001Yep. We're ready. Okay. Um we will go ahead and um call the meeting to order and we can go ahead and do roll call. We'll do the here. Mrs. here. Mr. here. Here. All right. Do I have a motion to Yes. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? Motion to approve the agenda. Second. Mr. Chavis. Yes. It doesn't sound like it's working. Mrs. Yes. Mrs. Heights. Yes. Mr. Jones. Yes. Miss Lima. Yes. All right. For this evening, we have um we basically have two executive sessions to go into. We'll if we can do both executive sessions before 5:00, we'll do that. If not, we'll have to do our first executive session, come to our business meeting, and then move into a separate executive session after um after the meeting, our business meeting is
002over. So, um uh so pursuant to section 26 or excuse me, 24-6-424B, the Colorado advice statute to confer with the board's attorney, Tammy Eritt, to receive legal advice on specific legal questions regarding the district's employment contract with Dr. Brian Hill and pursuant to section 24-6 4024F Colorado by statutes to discuss personnel matters regarding the district superintendent is our first executive session. Um the second would be pursuant to section 24-6-424B Colorado revised statutes for conference with legal counsel for the purpose of receiving legal counsel on specific legal questions specifically to discuss the Orchard Mesa pool. Do I have a motion to move into executive session? Motion to move into executive session. Second. Any discussion? Angela made the motion and Barb seconded. Mr. Chavez. Yes. Mrs. Evansson. Yes. Mrs. Heights. Yes. Mr. Jones. Yes. Miss Lima. Yes.
003I do need to stipulate sorry for the first session to discuss uh Dr. Hill's contract. Present in the executive session will be myself, director Jones, director Lima, Director Chavez, Director Evansson, and Tammy Erit. And then for the pool discussion, it will be myself, Director Jones, Director Lima, Director Chavez, Director Evansson, Dr. Hill, Tammy Erit, Clint Garcia, and Melanie Trillo. just so it's clear who will be attending each session. So all right, we will now move in to our room. stand up here more often, Dan. Very good. All right. Well, um sorry for the delay. We had an executive session meeting prior to this. So, we appreciate um everyone's patience. Um we will uh go ahead and uh do the pledge of allegiance. After the pledge of allegiance, we um sit down and we have a
004moment of silence. And then after that we'll do roll call. So if you can stand with all of us, we are going to go ahead and do our pledge of allegiance. And Director Jones, do you mind kicking us off? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty andice for all. All right. Thank you very much. Uh, we can go ahead and do roll call. Mr. Chavez here. Mrs. Evansson here. Mrs. Heights here. Mr. Jones here. Ms. Lima here. All righty. Do I have a motion to approve meeting minutes um from December 12th, 2023 and December 19th, 2023 meetings? Motion to approve the meeting minutes. Second, Mr. Chavez, yes. Mrs. Evansson, yes. Mrs. Heights, yes. Mr. Jones, yes.
005Miss Lima, yes. All right. And now the fun part of our meeting is our recognitions. So up first we have the All State Jazz Band that um Director Evansson, do you have both of those? Oh, wait, hold on. Okay. All right. Director Lima will be presenting um All State Jazz Band and All State Orchestra. We'll start with band first. Would Evan Edwards, Max Warren, and director Lyndon Marshall please join me at the front. Every year, students within District 51's music program invest hours of dedication to perfect their craft and showcase their passion for music. Each year, the band directors of D51 nominate exceptional students to participate in auditions for the Allstate Jazz Band. The annual All-State Jazz Band Festival is an opportunity for the most talented high school jazz musicians in Colorado to gather in
006one place. Evan and Max were both recognized as standout performers during their auditions since securing one of the less than 20 spots in the 2024 All-State Jazz Band. Evan and Max are exemplary representatives of the highest musical talent from across the state and will showcase that talent during Jazzband Festival scheduled to take place in Colorado Springs at the end of the month. The board of education and Superintendent Hill would like to recognize Evan and Max for their outstanding work and congratulate them on this accomplishment. [Applause] Yes. And just as a reminder, Cali will be taking your picture at the end. So, um, so pause after your recognition so we can get the photo, please. Orchestra. Yep. Okay. with the students and directors involved in this year's All State Orchestra. Please join me at the front
007or all both of [Applause] you. The arts play crucial. Is it working? No. Is it working? I don't think so. Oh, now it is special touch. There we go. All right. The arts play a crucial role in a well-rounded education. District 51 takes pride in fostering students involvement and excellence in the arts, including music to instill lifelong skills like problem solving, creativity, and collaborative teamwork. This year, four students from district 51 showcased their passion for music. qualifying for the All-State Orchestra Festival, which will be held in Fort Collins at the beginning of February. Students in the arts dedicate time and energy both in and out of school to prepare for this event, this event, including participating, including practicing for navigating a challenging audition process. Being recognized among the most talented musicians in the state is
008a prestigious accomplishment for them. The board of education and superintendent Hill would like to congratulate our 2324 all state orchestra participants from Fruit of Monument Director Rachel. Help me with the last name. Lavity. Thank you. uh Lindseay [Applause] Gammon and from Grand Junction director Nicole Roose, Nicole Nicholas Barry and Emily [Applause] Larson. She's gonna get you and everyone's here. Yes. All right. [Applause] Yes. Next, if we could have the students and directors involved in this year's All State Choir and Jazz Choir please join me at the front of the room. [Applause] The music program in district 51 continues to stand out as one of the most accomplished in the state. Students and their directors devote extensive hours to practice and performances throughout the year, earning them this well-deserved recognition. Selection to the All-State Choir and
009Jazz Choir represents the highest caliber of high school singers in Colorado. The audition process is rigorous, requiring students to showcase various skills and techniques at their highest level. This year, 18 students from district 51 have qualified for the All State Choir and two for the All State Jazz Choir Festival scheduled to take place this February 8th through 10th in Denver. The board of education and superintendent Hill take great pride in these students who have been named to the 2023 2024 Allstate Choir. Congratulations to you all and your choir directors on this outstanding achievement. First, we're going to start with Central High School with director Ma uh Matthew Coronado. Central High School is represented by Addison Kaine, [Applause] Sophia Johnson, Robert King, Congratulations. Charisma Murphy, I love your Megan. Nope. Am I squishing? And that would
010be it from Central High School. Congratulations. Great job. Fruit of Monument is represented by director Aaron Marino, Megan Davis, No. Britain Hovland, Abigail Johnson and Lauren Scott. Set these behind you. So, sorry. Excuse me. My apologies. I'm new at this. Okay. Next will be Grand Junction represented by Director Brad Hirs. Our members from Grand Junction are Nicholas Barry, [Applause] Sam Gdat, [Applause] I'm glad you're here. Congratulations, Sam. Okay. Emily Larson, Gracelyn Stone, and Josie [Applause] Wyn. Next will be Palisade, represented by director Matt [Applause] Doy, Solomon Brown, [Applause] Give me a second. There's a lot of you. Should have had an assistant. Evan Edwards. Congratulations. Serena Flanigan, Jane Pitcher, and Olivia Sanchez. Our jazz choir participants are also Jane Pitcher from Palisade High School and Olivia Sanchez from Palisade High School. If you'll all hang
011around for Miss Kelly, would you like for them to do it outside or in here? Okay, if you guys will meet her outside, she'll take your group photos outside. Congratulations to you all. [Applause] All right. Um, next up, sorry. Next up, we have the state national qualifiers. Um, wait, is that what you have, Director Jones? Uh, I have Yeah. State competition for Legos. The third place finish. Okay, you can. Yeah, go ahead and do that first. Oh, somebody first. No, you're good. Go ahead. With the students and coaches with the Mesa View Chickenhawks team, please join me at the front of the room. Tonight, we are excited to celebrate the achievements of district 51 students in the first recent Lego League state champ competition held in Denver. With over 50 students participating on six robotics
012teams, our district demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication. This year marked a historic moment in recent D51 history. As for the first time, two of our teams secured a top three finish as a compet in at the competition. A testament to hard work and innovative spirit of our students. Recognizing the challenge of limited limited spots on the Lego League teams and the absence of this opportunity in every school, Lego League team sponsor and D51 teacher Liz Fitzpat Liz Fitzgerald took an innovative to establish took the I'm sorry, excuse me, took the initiative to establish a community team. This inclusive platform welcomed elementary and middle school students from across D51, ensuring that every student had a chance to participate in the legal league competition. The success of this community team was evident in the first legal Lego
013League Challenge competition and in mid- November where they earned a spot in the state championship. The team then went on to secure an impressive third place in the judges award category at the state competition and was recently awarded the opportunity to compete at the national tournament a tremendous honor. These achievements go ahead. These achievements highlight not only the talent and critical skills developed by these students, but also the dedication and collaborative spirit fostered by Liz Fitzgerald. The board of education and superintendent Hill want to congratulate the chicken hawks on their third place state finish. Your accomplishments reflect the excellence in innovation that define our district. We look forward to watching you continue success as you head to the national competition. [Applause] Mr. Ryer Day. Oh, hello. How you doing? Doing all right. Have a good
014day. Connor Day. Hello. [Applause] Holden Gonzalez, Georgiana Jurgens, Aiden Lawson, and Kenan Richmond. And their coach is Marty Fitzgerald. Congratulations. Get your pictures. Ready? Show me your certificates. One, two, three. Awesome. Thank you guys. All righty. And the award for best shirt at a schoolboard conference goes to I'm Just kidding. All right. Would Evan Edwards, Max Warren, director Lind Lynon Marshall, please join me at the front? They here. Wait, is that mine? That's not mine. That's not You already win. All right, take two. Will the students and coaches of the new Emerson innovators please join me at the front of the room? [Applause] During their first Lego League state competition, the new New Emerson Innovators had remarkable success achieving first place in the judges award for the potent for their potential and project that of
015their project that had impact on the mental health of the community. During the state competition, students showcase their talents in the following four key areas. Robot design, robot game, programming the robot to accomplish certain goals within 2.5 minutes, core values like character counts and innovation and innovation project. Newerson won a judges award in their innovation project which was aligned with the year the year yearly theme of arts and technology. Their project demonstrated a unique approach to education by introducing a student-led lunchtime theater program or clap. Consistently dedicated to fostering innovation and providing enriching experiences. Our D-51 STEM program witnessed these students showcasing their passion for STEM with dedication, creativity, and positive reputation of representation of our school community. These students exemplified the excellence of our program. The board of education and superintendent Hill would like
016to congratulate the new Emerson innovators on this achievement and recognize them for their hard work and academic excellence. Congratulations to the for this welldeserved recognition. All right. Their coaches are Amelia Amelia Marquez, Teresa Fronack, Miranda Bailey. Their team member mentor is Jesse Wilbert Wilbert, uh Jaye Dolan, and then she's a community volunteer coach. [Applause] All righty. Mr. Max Begley Bagley, Luke Begley, [Applause] Talia Connley, Azariah Dolan, Landon Frame, Parker Larson, and Julia Steven. Congratulations. I think it's right here. Okay, let's get it real fast. Wonderful. Thank you. Congratulations. All right. Uh, last but not least, we have the state national qualifiers for quiz bowl. First and third place, first and third places, and director Chavez is going to be presenting those. Hello. Would uh coach Shakra and the Grand Junction High School academic AM teams
017please join me up front, please? [Applause] Under the dedicated leadership of Coach Sean, the Grand Junction High School academic teams continue to shine, achieving success at the state national qualifier for quizbo for quizbow in December. Both the A and B team showcased their intellect with the A team claiming the top spot and the B team securing the commenable third place during the competition. These results earned both teams a chance to compete in high school national championships in Atlanta, Georgia during the Memorial Day weekend. This competition brought the top four teams from across the state to compete head-to-head. The Grand Junction High School A team went undefeated throughout the tournament, shining a bright light on the depth of talent within our district. With season experience with previous national tournaments, the A team demonstrate exceptional knowledge strategy.
018You hit it. Obvious microphone's not 18. Uh demonstrate exceptional knowledge, strategy, navigating intense rounds with tremendous composure. Even with the limited national tournament experience, the D the B team consistently displayed poise and composure throughout the tournament. Their impressive comeback victory against Stargate Charter in addition to their performances against our A team and Alamosa in the second place match highlighted their resilience and competitive spirit. The board of education and superintendent Hill would like to recognize the members of the Grand Junction High School academic teams and congratulate them on the first and third place state national qualifier titles. Maline [Applause] Kowski. Did I give you two of them? He's not here. Sam Gudat, [Applause] Jameson Whiteford, [Applause] Neil Scott, Eric Turllo, [Applause] Stuart Collins, [Applause] Anna Stone Ewing. [Applause] Thank you [Applause] guysid on three. Hey, there
019we go. [Applause] Congratulations. We'll give everybody a couple minutes to file out of the room before we move forward. So, it's exciting to have student recognitions. Yeah, there's a lot of seats now available for anybody who'd like to I guess board members, I know sometimes we have a lot of recognition. So, I do wonder if sometimes maybe a couple of us should go up and help one another like what while one is speaking with the microphone, the other one can hand it out. So, let's maybe let's make a note of that when we have a handful of them because it just it's hard to hold the microphone and do Thanks for bringing me in. Well, I've done it before, too, and I've realized Yeah, you have you only have two hands. So, all right, just
020help me remember that and we'll we'll try to help each other out when we have lots of recognitions. So, all right, moving forward. Uh thank you, uh directors for doing all of those recognitions. Um next up, we have our board reports. So, um just like uh we encourage our students to share good things um through the capturing kids hearts in their classrooms. Um each day, the board emulates the same thing. So, board members, are there any good things you'd like to share? whether it's board related or not. Director Jose Chavez and I have had an opportunity to go out to some of the schools in the community. Um I think it was about a week and a half, two weeks ago, we had an opportunity to come here to go over to the R5 side
021and we had an opportunity to see the the outdoor wilderness program was here at the time. The or the outdoor wilderness learning program from Gateway. They were here and they were kind of getting an idea of things that were going on over in the greenhouse here. Um, and they have quite a bit of lettuce over there that's growing. So, if you need a salad, it's really great program going on over there right now. And, um, then we had an opportunity, one of the security officers, uh, Rob Barker took us through the summit side. And, uh, then if you want to talk a little bit about, um, Chapita, I really like Summit. I think the amount that they're the care they're taking of the children there are are is exceptional. the principal did not have time
022to speak with us because he was dealing with an issue and I really appreciate that he didn't uh that he took time to just tell us hi I got a I have a child I have to deal with and that was his first priority and I appreciated that. I also want to say that uh I had the honor of going to the Keys performance interview uh Friday and that uh hands off. I mean applauds to Sher Taylor for all all that she did and I got to listen to Palisade and Central High School youth. Uh they were totally amazing. There was one young lady that's 19 uh went through the keys program in one year to be able to get it done because she couldn't she was going back back and forth uh from house
023to another country coming back and she did it all in one year. She is exceptionally bright young lady and all of them were just very smart young people that wanted to do something that just regular school didn't quite fit. And I appreciate that this district has an alternative that kids can go to and be able to be successful at and graduate. I was really impressed by it. To kind of caveat off that, um, Director Jones and I had the opportunity to sit on the afternoon um KP program and uh we had Grand Junction and um the last young lady was was she central? Uh, we had Grand Junction, Grand River, and Grand River. Grand Junction and Grand River Academy. um they were very impressive, well put together. There's a lot of effort that goes into
024those programs. So, the the last young lady um she's she's actually she's had a lot of stuff going on in her life, but she's actually a junior and she was able to complete the program just due to a lot of stuff that's going on in her life and you know the the um route that she's moving, but she'll actually be walking this May as well with her class. So, it's absolutely fabulous. We also had an opportunity to visit was it Chapita Elementary as well. Um the one thing that I have to say is like I I appreciate that we were able to walk in and just touch base with the administrators and they're just so welcoming and taking us through, you know, and taking the opportunity to show us all their classroom and their special
025programs and we just really appreciate the the opportunity to be able to do that. And we thank Dr. Hill for giving us the freedom to be able to do that. Um, and just super thankful for the administrators that are taking the time to, you know, talk to us and tell us about the special programs that they have going on in their schools and introducing us to their staff and their students. It's great. That's super exciting. I'm glad to hear you guys are getting out to tour some of the schools. I think when we sit here to have to make decisions, it's different when you've you're putting um a face to, you know, the teachers and the staff that are in a building when we're when we're making decisions here. So, that's awesome. and I know
026they love to show off their schools which is always great. So, um just real briefly, I attend I'm on the Colorado Association of School Board Board of Directors for this region and I we had our board retreat and our first meeting this last weekend. So, I left early Friday morning and didn't get back until later Sunday evening uh because the retreat was over in Colorado Springs. But, um it was a really good retreat. Um I'm going to sit on the um like I don't have enough to do. Um I I'm on a a committee for the uh legis legislative resolutions committee and I'll tell you that CASBY is wanting to take a bit more of a proactive stance on presenting uh legislation um you know to to our legislators that would be beneficial um instead
027of sometimes we tend to uh just have to react to legislation that comes down the pike. Um, for instance, sometimes, um, the legislation that comes out is actually a bit redundant because as elected officials as board members, we're already putting a lot of those things into place per policy. And so, I think we're just working on um, bridging that gap to let our legislators know um, that we're doing some of this work already. And I just have to give a shout out to our local representatives um, you know, Representative Tager, Soer um, and Representative Rich. they they are actually very proactive to reach out to um the district in all matters education to figure out what is helpful when they go back over um to to serve in their sessions. So anyways, I will keep
028obviously the board apprised of things that um come about and um I will take you or I will tell you that uh the CASBY board did take um a position of opposition against um I can't remember the exact house bill, but there's one coming out about books and libraries and um we took the CASBY board took a majority position against it because um it was pretty robust um the what they were going to require districts to do to qualify books coming in. Um that would actually have put one we already meter exceed what we're doing as far as the book review, but it would have been a real um burden on rural districts. Um so we expect that they will take an amendment to that language and a lot of times you can't amend um
029the language until the bill is introduced. So I'll keep you apprised of that. Um, and the only reason we took the, you know, we know that the intent of it was probably well meant, but a lot of times, you know, in these bills, it's it's the procedure. It's the how-to that can become the burden. The other challenge, too, is I don't know that they had actually reached out to any school districts because we already have a lot of this information in our policies. So, to put it into law seemed redundant. Um, but it could potentially go to the voters. Um, uh, or excuse me, it could potentially go before the legislature and we could see what happens with that. So, um, I will send that information out to the board on those House and Senate
030bills that are are coming up. But that was the only one that Casby took a position on because we felt it put an extra burden on some of our u more rural districts because they literally don't have the manpower to do um the the the committees and the screenings that um this bill was proposing for those things. So um and that was it. It was a good meeting. So do you mind if I add something to that? I was going to save this for the open discussion at the end, but I know sometimes after public comment a lot of people leave. So, I guess since we have as many people here as we do right now, um, so I challenge our community to get out there and take a look at the Colorado General Assembly
031and really educate yourselves on the things that are coming down the line because there are a lot of opportunities if you disagree or if you agree um, to go online and have an opportunity to actually testify or to send in written testimony. So, you know, a lot of these things are coming down the pipe and we're seeing them and um like President Height said, you know, we're already doing a lot of this, but this might affect other school districts in a different way. Um today, I happen to be reading um an article and it's from a teacher named Katie Lebig, and she works at Edwards Elementary School in Eagle County, and she states, "Our greatest hope is that our legislators understand that our schools are struggling." And then it goes on to say who she
032is. It says those of us that are in classrooms are working even harder than we ever have. This workload is exacerbated by rising student needs, unfilled positions and substitute shortages. We hope that the legislative session will not result in more unfunded mandates that do little to support our students and create more busy work for the already overworked educators we have. We do not need legislators to tell us how to do our jobs. We need them to fund our schools adequately so we can address the needs of our students. So, I feel like that's something that's that all of you feel here in this room and if it's something that you feel strongly about, go to the legislative site, be looking at these things that are coming down the pipeline because in the end, they're going
033to affect you. Um, thank you, Director Evansson. I I did find it's um it's Senate Bill 24-049 and it's content of material in libraries. Um, and you can read the bill if you go to Colorado Secretary of State. you can search for any bill and um and read about it. So, uh again, it was it was pretty cumbersome um for uh for just for for a lot of our districts across the state. Um so, anyways, the other one I think as boards we need to be aware of is House Bill 24-1073, which is an independent ethics commission jurisdiction. Um which I think actually um puts an a burden on school boards. Um, and so we'll just see. Again, a lot of these will be introduced and then we'll have to see where those come uh
034where they come through. And then actually, Representative Tiger introduced, he was one partner in House Bill 24-1044, which is the additional PAR um service retirees for schools. Um, and so they are trying to work with PAR. So after some of our teachers um retire um we we can only utilize those teachers in a certain capacity um after they have retired and we're looking at maybe broad uh asking parrot abroad in that so that we can bring back um retired teachers who might be able to help as far as more substituting or even um long-term subs. um just again trying to think outside the box when we have a teacher shortage and if we've got qualified people who can come back and help um we're just trying to work with PAR to make that advantageous um
035for both. So um so anyways that those are just a few to name um but we'll we'll keep you apprised of that. Um and I yeah maybe um maybe we can think about a way to put some things on the maybe I'll just post about it. I don't know how we could make our community more um aware of some of these bills that are coming about because I think you know we have really great representatives but I do worry sometimes how um decisions that are made in Denver they don't actually think about sometimes you know our areas and how it may affect us. So um we we can kind of discuss maybe what that looks like to keep our community apprised. So, anyways, not to I know talking about House bills is depressing, but um
036and and laws, but anyways, um it was a great meeting. Um we have a great uh board of directors for the CASBY board and um I'm very excited to sit on the legislative resolutions committee and so I'll bring you guys all those updates. Any other good things? Um Dr. Hill and I got the privilege to uh do the uh Martin Luther King celebration downtown and I got to read the proclamation and Dr. Hill got to read one. Want to thank uh Black Citizen and Friends for their invitation and it was a good celebration. A little walk downtown, a little little nipply, but uh it was a good, you know, good Monday for for his celebration. So, great. Do we have any committee or activity updates? We've just been working on a lot of them. Yes.
037Um we met as the DAC committee a couple of weeks ago and uh we'll be working on just some um little bit of restructuring to help them move along in the work that they need to do and want to do. So that'll be upcoming and and just a reminder for any of the community that would like to serve on the DAC committee. Um you might want to check into that and and see if it's something that you would want to do. Um the other one is the D-51 Foundation which their big white iced um event is coming up on the 6th. Is that correct? Fourth. Third. Third event. One of those days in February. Um the 3rd of February. So um we're all looking forward to that. They work so tirelessly putting that event together
038and it's really a great event to honor our staff. Well, we've um we've resumed our policy meetings and so we've had uh one of those so far and then we uh will continue to move forward with those. So I know um Tammy's been working earnestly through lots of policies doesn't more policies than there is time in the day. So um thank you for that. Any other updates from any other committees? All right, we are ready for D51 happenings and celebrations. So, yes, thank you. Good evening, board. How are you? Good. All right. So, I get the fun part of the night tonight. Um, I get the pleasure of shouting out all of the great things happening with our students and our staff and across our schools. So, for those of you that don't know, my
039name is Cali Burks and I'm the public information officer here. And to kick us off, we want to shout out Natalie Blackburn, Pear Park's assistant principal, for being January's Golden Apple recipient. Natalie has been with the Pear Park community for six years, and her dedication to students and staff, especially in nurturing a welcoming environment for substitutes at PR Park showcases her exceptional leadership. Natalie's commitment to the well-being of every child, is inspiring, and we are grateful to have her as part of the D-51 family. Thunder Mountain Elementary celebrated the initiation of their new climb tickets. The entire school had what they call a positive behavior incentive system assembly where principal Stephanie Williams and AP Summer Kennedy spoke about kindness and positivity and the importance those things have in creating a an environment of belonging. When
040a climb ticket is earned, students can collect them and turn them in for a gold coin to use at the book vending machine. And like Director Jones mentioned just a bit ago, each year, Black Citizens and Friends organizes various ceremonies and activities to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, uniting our community and district in celebration of Dr. King's legacy. Throughout the weekend, District 51 had various individuals and groups participate in the events. Special thanks to Director Jones and Superintendent Hill for their impactful readings at the MLK Day March, and to the Palisade High School choir for their captivating performance. And congratulations to Aiden Graham from Independence Academy, who was announced as the winner of the annual MLK Day poster contest. Aiden's design will be featured on the Black Citizens and Friends t-shirts next year. And
041congratulations to all district 51 students who received awards for their designs. And thank you to black citizens. This is a run-on sentence. Thank you to black citizens and friends for organizing this this opportunity to actively engage in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. And next up, this is a big cause for celebration. District 51 has reached our highest graduate graduation rate in 17 years. According to data released by the Colorado Department of Education, D51 earned a graduation rate of 81.2%. We have excelled past our pre pandemic graduation rates, shining a spotlight on our district staff and students who have worked so hard during a challenging time. While we know there is still work left to do, this is an outstanding accomplishment that deserves recognition and celebration. So, if we could all give our
042students and staff a round of applause for their dedication and hard work. Pair Park's student council crafted over a hundred survival kits for officers at the Grand Junction Police Department as a small token of thanks and in honor of law enforcement appreciation day. Students then delivered the survival kits to the GJPD and the smiles on their faces, both the kiddos and the officers say it all. Thank you to our local law enforcement partners for keeping not only our students and staff inside our school safe, but also our entire community. The Phoenix girls wrestling team competed in the border battle at Central High School a few weeks ago. This tournament drew teams from across Colorado and showcased a high level of competition. Our D-51 girls not only excelled in bringing home the first place title, but
043they also have 12 of these talented athletes who are currently ranked in the top 13 in their respective weight divisions. We are proud of their achievements and the spirit that they bring to the sport. Last week, we kicked off our second semester pre-apprentice trades program in collaboration with construction trades and North America's building trades union. This program is designed to pave the way for our high school students to pursue fulfilling careers. Participants in the program work towards earning a 120 hour certificate and hands-on experience. But our students are not just learning, they're preparing to excel in their chosen trades. A big thanks to our career and college readiness department for working tirelessly to provide these types of opportunities for our students. Congratulations to four district 51 students who participated in the Mesa County Elections I
044Voted sticker contest. These designs will be featured on the I voted stickers for the upcoming June primary and the presidential general election. Way to go Whitley from Dual Immersion Academy, Kinsley from Pomona Elementary, and Leila and Berkeley from Redlands Middle School. And wrapping up tonight, January is school board recognition month and we want to once again thank extend our thanks to each and everyone of our D-51 school board members. Okay, why are we laughing? It it it's not of you. It's not a view. Hold on. Pause, please. Well, it's appreciation. It's a video, but it's not of It's not of them. Hold on. Just wait. We appreciate your dedication and leadership in helping share a brighter future for our students and staff. Thank you for your commitment to our district's educational excellence. We set out
045I'll say the communications department set out on a quest to help us echo that sentiment and enlisted some help. We hope you enjoy this video. It's to you. It's not it's not of you. Your commitment to our education is incredible. Thank you, school board, for your dedication to providing us with a fantastic learning environment. Thank you for supporting our schools and helping us succeed. Thank you for all you do. Your work is greatly appreciated. To the amazing school board, your commitment to excellence inspires us all. Thank you for investing in our education and our future success. Thank you, school board, for your vision and leadership in ensuring that every student receives a quality education. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. We are grateful to the school board for their continuous dedication to our education.
046Thank you for making our schools a better place to learn and grow. We love you. Your hard work truly makes a difference. Thank you for caring about me and my friends. We are very grateful for all you do. Thank you for always keeping kids first. Thank you for helping us stay on our path to awesomeness. All that you do for us helps make us better. Thank you for including us all. Thank you for helping us learn. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for our school. Thank you for everything. Thank you B. Thank you for caring about me. [Music] [Applause] [Music] See, not about you or not with you. So, that's all we have this month. Thank you for helping us spend some time shouting out our amazing students, staff, schools, and board of education.
047Thank you. [Applause] Yes. Did you say Cali? Yep. So, um, in recognition of school board appreciation month, there are some cards from students from Mount Garfield Middle School. Um, and there's also some cake back there for everybody to enjoy. So, everybody in the back, you can't leave before you have cake. So, please make please help yourselves. Yeah. Well, thank you everyone. Um, we we appreciate uh a video for us, not about us. Uh, of us. Yeah. Of us. Yes. And and thank you for the cake and all the cards. So, um, all right, we are ready for our superintendence report. All right, so I'll invest this evening. The second quarter business um and investment financial presentation and then the budget uh readoption as well. I should have said our award-winning CFO. I thought Cali maybe
048wanted to stay up here and just keep going with this, but I guess I'll do it. All right. So, board in your packets, you had two different documents this month. One was the second quarter financial statements, which goes uh for activity through December 31st of this year, and then our readed budget um which is kind of a midway point which we can review our current budget and make any adjustments for the remainder of the fiscal year. Um, so with that in mind, our second quarter financials and readopted budget books have been uh reviewed by our fiscal oversight committee and that's of course the uh community group that we have of some business and financial experts that take a look and advise us on different um items. They also received an update from our auditor similar
049to the one that you guys received at the board meeting in December. Um, so overall, uh, just some notes. Some revenues and expenses are tracking as we would expect. If there was anything that needed to be tred up at this midway point or anything of note, we've adjusted it in the readapted budget. So, they kind of go hand in hand this month. So, in the general fund, uh, it's typical that our revenues would, uh, lag behind our expenses, and that's because the bulk of our property taxes will be received in the remaining portions of the year. And so while it may look odd that we have about 37% of our revenue is received but almost 50% of our expenses for the year that's expected. Um just one note is that we did receive a note
050from the Mesa County Treasurer that because of the special legislative session and those deadlines that were changed. There might be a little bit of fluctuation in the receipt of those property taxes um with folks electing maybe to pay the full amount or a late first payment. But in any case, we're still fully anticipating that we'll receive the property taxes due to us by the end of the fiscal year. Just might look a little bit different when we look at third quarter financials compared to past years. Um we also have an October student count that's been finalized and so there's the need to true that up. And then interest revenues um are continuing to we're continuing to earn about 5 and a half% on our um uh pulled cash. And so our FOC committee also serves
051as our investment policy advisors. And so we'll have an additional meeting with them next month uh because we're looking at that and just believing that our interest rates have probably peaked. And so if we want to go ahead and lock in some of our reserve funds um we're going to be looking at that about what the rates that might be available for us to do so um just to kind of maximize those interest rates before they decline. Um, I think some consensus at least from the state was shared that rates might start going down about May would be the first time that the feds might adjust those rates down. So, this slide just uh recaps the reasons why we would do a readdopted budget. It is optional. It's not something that school districts are required
052to do, but we do elect to do so annually because it's really uh just a point for us to true up some numbers and make our budget more reflective of the actuals that we know at this point. So, we adopt a budget in June before our last fiscal year has ended. And so, this is the first chance that we can true up to those actual beginning fund balances coming into the year. We can true up our actual revenues based on our October student count and MIL levy certifications. and then just to make any expenses, expenditure adjustments that have happened since June. So, I'm going to spend a little bit of time just to focus on the general fund, which is our operating fund, um, and walk through some of the revenue transfer and expenditure adjustments.
053So, starting with revenues, um, our budgeted student count ended up being very close to our actual October count, down 13.5 FTE from what we had budgeted. So, that's within about 0.02%. So, we were, all things considered, um, came in pretty close to what we were planning for. Um, our actual K12 count is down 548 FTE from last year, but that was largely already built into our adopted budget. So a smi a slight adjustment there of 135,000. We also with the mill levy certification have that adjustment to the override that adjusts by inflation. So trueing that up to the certification. And then the state categorical adjustments are amounts that we get just from CDE either based on allocations or reimbursement reports that we've submitted. But this is a cumulative of special ed, transportation, um CTE, ELPA,
054um funds all net to that $737 uh,000 adjustment. And then those earned interest revenues. Thankfully, those are coming in higher than we anticipated. So that'll offset some of those negative adjustments and uh an increase to anticipated revenue total of about 870,000 from adopted Just to expand on the student count piece a little bit, um we are down 643 students preschool to 12th grade from last year. That's about a 3% decline. If we're looking back um to before the decline started back in 201920, we're down about 1,800 students, about an 8% decline overall. So back in 1920, we had a student count of 22,046. This year's official account was 20,208. Um, as it relates to our funding, the state continues to allow districts um the benefit of an average funding where we're either funded at our
055actual account or the greatest of the three, four, or fiveyear average. And so we've been in a 5-year averaging since um 2021. and we have just one higher year of enrollment that 201920 year that's included in that calculation. So that's something that we'll need to consider in future budgets. It's just that the numbers factored into our averaging are declining and those uh predeclline numbers are dropping off. So what that means is that currently we're receiving funding for almost 950 students due to averaging beyond our actual count. So that's a difference of $9.5 million this year that without averaging we would not be receiving. So we're being funded for 20,260 students. Um our actual FTE is 19,310. And so just to see all of that kind of visually in a chart, um there's a lot of
056pieces in here and so we'll just walk through those. Um but the blue bars represent our total student count. And so you can see the 2018-19 201920 those numbers are higher um before that decline kind of started in 2021 there was a dip um and that was the co year and then we did get some students back but kind of that overall trend of decline going forward from that point that's where the 1,800 students are coming from um our actual FTE is the green bar and then our funding through averaging is the red bar and so that gap gap in between there. This year is where that $9.5 million is represented. So last year you see it was a little more narrow through averaging it was about $5 million. Um but again just that overall
057if we're looking at our projected enrollments for the next few years just that overall impact of the average funding continue to still decline. Um I've mentioned this before but it feels a little bit different what we're experiencing right now as a district than what we like the great recession. That's because of that gold overlay in there. So during the uh great recession of 2008, 2010, all of those really tough financial years in the district, we still had the same number of students to support, but it was the amount per student we were receiving that was declining. And so this feels like the reverse of that. Um still a funding impact absolutely, but the amount per student we're receiving is increasing, but the number of students that we have is what's decreasing. So the next category
058of adjustments are our transfers. Um uh we receive funding for our charter schools. The three that are chartered through us, Independence Academy, Juniper Ridge, and Mesa Valley from their adopted budgets to their actual October accounts was a decline of 25 FTE. And so that means that we'll be transferring less of that funding onto them based on their counts. Um, so that's a reduced transfer of 215,000. And then from our 2017 MIL levy override, we keep that in a separate fund for tracking, but it's covering the cost of a professional development day and five student contact days. And the cost of those days has increased by almost 300,000 from last year. And so transferring more in back into the general fund from those funds to cover it. So, this means that in net um $500,000 less
059is leaving the general fund. And then lastly, expenditures. And this graph is pretty lopsided in this case, but still sticking with kind of our formula that we normally show this in. Um, by far the largest adjustment is that green bar and that's a one-time move of our school staffing overages for this year into our SR3 grant. So, we had some funds that became available in there where we were able to take based on our ratios, the number of staff out at our schools um that we are continuing to maintain this year in our general fund and move that into the grant. So essentially that frees up $3.5 million in general fund one time. Um the other adjustments are much smaller in here, but our compensation oversight committee continues to meet and review uh market uh
060for different positions. And so attendance, library, grounds, and assessment were some of the areas that have been reviewed this year to date. And there were adjustments of just under $40,000 made to one or more positions in those areas. Um lastly, continuing to look at opportunities. There was a position that was vacated mid year um our environmental compliance tech position and that position will not be backfilled and so just trueing up to the expected savings there. So all in all, what this means is that the readapted budget has $3.6 million less this year in expenditures than what was adopted in June. So, if we were putting this all together, the result of operations for the year would be an ad to our reserves of $ 8.6 million. But to break that down, that 3.5 million is
061of one-time dollars. Um, and the other 5 million of that would be expected to be from reoccurring funds. All of this is gearing up for we know the ESR grants are ending and so trying not to step into that all in one year which is why we've been setting aside some funds even in our adopted budget and then again being able to add to that a little bit more and readdopted to continue important things that are paid out of there such as our online program um summer school for students some software subscriptions for interventions and other costs that were previously paid from the general fund. So this will help us ease into that a little bit and also just the anticipation of those enrollment declines um continuing. So where this would put us at the
062end of the year by budget is that we'd have about 20% of our current year expenditures and transfers held in reserves by the year end. Um which is a lot better position than we've been in in the past. But just kind of always benchmarking that against our comparable districts. These are our comparable districts, the ones that we compare ourselves to and like funding, similar sized, regional um for market reviews and other purposes. And you can see we're pretty much right in the middle there um at about 18% held in reserves, but a lot of those other districts hover more closely to the 25 to 30 range. Um so context, I think, is something to consider. Um, if we were going with a rule of thumb, I know CDE just presented on this to finance folks
063last week. A rule of thumb is about 25% to be held in reserves. Um, another way to look at it is about three months worth of payroll expenses. And so our payroll is about $15 million per month right now. So that would mean keeping 45 million in reserves. Um it depends a little bit on it's unique to each district and each board's decision a little bit in that um some districts are more heavily reliant on local property taxes which are a little less predictable than state revenue. Uh we're about a 60/40 split. So we do still receive a pretty significant amount from our property taxes that we rely on for cash flow. Um, so just kind of there's no one right number, but somewhere in that ballpark is where we should probably be. Um, historically,
064our only requirement was to maintain 5% in reserves, which was incredibly low in my opinion. Um, we wouldn't have even covered one month's payroll. I know you guys have heard me say that before. Um, and so currently our board resolution is to maintain 10% at least 10%. And so we are meeting that benchmark. We have more than that right now, but it might be something as we uh go into budget planning for next year, look at that resolution and just making sure that 10% is the number we want and are comfortable with or taking the opportunity to increase that at least to 15% if not more. I just want to say like when I think about reserves, it's always a push and pull because we know there are critical needs and we know school districts
065in Colorado aren't funded particularly well and we are at the bottom of that equation. Um, so there's always that demand of critical needs now and deploying those resources, but also planning for the long term. So those are just things to consider as you think about next year's budget. So, walking through some of the other funds, um, our auditor did make one recommendation to us and that was to move where we're keeping our Taber emergency 3% reserve. We've always held it in our capital projects fund, but that's pretty unique. Um, I we he couldn't think of another district that does that. And so, for that reason, he recommended that we moved it to the general fund. And so, we're doing that in the readopted budget. It doesn't change the available uh funds in either of those
066places, capital or general, um since they're restricted, but it's just moving it over. Um I mentioned trueing up the beginning fund balances across our funds. There were a few instances where we made interest um revenue adjustments and then um preschool fund which if you guys are looking at your budget document it's page 19 but we're continuing to make adjustments related to universal preschool UPK and so there are several adjustments to our anticipated revenues and expenditures in that fund and that'll be another thing that we look at next year um now that we have a better one year under our belt a better understanding of how those funds are rolling out. Um, similarly, nutrition services is page 28. And here too, that fund, the uh, funding sources have changed a little bit with free meals for
067all. And so, the rate that the federal meals were being reimbursed at dropped when their pandemic dollars ended, but uh, thankfully the state's reimbursement rate picked up a little bit, so those were pretty close to offsetting. Um, this fund is also being impacted by higher food costs. um similar to other areas of our district, a lot of unfilled positions, especially at the beginning of the year. And so that's kind of helped offset them for this year. Um lastly, the capital projects is on page 58 and there are several um changes details out in there related to the sale of property. So we sold a vacant piece of of land. We have another uh property under contract and then the career center. Um, you know, you guys saw those resolutions to sell the house that they
068had finished and then purchase the land for the their next project. And so those changes are all reflected. Um, a couple other of changes in the capital projects were the modulars, so planning for the reconfiguration in the Fruda area, putting that into budget, and then we did have a leased uh building space that ended mid year, and so adjusting that we won't be paying that cost the remainder of the year. So, I know uh Director Heights and uh Director Evansson, you guys mentioned about just the legislative session. So, it has kicked off. We'll be closely watching it with all of you um between now and May. Um just looking for any economic um forecasts that are updated, any bills that relate to our funding or other K12 obligations. Um, there is still the potential this
069year for the state's true-up process similar to ours where there could be a supplemental appropriation that could buy down the budget stabilization factor a little bit more. It won't be a huge adjustment. Um, I think they were anticipating maybe $24 million statewide. So then divided by everybody. So it might be 4 to 500,000 for us if that were to happen. So that's an unknown. Something's still on the horizon, but it was reported to us that it's at least a possibility. They could also leave it flat and save those funds for next year. Um, assessed values and property tax. So, we'll be looking at that. We know that the property tax relief fix was a one-year fix. And so, if there was some legislation to lower the local share, that would again put more pressure back
070on the state share and could impact their available funds. So, just watching to see if there's any impacts there. And then there's a couple of task force or pilot groups that have been meeting. One around the school funding formula and I think they're going to be coming out with a recommendation very shortly and then also looking at the at risk factor. So those they're supposed to put a report out next month as well. What that means for tonight though is that there are three resolutions in your packets. These are in the standard format that we uh go over, but it's reappropriating based on these readdoptions. Um any use of beginning fund balance that's shown in any fund. And then this last one sounds intense, but really it just means that we pull our cash rather
071than keeping a think of it as a separate banking account for each fund. And so it just allows our funds to borrow from each other to meet their cash flow obligations throughout the year, but they're all self- sustaining by the end of the year. So, are there any questions that I can answer? That was a lot, right? I know. I was going to say a couple of you have reached out with questions already, so I I hope that we've answered those thoroughly. So, they um correct me if I'm wrong, but so they voted to do away with the budget stabilization factor for just this year or they just buy it down. So what they are looking at for this year is to buy it down a little bit more. In language last year was that
072the budget stabilization would expire for next year's funding. So I mean it's in the language. It could still be changed if they don't have the available funds to it, but it is something that we're looking forward to. Um because our funding is still reduced about $3.5 million by that factor. Yeah. And I know well this last weekend we spoke about it but then when um Representative Tigert was in town before the session started um we check he's on the joint budget committee um and so they've been looking at some of that as well and they'd actually like to be done with the the budget stabilization factor. Um I again I know I've expressed this before, but if um I don't know how the state is going to be able to do that along with what
073they're trying to do with property taxes. Um so to me it just seems like they're kind of trying to move the ball around underneath the cups, you know, and and then just trying to figure out where where the money comes from. But um but we'll see. I know we have people, you know, in Denver working on it and hopefully that will help alleviate some pressure. But I I think one point of clarification that I think has been coming um at least out of the governor's office is that he's that they're going to be paying back or or that they're yeah, there's some language around that when which we're they're not paying back the money. What they're doing is they're just not withholding anymore from the schools. So, I I would just caution everyone to think
074about um when you're reading through that, we will not be likely getting back the $250 million that we have not received since 2008. So, um that would be amazing if we did. Um but I just want there to be that point of clarification that if they say that they're they're getting that factor taken care of and schools will be funded, that does not mean that we get any of that back money that they've withheld. I think just to expand on that a little bit is also the idea that schools will be fully funded. So it would be the first time that according to the formula set in 1994 that they're funding it completely. But whether that still translates to school today in 2024, I think that's something that that school finance task force is looking
075at. And so that could be another piece that if they be bring back recommendations that rather than just reshuffleling the money where there's some districts that gain and some that lose and it's an additional appropriation, that would be another place that the state would need to find funding for. Yes. Very good. That's you you you said it very eloquently, but I just I caution people to think that we're going to have a windfall of money because I think that's been in some of the wording that we've just even heard about local things that are going on. um it it matters to understand how how we get this money and and what money we do or do not get and and sometimes the restrictions that come with those monies. So I appreciate that. Thank you. I
076always look at those things as we only really have one way to go is up right until they come to fruition because we know that out of 178 districts our per pupil revenue is 174. So I think any of those tweaks that they can make we don't have a whole lot to lose but maybe something to gain if there were to be some changes. Yeah. And a lot of it gets talked about in the community and not a lot of understanding as to what we actually end up getting at the end of the year. Even if some of those things do come through, it's not a huge windfall. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] All right, we have one. All right. Does the board need a break? I We only have one person for public comment.
077So, all right. So, all right. So, next up, um, we have audience comments. No, you have three minutes. [Laughter] Is this just for entertainment purposes tonight, Anna? I'm gonna ramble a little bit, but I have a hard time drawing figures all together. Dr. Whoa. Whoa. Wake up. The last time I picked up um the handouts out back uh the grants I noticed there was a grant the very last one from the CDE a GoFundMe um choosers discretion was like $367,000. I don't have it in front of me, but there was a followup again for um this handout of another um cash gift $4,1764 for a GoFundMe various donors. I noticed at last month's handout there was a C attachment and I did and there was 11 11 pages worth of where it went and it
078looks like it was fairly well distributed 800 900 uh one out a thousand. I was wondering how those purchases were or made or carried out. Does do they put in an order and say this is what they want and this is how someone orders it and it comes in or receipts are carried and I was just curious about that part of grants or gifts gifts given because it wasn't under grants the GoFundMe the CDE part I saw and then in looking at the budget part over here about the governmental design proposed budgets I saw the little description and I was curious and just in looking at um the one um line item for Colorado Health Foundation, the DIA Playground um for they've received $255,670 and 2223 and the readup readed shows the 5,130. So I
079I know that they got the playground equipment and so forth. So I see the carryover amount where a grant was given and then like a a balance that wasn't used. Um who has discretion then how to use that remaining balance? Is it for the um district to be able to use then for someplace else or is DIA or any of the others the required to spend that money again or what's remaining or is that something that the the district can use to fill fill in? Then I have one other suggestion about um panorama survey my my favorite. I would like to see if we if this would be for Mel also. How much do we pay of Panorama to be able to create and and uh distribute and give us the information from the surveys?
080I was wondering if we don't have enough um people on our district staff that have academia amounts to be able to create a survey specific to the needs of our district, our area, our demographics, our population without having to go outside of us, our area, and go to see what Chicago and New York and everyone else is doing. I think we may have enough people with degrees that could create a a survey for our district right here without having to go out and save the money. Thank you. Do we have anybody that walked in late that may want to come do audience comment or are we good? That's it. Thank you. Right. we will get those uh questions to um together and get some answers um for you. So I believe we have Miss Elliot's
081uh email. All right, we are moving on to consent agenda. So the consent agenda contains personnel actions and acceptance of gifts 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. Um, is anyone requesting any items to be removed from the consent agenda at this time? Okay, seeing none, um, I will I will state that the total amount of gifts this month is $27,000 800, excuse me, $27,849.64. Um, so do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? Motion to approve the consent agenda. Second. Any Mr. Chavis? Yes. Mrs. Evansson? Yes. Mrs. Heights? Yes. Mr. Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. All right. Now, moving into business items. As um Melanie uh
082stated, we have the resolutions um for the 2023 2024 readopted budget. So, we have um uh items A, B, and C, which since they're all related to the budget, we could do um with just one motion for all three. Um so, do I have a motion to approve the 2324 budget readoption, the use of beginning fund balance, and the borrow of encumbered money from other district funds. To to do three to address A, B, and C. Nope, you're good. You're good. Do I have a second? Second. Right. Any discussion on any of those items? I think we all got our questions answered with that. Okay. All right. We can go ahead and take the vote. Mr. Chavez, yes. Mrs. Evansson, yes. Mrs. Heights? Yes. Mr. Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. All right. Uh, those pass
083unanimously. Uh, next up we have um board open discussion. So board, did we have any other items um that we were wanting to look? Um Dr. Will Hill, we have the organizational chart coming up for a meeting, right? Like the staff or chart. We kind of have talked. Okay. All right. So that'll I know that's um you know, in the midst of um obviously talking um about declining enrollment and everything else, we've asked Dr. Hill to um come back to us because as you heard in Melany's presentation um there was a position that they did not backfill um that comes kind of from the central office um administration building and so we asked Dr. Hill to um present to the board and to the community kind of what the organizational chart looks like for staff
084and also positions where they have looked um to help create savings and and be efficient at those levels as well. So, a lot of times they do that work and they don't tout that they are saving the district monies, but we need to obviously let our community know um what we're doing. So, um so he's going to be putting that presentation get together for the board and for the community so that uh so everyone knows that that the district is doing a good job of of of kind of addressing things across the board. So, um any anything else for open board discussion? Um I just want to uh as we know with that that discussion um Mr. Pope retired from the school district and just want to wish him well in his retirement. He's done
085a great job for the district and he'll be missed and and uh tell him to enjoy his retirement. Sounds great. Anything else? All right. Well, that um I think that is everything we had. Um for future meetings um we have um our next work session February 6th. We have a board coffee. We will resume those here in February. Um that'll be February 10th um at Rimrock Elementary. And then February 13th um we actually have our our special board meeting/board retreat. Um at our last meeting, Mr. Welsh had actually presented and he's been meeting with all the board members and um so again it's a publicly noticed meeting and you can come and listen in but we will be doing a board retreat on the 13th and then February 20th um we'll have our next business
086meeting. So do I have a motion to adjurnn? So moved. All right. Well, thank you everybody and have a good evening. Stop it.