in the classroom. You dealt with us with respect through the toughest moments, the hardest times. you've shared the amazing um talents of speakers that you bring in like Mr. Bingham. I've truly appreciated him and his work and dedication to coming down and even knowing where the Taco Bell was on Orchard Mesa. That's pretty incredible. Um I've enjoyed the parties and the cakes.
075I've enjoyed hearing about Brian's blisters and runs. Um and [snorts] >> [laughter] >> And I'm I miss seeing y'all though. You you incorporated nicely when the new board members came in. You welcomed them in. It's been a team effort and that's really what this community and the education of our children really require a board that will listen and not discount one person that comes forward to this microphone to share their concern because they took up their time to come here and speak to you and let you know. I sorely miss Bruce and I sorely miss Ricky in their own ways. I'm still here. So, I'm carrying the torch and I hope to see just the unity and the movement forward. The the bud the budget worthiness. This is yman's work over here that Mel does.
076I am I am just stunned every time when she's able to make it balance and and bring us forward and continue to pay and keep the lights on. So, accolades to all of you. So, I love you and we'll see you again next one. Yes, we need to clarify which blisters of Dr. Hills you were talking about. >> Yeah, I run long races as of my feet. >> On his feet. On his feet. So, thank [snorts] you. Yeah. All right. Um, next up we have our consent agenda. Um, the consent agenda contains personnel actions and acceptance of gifts and items that are routine and can be approved by a single motion. Items on the consent agenda will not be discussed individually by the board unless an item is removed for individual consideration. Board, is anyone
077uh requesting any items to be removed? Okay, seeing none, may I have a motion to approve the items on the consent agenda? >> Motion to approve the items on the consent agenda. Second, >> Mr. Chavis, >> approved. >> Mrs. Evansson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Heights, >> yes. >> Mr. Jones, >> yes. >> Miss Lima, >> yes. >> And as always, we are very thankful for all the gifts and grants um that we get from our community. And so those are all spelled out um in our uh packet in the back. So, all right. Next up, we have um our two business items. So, we do have a resolution um for the new boundaries um which is the resolution just spells out um in detail basically like what Mr. Bingham um uh read through. So, um
078do I have a motion to approve the resolution for uh the new boundary changes? >> Motion to approve the resolution for the new boundaries. >> Second. >> Right. Is there any discussion on the new boundaries? I think this will um obviously just kind of help um I know some comments um this happens a lot um obviously in the four years we've you know that some of us have been on the board um boundaries come up every year um so we have we're constantly looking at um how we have to readjust based off of growth and um unfortunately sometimes with restriction of growth and so um I think sometimes as now now with declining enrollment people are kind of I paying attention a little bit more to um the eb and flow of the district. And
079so um I just want to reassure people that um we're constantly looking at where boundaries are and what works with our um community and what kind of lines up and that's where Mr. Bingan comes in and kind of helps um work all these things out for us. So um so these things will constantly come before the board. So, [snorts] >> well, and the other thing I [clears throat] would say too is that you're right. We it really districts should be looking at boundaries every year because you have to make [clears throat] adjustments. And I think even one of the um meetings we had a family that came was actually wanting to go ahead and move their kid to central now. They were at junction. So, there's an assumption made that like, oh, people don't want
080their kid to go from one school to the other. But, we actually had some families that were saying, I would rather go now. And um and this is about right sizing, but it's also it's just it's an exciting time. All four of our high schools have great high schools uh in our valley. I was out at um central with my student advisor group the other day and asking the kids for um adore rose thorn bud activity with them and I'm like what are the good things that happen in roses and they just talked about they love the systems that are in place, the accountability um the follow through. They love their teachers and the staff and so um just as we have a great school in Fra, we have a great school at Junction in
081Palisad and we've got a great school at Central as well. Um, and with the new facility upgrades, we're excited as well. So, this will be an opportunity, I think, for families um to be able to experience that that uh building as well. >> Absolutely. So, all right. Without further discussion, we'll go ahead and take the vote. >> Mr. Chavis, >> Mrs. Evansson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Heights, >> yes. >> Mr. Jones, >> yes. >> Miss Lima, >> yes. >> All right. Passes unanimously. All right. All right. And then next up we have just um a renaming of the facility. So um this was just a request to um kind of I think rename New Emerson just to kind of specify it here um to the new Emerson steam lead. So um I think it just
082kind of explains the program obviously at New Emerson a little bit more. So um do you have a motion to approve the renaming of the new Emerson? >> Motion to approve the renaming of facility. Second. >> Any discussion? Okay, seeing none, we can go ahead and do the vote. >> Mr. Thomas, >> Mrs. Evansson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Heights, >> yes. >> Mr. Jones, >> yes. >> Miss Lima, >> yes. >> Okay, that passes unanimously. All right. Um, board announcements. Any anything anybody wants on the agenda or anything coming up? All right. Well, next up, um we have some future meetings. Um we are still waiting for the election to be certified. So, um we have a organizational meeting that will still be to be determined. So, obviously, we'll post that 24 hours ahead of
083time. Hopefully, a little bit longer if we get um we have 10 days to obviously um do that meeting after it's certified. Um Thanksgiving is um right in the middle of that, so we're trying to not disrupt um everybody's break. Um December 9th, um we do have our next board meeting um uh here. And then um the 11th through 13th um we do have our uh board convention um in Colorado Springs um which is a great um opportunity for um past and present or new board members, excuse me, um all of us board members, excuse me, to be able to go and um learn some new things. And then some of us will actually be on panels and Dr. Hill will be on some panels and then December 16th we'll have a second uh board
084meeting. And just because we've gotten some questions about that, just to clarify for the um um certification and organizational meeting. So the the county is doing everything they're supposed to be doing. So they're doing a great job, but we have to we have to wait for the results to be certified. And then once they're certified, then we can actually have the swearing in an organizational meeting. And we have 10 days to do that. And it's 10 days, not business days. So we're right now we're just kind of in limbo. Um that's why we haven't set a date for that. So, if there if we it still wasn't certified today, if there's a chance to get certified tomorrow before 5:00 p.m., then we could post to maybe do it Thursday, um or even if we had
085to push to Friday, but if it doesn't happen by then, then we're looking at doing it after Thanksgiving break because people are going to be gone. So, it would probably be like that 1st or 2nd of December. So, I just had some questions about that from folks. And it's it's not that we haven't scheduled it, it's just that we have to wait until the certification and then we have that window of time. So, well, and as soon as we make a decision on that, we'll, you know, announce it and let folks know. >> Exactly. And part of the county has to wait on the state as well. So, there's a lot of a lot of factors in place. So, anyways, we'll we'll get it out. We'll get all that information out to everyone as soon
086as possible. So, all right. Well, if nothing else, uh, do I have a we will, um, ajourn. Motion to adjurnn. Sorry. Thank you. I'm not even doing it right. So, >> to adjourn. >> All right. Thank you everyone. Have a good evening. There's bunch of cake back there. So, please help yourself.