Evening, everyone. We'll go ahead and get started. Good evening, everyone. We need a gavel. Can I have your attention, please? Thanks. There you go. Thank you. Thank you. We need Will's booing voice to get us started. Alright. Good evening, everyone. To start this evening, we, we're a little bit out of order, because we have our budget hearing, that we have, our second one. So first off, if anyone is here to comment on the budget hearing, go ahead and come forward, to this microphone, and we'll give a couple minutes for anyone who would like to give comment on
the budget. It's me never. Okay. Seeing none, we'll go ahead and adjourn the budget hearing. So all right. So now we'll call to order our meeting. If you can stand with us, we'll go ahead and do the pledge of allegiance. And Director Jones, can you kick us off, please? Alright. Thank you, everyone. Do I have a motion to approve the meeting minutes from 05/06/2025, 05/20/2025, excuse me, and 05/27/2025. Motion to approve the meeting minutes. Second. Mister Chavez. Approved. Missus Evanston. Yes.
Missus Heights. Yes. Mister Jones. Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. Okay. And now we will, move into our recognitions, for, for our public relations people. So if it's a smaller group, she'd like to take your picture up front. If you're a larger group, she may have you step out after we're done with recognitions and take your picture out front. So, so please stick around and make sure that Cali, gets your picture. So, Will is going to kick us off here. Would Mason Znamaczek, Cooper Van Maurer, Sage Secrest, and Hayden Bonnell please join me at the front of the room?
The two thousand twenty five state track and field championships were held May at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, bringing together top athletes from across the state. D 51 student athletes delivered standout performances, including multiple first place finishes and podium appearances. From sprints to field events, D51 athletes demonstrated the strength, depth and determination of our track and field programs. The Board of Education proudly recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of our Central High School and Grand Junction High School student athletes, who placed in the top three of 4A State Track and Field championships.
Mason Znamaczek, Grand Junction High School, took first place in 110 meter hurdles. Cooper Van Maurer, Central High School earned first place in pole vault. Sage Seacrest became in first place in the girls' 800 meter run. And Hayden Bonnell, GGHS, second place in girls' discus. These achievements are a reflection of their individual dedication and talent as well as strong leadership and support of their coaches and track staff. The Board of Education and Superintendent Doctor. Hill congratulate each of these athletes along with the entire CHS to GJHS track and field programs for representing D51 with pride at the state level.
You wanna come up and take this for you? Standing in is mister Rubenel. No. No. We are going to talk about the All State first team baseball. Mr. Embree, are you here? Come on, Easton. Stand up. Come up. Thank you, sir. Mister Easton, who graduated from Palisade High School in May, was originally named named to the class four a All State first team for baseball. A rare and prestigious honor in District 51. While it's not uncommon for athletes to earn all conference recognition, being selected to All State is a significant accomplishment that reflects a level of excellence
seen across the state and recognized by high school coaches. A true two way player, Easton contributes to the mound and in the outfield, bringing a fastball that topped at 86 miles an hour, a four a point four eight eight batting average, and a consistent leadership throughout the season. But what truly sets Easton apart from not just his athletic skills, but the way he led his team with focused, heart, and humility. His 3.935 GPA in clutch performance in postseason played reflects the kind of student athlete every school
hopes to see walk through their doors. Easton will certainly be missed in the field next year, but his impact on the Palisade program and his teammates will carry on as the young players follow the example he set. He has signed with Florence Darlington Technical College where he'll join the Stingers baseball program, a strong junior college team that has reached the JUCO World Series multiple times through the last decade. The board of education and superintendent doctor Hill congratulated Easton on his amazing accomplishment. Thank you for representing d fifty one with integrity and excellence.
We can't wait to see where your future takes you both on and off the field. Will Josh Weaver and coach Casey Sullivan throw me up front? Each year, coaches in the Southwest League voted to honor the top players and coaches in this region. This year, Fruita Monument High School coach Josh Weaver was named player of the year, and head coach Casey Sullivan earned the co coach of the year's honors. Josh has had a standout season, contributing significantly both on the mound and on the plate. This season included a perfect game against Central High School where he struck down 14 batters and allowed no base runners.
At the plate, he consistently finished with strong batting averages, driving in key runs to help lead Fuda to a league title. His ability to deliver under pressure, lead by example, and contribute in every part of the game made him a clear choice for this honor. Casey Sullivan shares the title of Southwest League Co Coach of the Year for his pivotal role in guiding the Wildcats to back to back league championships. Under his leadership, Freedom Monument High School became a powerhouse, capturing the 2023 and twenty twenty twenty four five a Southwestern League titles.
Sullivan trans transitioned into the head coaching role in 2022, and his ability to build team culture and bring out the best in his players has earned the respect of his peers across the league. These honors reflect individual excellence and strong team leadership. The board of education, superintendent doctor Hill, congratulations Josh and coach Sullivan to earning coach player and co co coach of the year and probably representing d fifty one. We look forward to your contribute success each season. Will the members of our D-fifty one communications team please join us at the front of the room?
Earlier this month, the d fifty one communications team received the Golden Medallion Award from the National Schools Public Relations Association, one of the highest honors in the field of school communications. NSPRA received more than 1,800 submissions this year across their three award categories, but only 207 were selected for a Golden Medallion Award. District fifty one was one of those three schools, one of those three school districts in Colorado to receive this recognition. The award honored the team's more social,
less media campaign, which supported the district's new cell phone policy by focusing on what students gain, such as connection, presence, and stronger relationships, rather than what they were giving up. Through creative messaging, video storytelling, and strong community involvement, the campaign encouraged healthier school environments and more meaningful student engagement. Behind this recognition is a small but mighty team dedicated to clear, creative, and compassionate communication. Their work reflects a belief in the power of storytelling to support students, staff,
and schools. The board of education and superintendent doctor Hill congratulate our communications team on this well deserved honor and thank them for the important role they play in keeping our schools and community connected and well informed. Do you want me to take your picture? Where's your camera? I left it on the Yeah. She's got it. She's got it. Let me see. There's our picture. Hey. Would Chapita Elementary principal Jamie Chara please come up and join me at the front? You may bring everyone you would like. Jamie and team. Jamie and team. You got it?
I I can okay. We got it. Alright. Earning the Colorado Department of Education's Center of Excellence School Award is a significant honor. This award recognizes schools where at least 75% of students are considered at risk, yet they demonstrate exceptional sorry, exceptional sustained academic growth in multiple areas, including English language arts, math, and English language proficiency as measured by the Colorado growth model. This award reflects the strong leadership of principals who put the right strategies in place
to help students succeed. They use data to guide instruction, make sure that every student gets the support they need, and create a school culture focused on fairness, growth, and high expectations. The impact of this achievement extends beyond school leadership. It shows the determination of students who are pushing themselves academically, the creativity and adaptability of teachers and staff who meet students where they are, and the dedication of families and community partners who support learning every step of the way, both in and out of the classroom. Principal Chiaro's steady leadership,
belief in every student, and commitment to equity have shaped the school culture built on growth, support, and high expectations. Under her guidance, Chupita has become a place where every child, no matter the background, has the opportunity to thrive, proving that with the right leadership at the helm, the right people on the bus, amazing things are possible. The board of education and superintendent doctor Hill are proud to recognize principal chair and her team for this well earned honor. Thank you for engaging, equipping, and empowering each and every student each and every day and creating a place where
where all learners can thrive. Would the principals from Broadway Elementary, New Emerson, Scenic Elementary, Wingate Elementary, and Gateway School please join me at the front of the room and teams? You come right up and represent Dan, get up there. Come on. The John Erwin award is one of Colorado's most respected honors in education, named after former state senator John Erwin, a champion for high quality learning. This award is presented annually to schools that consistently demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and sustain student growth. Tonight, we're proud to recognize Broadway,
New Emerson, Scenic, and Wingate for earning this distinction for the second year in a row, a reflection of their continued excellence and commitment to student success. We are also excited to recognize Gateway as a recipient, earning the John Erwin award for 2024. Earning this recognition is no small feat and reflects the dedication, focus, and teamwork of everyone involved. From school leaders and teachers to support staff, students, and families, it takes a shared commitment to excellence to create the kind of environment where students
can truly thrive. This award is a celebration of that effort and a reminder of what's possible when we all work together and support a student success. But Broadway, New Emerson Scenic, Wingate, and Gateway aren't just high achieving schools. They're led by principals who are truly committed to building positive, supportive environments for every learner. Each of these leaders has prioritized strong instruction, meaningful relationships, and a culture that fosters academic success, a sense of belonging, and the love of learning. The board of education and superintendent doctor Hill proudly congratulate principals Westbrook,
Hoffman, Scott, Schroeder, and Allen, along with their school communities for creating environments where students feel supported, challenged, and set up to succeed. Zero director. Zero director. Before you guys sit down, could I have the principals and or representatives from Broadway Elementary, Loma Elementary, Mesa View Elementary, New Emerson, Scenic, Tope? Please join me at the front of the room. Act like you like each other. Squeeze in there. Good job. The Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award recognizes schools that demonstrate exceptional academic growth over time.
We're excited to celebrate the d 51 schools that have earned this honor through their focus on innovation, opportunity, and student achievement. In 2023, Broadway, Mesa View, New Emerson, and Scenic Elementary Schools received this award for their outstanding progress and commitment to growth. This year, Broadway, New Emerson, and Scenic earned the award once again, and joining them on the 2024 list are Loma and Tope Elementary Schools. These schools have built cultures of learning where students are engaged, equipped, and empowered. Through creative instruction and focus on connectivity, they fostered environments where kids can truly thrive.
This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our students and the leadership of principals Westbrook, Wimsatt, Cohen, Hoffman, Scott, and Kennedy, along with their dedicated staff and supported families. Together, they've created school communities where growth is driven by collaboration, strong leadership, and a shared belief in every student's potential. The board of education and superintendent doctor Hill congratulate each of these school communities. Your commitment to continuous improvement and belief in your students make a lasting impact across District fifty one. Thank you all. Alright. Well, thank you, everyone. That's the end of our recognition. So unless you'd like to stay for the rest of the board meeting,
we'll give you a couple of minutes to go ahead and enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you all for coming, and congratulations. Is when Max Exodus happens. Okay. I think we are good. We'll go ahead and resume our meeting. If anybody is unfamiliar with, public comment, our sign up sheet is over here to my left, your right, right under this television. So you can sign up for your three minute public comment up until our public comment time. So, next up, we have board reports. Board, I know it's been a little bit quiet. Any good things or committee activity updates that anybody wants to report out on?
For me, I just did a Special Olympics, just last couple weeks ago. And then, we were I read a proclamation on behalf of the school district at the Juneteenth celebration in the Lincoln Park this last weekend. So Great. Thanks for doing that. Any It's been quiet since graduation for me. Mhmm. Vacations and summer happenings. Alright. Alright. We are ready for, I think, d fifty one happenings and celebrations. Nope. Nope. Alright. Hello. Hi, board. I'm Sierra Colson, marketing communication specialist for d fifty one schools, here to share with you the district fifty one happenings and celebrations.
To start off, Amber Shannon is June's golden apple recipient, recognized for her unwavering dedication to students both in and out of the classroom. As a math teacher at Mount Garfield Middle School, she's known for creating a learning environment where students feel respected, supported, and empowered to succeed. Amber makes math approachable and meaningful while also building strong relationships that help students thrive. Her passion for real world learning shines through. This summer, she's even leading an educational trip for students. Her commitment to academic growth and enriching experiences makes her a truly exceptional educator in
district fifty one. Remember the start of the school year when Redlands Middle School surprised our leadership team with a dodgeball challenge? Well, on the last day of school, we flipped the script, and this time, d fifty one's leadership team and board of education came ready, donning athletic gear and repping the d fifty one name. Still, we didn't stand a chance. Redlands Middle School's flight crew soared past us once again. Thanks for the rematch, Redlands, and for helping us end the school year on a high note. Yeah. You guys look great. Every summer, d fifty one kicks things off with the lunch lizard summer meal program,
ensuring no child goes hungry while school's out. In partnership with the Western Colorado Community Foundation, lunch lizard trucks travel to neighborhoods and community spots, delivering free healthy meals to all kids 18 and under no matter their economic background. One of our favorite sites, watching students enjoy a good meal with friends all across town. Huge thanks to our incredible nutrition services team for making it all happen. This year's annual book giveaway was our biggest yet. For more than thirty years, this beloved tradition has connected our schools with the community, offering thousands of free items like novels,
textbooks, crafts, and even furniture. Everything was available at no cost and open to all. A huge thank you to Matt Sprott, d fifty one's warehouse lead, and the entire warehouse team for organizing and hosting this incredible event. And a big shout out to our friends at Schneider Electric who sent five team members all the way from California for their day of service. We We couldn't have done it without you. This summer, d fifty one schools are getting key upgrades thanks to voter approved bond funding. From enhanced safety features to much needed classroom renovations,
construction is underway at nine school sites across the district. These improvements will help create safer, more modern learning environments for students and staff. Thank you for saying yes to d fifty one and for believing in the power of strong schools to build stronger communities. School may be out for summer, but learning is still going going strong across d fifty one. Several schools are hard at work hosting summer school programs, giving extra students giving I'm sorry. Giving students extra support, enrichment, and opportunities to grow. A big shout out to the dedicated educators and staff making it all happen.
Thank you for keeping the momentum going and, of course, always making it fun. And that's all we have for June. We'll see you back in August. Don't forget to stay posted with all things d fifty fifty one by following us on social media at d five one schools. Thank you. Alright. Next up, we have our superintendent report. Alright. So I'll have, Dan Burke come up to present. And while he's coming up, I just wanna reiterate how important that, lunch lizard program is. Dan Sharp and his team do such a good job, with that program. And, you know, that's come together over years with donations from,
like, Western Colorado Community Foundation and other groups. And so to be able to, take those mobile, lunch trucks out into the community, especially over the summer, it's just huge for our community. I mean, my kid's even taking advantage of it. He's doing Eureka camps and CMU Tech camps, and the lunch lizard truck is out there as well. So just a shout out to, Dan Sharp and his team for always finding ways to, feed the students throughout the community. So we appreciate him. So, with that, I'll turn it over to Dan Burt. Board of education, doctor Hill, thank you for letting me come and talk to you today. We've come to talk to you today and probably haven't seen this in years past
prior because we've we've only been doing year to year, contracts with our network, our connection between schools. This year, we are looking to, go out and, upgrade our network. We're looking to, create some fiber loops that will create, consistency. And so if one spot goes down, it can go back around out and and keep our schools up and running. With doing that, we've looked at, saving as much money as we could, and we went out with UPN and found a fifteen year contract. And we're going to save approximately about a $150,000
a year, per year on our network money. And so I just kinda wanna break it down for you a little bit here. Our current monthly is 81, our new monthly proposed is 52. Now I know that that doesn't sound right when you look at the current annual rate because it doesn't look like times 12, but it's times 12 and then we get, 60% refunded from e rate. So that is what that figured out. So, our annual bill is about $393,000 a year and it will move to $252,288,
which is a great savings for us and creates a self healing loop in our network that gives us some redundancies so we won't have very long down days. So I'm coming to you to ask for a 15 contract. We will segregate those out into five years each and then renew if we have to. Obviously, they'll be written in tapered terms so if we can afford it, we can afford it. I also want there's another one we're looking at too and it's a Internet content filter. So this is what we use to content filter out, pornography sites, chat sites, things like that we don't feel are safe for our kids.
We've been using a company called Content Keeper, and during the pandemic, we used a a product called Aristotle k 12. And with talking with my teachers, the Aristotle k 12 was a very, it was a lot better program. It ran a lot smoother. We tried to use a program called Imperial this year, and it it was brand new. And so it had some definitely some some designer flaws. So we were able to go out with Aristotle k 12 and come up with about say about $30,000 a year and get Aristotle k 12 as our main web content filter and it
also also offers a the teachers a classroom monitor, system that allows them to monitor what they're doing on the and the the other thing that I wanna make sure that I'm very upfront with you guys about is it does also allow us to maintain and monitor, screen time, which may become valuable for us in later on. So that with all that said, we're looking about $37,000 annually on that one. So really just kinda reaching out and going a little bit further, like, going to five years and I'm able to secure a much better contract for us. And so I think going forward,
this is exactly what we did. The neat thing about it is we did have the pandemic to to trial that Aristotle k 12 and it worked very well. And the teachers, were very adamant saying that they liked it a lot better than the new Apero, and I think it's very smart for us to move. So like I said, I'm sorry there's a typo there. The savings is about a $185,000 a year, with going with those extra long contracts. I'd like to open up to any questions that you guys would have for me. My only question would be, what if what if things drastically change like they most certainly will in the next fifteen years?
What kind of guarantees do we have that if if for some reason this company falls behind and can't sustain the growth of technology, how do we how do we address that? So that and that's that's a great question. I think I'm looking at, the company's stability. Right? They've been around for about thirty years. Their main, the main business is creating networks for school districts. They're predominantly in Utah, but have made it quite a bit, ground here in Colorado putting in networks. The reason that I think this is a safe thing for fifteen years is that we will always need a network.
And whether we go with a different company, what would have to come in is they'd have to come in and build our network for us to put fiber lines out, which would the cost would be very much. And so when we went out for bid to bid this year, what we found was is that, e or obviously, Unite was able to come in a lot more, just a lot under price because they've already built the infrastructure and then are maintaining it right now. So that's a a leg up they have, but like I said, being able to use that to our advantage, we're able to create some self healing loops to keep us running.
Thank you. Alright, guys. Thank you very much. Alright. And so next up will be our, an update on our two large high school projects, from the bond. We did give, an update previously on some additions at, Central High School due to some savings that we found, but we also wanna give an update on, the progress that's going on at Fruita Monument High School as well. So we're excited about both these high schools getting, some much needed renovation. So I'll turn it over to Clint and Newt. Alright. Good evening, board. We're gonna get the the correct, PowerPoint up in a second here,
and then we'll get started. We're excited to share with you tonight just some as doctor Hill said, we've we've done some bond updates already, just kind of tell you where we're at with our priority improvement projects, but Central And Fruta Monument have some really neat stuff going on, and we want to be able to share a little bit of that with you tonight. So over the past few months, many of you know that we have been doing DAG groups, Design Advisory Group meetings, and those Design Advisory Group meetings, have had we've had five of those meetings and then seven focus group meetings with
students and staff, and those folks have helped us kind of form where we're at today with the design that we're going to show you here in a little bit. Some of the things that we're working on, that we are looking at are safety and security, obviously. We want to honor what we said in the bond campaign. We want to look at securing that building and creating a single point of entry building, and that I think we've done in this design, so we'll take a look at that as well. Improved campus connectivity, what I'm going to show you tonight is a design that was not in the
original master plan, and what it does is it really capitalizes on what we started in 2017. You remember in the 2017 bond, there was some work that was done at Fruita Monument High School, and they, took the, the center area and the the commons area, and they made it they created a commons area in there. That kinda set the stage for creating a single point of entry building. What we're gonna be able to do with this design is to complete that, and so we'll show you that as well. We'll show you some added instructional space. This design includes four new classrooms in the Science Edition and three new classrooms in
the CTE area. And then the funding outlook for this, this design is going to be more expensive by about $4,000,000 but what we've looked at and what we're projecting is some cost savings with our priority improvement projects. So those are the projects that we have going right now in the nine buildings that we're working on. You just saw the pictures of some of those. We should be able to see significant savings in those. And we'll know more of that by the August into September, what those savings what those dollars will be.
We anticipate that we're gonna have enough money to cover this, and we'll, once we get to that point, we'll be able to talk to you about those savings. Alright. You'll remember in the, in the original master plan, this is what we were looking at as a design or an upgrade to Freedom Monument High School. You'll see in the bottom left hand corner, these were classrooms, a single story classroom wing that we were gonna add some science classrooms to. And then up in the far, upper corner there, you'll see, some renovated classrooms in the kind of purple area.
And then there was a hallway we were gonna put in there to kind of connect those classrooms, and we were gonna be able to, have an indoor hallway for students to access those classrooms. The bottom center there, that purple area, was going to be more classrooms in that space as well renovated, and then that little centerpiece was going to be some additional, renovated classrooms. I wanted to paint that picture just a little bit so you'll understand why we're looking at what we're, gonna do in this new design. So what you'll see here is in the green or teal color, you'll see,
well, let me go back a slide here real quick. I wanna note something. You'll see in the, the overlay there is that one's a little bit old, but you'll notice in the bottom right corner, there's some grass there. That's now a parking lot, and I'll show you that, and then you'll see it in the next slide. The the Ag Building to the far right there is separated from the main building. There's a driveway that, connect connects those two parking lots right now. Right now, there's student access through those parking lots through that through that access point there, and there's deliveries that come through that section.
And I believe right now you have staff in there that, monitor that area during passing periods. Is that right? We do. I actually teach a class in the ag shop. I teach advisory. In between the main building and the ag shop, we have students driving. We have deliveries coming in. And as Clint said, you know, one of our priorities here is safety. That is one of the last areas on campus where someone could just enter a classroom unobstructed. There's no fencing. There's not another door. They could just walk in from the parking lot into a classroom.
We we monitor it right now, but, you know, brick and mortar would be better. So I think you're gonna get to that. Yeah. And so, all of that was discussed in our dad group meetings, and, as a result, this is what was presented. Chamberlain, group, they came up with a a great design that covers all of this stuff. So in the upper left hand corner, you'll see the security addition. Instead of just creating the single hallway, this hallway, the circular space, covers that entire classroom section. So those outdoor classrooms on the far north of the building now have a hallway
where you can enter into the classrooms rather than going outside. Right now, those are the classrooms that students have to exit the building and enter from the exterior of the building. In the bottom left hand corner is similar to the older drawing, there's some science a science addition down there with some larger hallways. This does a couple of things for us, right? We wanted to, enclose that courtyard area. This does that as well. That center purple area, which is a renovated area, is, is currently a science area. It will be renovated to general ed classrooms.
If you go up to the far right in the top there, you'll see that green section in the middle, that's the area we just talked about that currently has is an open area where vehicles pass through there. That would be infilled with, CTE space and would connect both of those buildings, again, successfully creating a single point entry, in essence, building. The two sections to the left and the right there are CTE space as well on the left, and then the ag space on the right, that would be remodeled as well. I'd I'd also note,
and you can, help me a little bit with this, but in the bottom left corner near the science edition, right now, there's currently some CTE space in that bottom left area. So those two classrooms that are just adjacent to the science edition that's shown there, what we do with this design is create better adjacency with the CTE classrooms that are currently that we'd place in the top of the building. So those CTE classrooms would then move up to the top, and now we'd have everything in one area, and we would move general classrooms or something else to the bottom.
Yeah. We we'd be able to do that with pretty much every department is the hope and the plan. And the why behind that, much like we're trying to do with early release, having teachers next to one another one another during the day, I'm gonna quote one of my assistant principals. She calls it natural collisions. It creates natural collisions during the day where in between classes, they can talk about what worked, what didn't in a lesson. So we wouldn't be able to just do it in the CTE area, but also with science. Yeah. I won't get into the weeds. I can talk with movement all day,
but that that's He's a little excited about this. Just a touch. Yeah. Alright. So this is just a these next shots are, just closer images of of what we're looking to do. That's the same classroom space in the top left corner, the circular space that kind of, moves through those classrooms there. I will note also in that, sorry, it's hard to read that security addition there, but, those classrooms that you see, the eight, nine, 10 classrooms there, had we not used that hallway and created that circular space around there, we would have had to take away classroom space because we would have had to
create a hallway inside of those classrooms or some kind of access in order for us to to get, access inside from inside the building. And then the classrooms, the science addition on the right, those are the classrooms, that, will be on the bottom that will enclose that courtyard. Again, this is the remodeled space. We're looking at the purple spaces. Those are the CTE spaces that will be remodeled, and then the ag space on the right. This is those center science classrooms currently that will be remodeled and, where we'll add general ed classrooms into the center of this of the building.
And then the classroom remodel, this is that infill space that will add the new classrooms in the center here. This one shows four classrooms, but it's only three. Correct? That's the plan right now. Yep. And so this, again, encloses the entire building, creating a safer space. So let's just look at some exterior conceptuals. Briefly, you'll see this is from the road. Looking from the Southwest Corner. You'll see the new, science wing there with to the far left. And then the, we're looking at some windows, adding some windows to the existing classrooms that are there.
Those, of course, can be changed if we decide to do that to reduce costs, pulling those windows out. That's also an option. This is from the Northwest Corner. This is that hallway that we talked about that'll allow students to be able to enter from inside the building, not have to go outside to enter inside the inside the classrooms. And then this is the Northeast Corner view. This is that, infill space that will no longer allow traffic through. We'll be able to enclose the entire building. And then, this is from the other side of that CTE space as well.
Alright. That is it for Fruta. Any questions? I'll pause there for just a second and see if there's any questions with this design and what we're looking at doing. And you might have said it. So this is include this, addition, how much extra is it adding extra square footage? It is ex adding extra square footage. Yes. Approximately, like, how much I would defer back to my friend in the back of the room. 20,000. Okay. Okay. So we're obviously getting a bigger footprint and Yes. More space with that additional cost.
Absolutely. I mean, just so people know that we're not just spending extra money and not necessarily you know, we're also getting extra space. We're getting extra space, and I and I really do I I really wanna go back to what I was saying before. I think we we started to plant the seed in 2017 of trying to create a building that Mhmm. Was enclosed completely, and and we didn't quite get there. This design helps us do that and creates a a much safer building for for our students. It it's it's a win. I thought a question. With this design, there's a net reduction of approximately 30 exterior doors.
And with that new infill in between the main building and the ag shop, that takes care of just about 10 doors itself. So that area is just really exposed and unsafe. But, overall, it's gonna make for a more safe experience for our kids and our teachers. Does this cover that, I know when mister McCloskey was the principal there when we first went out, does this cover the outside vestibule space that covers the classroom? I think it's to the west. So it's gonna cover Yes. Towards the maverick. Yes. Yes. That all will be connected and then filled.
And then it will be covered. With this design, kids won't have a reason to go outside unless they're weaving or ditching. And pretty kids don't ditch. Right? So good. Yeah. Never at the Maverick. Yeah. That Maverick's never the full kids. I know it was kind of a odd space that created and then it would get, iced up in the wintertime because it would get that weird shaded Yep. In the wintertime and cause some issues. So that'll be nice. It's covered. It will be. Yeah. Great. Yeah. I didn't see it open here on the plan. So Is it are you talking about here,
Andrea, where there's this open space still? No. Not that open space. Do you remember if you go from the offices and if you go across, so if you're coming in the doors and if you went, to the right Yeah. The students used to be able to go outside. Right. And there was that weird Right there. Yeah. That that security. I I misunderstood. I thought you're talking about the science edition, the security edition, and, yes, that will be enclosed as well. It will be enclosed. Yep. Right. There's still that other area, that kind of courtyard area that's open. Right? But it's all enclosed. It'll all be enclosed,
but But that side, it's outside. Yeah. It is outside. Correct. No. I'm talking to the one that's that's north of that. Yeah. Yeah. That was just that weird passage area. There were several weird areas. There was a lot of I just remember I just remember Einstein. Mister McCloskey saying it was a very strange space. That was kind of a thorn in his side. Oh, and You're on And and in mine's yours since you took it over. Yeah. Yeah. If you've ever gotten complaints about how congested it can be in our hallways, it's happening right there. Just yeah. It it's going from 1960 to 02/2017.
Yeah. And we've grown significantly since then. So yeah. Great. I'm glad that some of those things are obviously getting addressed in this plan, and I'm glad we're gaining that 20,000 square feet. So well done. Great. Awesome. Looks good. Right. I'm gonna swap out people. And, Eddie, if you'd like to join me, that'd be great. Thank you, sir. Thank principal Klusmeier. Alright. We'll shift our attention to Central High School. We're a little bit further along in the process with Central, but still in schematic design. So that actually, this says wraps up this week.
It actually wrapped up last week, Schematic designed it. And then cost estimates will be able to see those in July. We'll have a really good picture of what costs are going to look like. Final phasing plan is done. This thing is gonna be complex, in order for this building to get complete. And, they walked through it. I'm not gonna even pretend to to deliver that to you tonight because, it is complex. But what I can say is one of the things that, that has been taken into consideration, the most important thing that's been taken into consideration is, not disrupting students,
during this process. And so that is going to push out the project just a little bit further, into 2028, but we'll minimize the disruption to students during the process. There will be some, we'll be moving some folks into modulars for a time, but, the phasing plan is, I think, a good one for us to to keep, ourselves from keeping kids out of class or moving them around too much. So some the work will start summer of twenty twenty six. That will begin with federal hall upgrades,
wrestling room renovations, and athletic addition. What'll happen here is we're gonna create some swing space in order for new classrooms to be built in there so we can push students into those spaces permanently without and then being able to do remodel work in other places. New space that's coming includes classroom rooms, updated dining area, new STEM spaces and modernized CTE areas. And then the campus reconfiguration will be a safer layout with improved entries and traffic flow. I think I mentioned that to you the last time we talked about this.
Again, the adjacency of the administration area to the classrooms will be a lot better for students and staff. And then we've already started some, selective abatement work in the building, so some small stuff is already starting to happen. We've got a long way to go, but we're trying to get some stuff started. And then site prep is in progress. Soil testing and utility investigations are ongoing. As you can probably imagine, there's a lot to consider with where utilities are right now and where they're going to be moving forward. So, that work has already started.
And then, estimates and updates ahead, detailing cost estimates, as I mentioned, will be coming in July. And then, we plan to do some ongoing community planning or communication, with our community. So alright. Let me show you some some images. I think you'll enjoy some of this stuff. So this is, this is the building, First Floor in the new plan. You'll see to the far left in yellow, everything in yellow. Kinda tough to see and hear the different colors, and I don't think you'll be able to see it on the screen. I don't know if you can see it on your laptops or not, but the bottom left is yellow,
and those are the athletic areas. There's a small yellow area in the middle of the building. That's the wrestling room currently. You'll see in the front of the building where the new entry will be, the pink area or salmon, I don't know what you want to call it. What do you think, Doctor. Hill? What color is it? That's the administration area. All the green areas are classroom, general ed classrooms. You'll see in the middle of the, that long hallway there, that orange area is library. Those purple areas or lighter purple areas in the top are all SPED spaces,
and then you'll see, ROTC, and tech spaces in the darker purple areas. That's the First Floor. Now what you'll see with this design again is that we've created a single building, where everything is connected, and there is no reason for anybody to leave, the building for any reason, unless you're, again, ditching or doing something else. And this is the Second Floor of that two story building that'll be in the center of the building. You'll see these those, green spaces, lighter green, or general ed classrooms, and then, the other, kind of bluish on this sheet here,
or they look green up here. Those are science classrooms. Just some conceptual images of what the, entry might look like. You'll see on the top, top left there, that's, the main entry, and then straight ahead is the baseball field, a straight shot on the top right of the entryway. And then on the bottom left, that would be the new athletic entrance, closest to us there, and then that's a shot on the bottom right from the baseball field looking down at the two story the two story building. Just some images of the interior of the building. Again, these are kinda hard to see on the screen here,
but from the main entrance there. Again, that would be the library to the left in the main entrance or the down the hallway of the main entrance. More images of that same hallway there. This looks to me to be the locker room area. Alright. And those are all the images I have. Any questions? Yeah. If you go back to the, image that shows the layout of the First Floor, is that building that's way at the top, is that connected to everything else? Oh, okay. That a separate sped space, or what have we got? Right now, that's a ROTC space,
or is it CTE space? CTE space. CTE now. It'll be ROTC in that. Just ROTC? Yes. Okay. So those will be the only kids going in and out? They will be the only ones that are on it. And will you be doing something with the track? To be determined. K. Would love to do something with the track. Yeah. It'd be great. So how are we how are we looking at this one on budget? Or are we Right now, we're fine. This has been this is major change This is compared to where we started out. Yeah. This is And just kind of for the for the community's
understanding. No. Yeah. I know. But I'm just saying that top space up there is where the old building will come down Yes. On the top left. Top left Mhmm. Where there's a parking lot on the top left there. Again, it's hard to see it on this. There is a current building there now that'll be torn down. Yeah. Just to just to reiterate I I know it's we we've done that, but, have have there been any additional real changes since then? Nothing. It's gonna be pretty minor if any Nothing to note at this point. Again, I think the the as I mentioned earlier,
the phasing piece is was a little bit of a task to figure out how are we gonna get make this happen. Yeah. There's a lot. Kudos to everyone working on this project because we knew it would be challenging. It's gonna be a challenge. There was some extra stuff that came up Yeah. At every turn. So Absolutely. And working with with with the schedule so that we don't disrupt students, it just compounded all the challenge. So well done. Again, it'll it'll push it out a little bit further, but I think it's it'll be worth it in the end. It's gotta be right. Yeah. We only get one chance to to make these changes.
Just wanna, again, thank the voters for passing the bond last November so we could be able to do all this. I I don't wanna even lose sight of the pictures that Sierra shared earlier of all the priority improvement projects happening this summer. Just a lot of work happening at those nine schools because of those bond dollars. And then these two major high school projects are gonna be huge. And we just wanna make sure that we're coming to the board and the public anytime we are making changes, so we're being transparent. We don't want anybody caught off guard, down the road. And so, the good thing is, as Clint said, that those, safety and security upgrade projects came in so far under budget,
which is a great thing. We're able to free up funds for the central high school additions. And then, we're anticipating savings in those, pit projects this summer that can cover the Fruit of Monument High School, cost as well, which is a good thing because we will have additional funds throughout this process, but we're trying to hold those in case, you know, unforeseen things pop up later in later projects. So the fact that we can stay within the budget is gonna be a good thing for us, and it'll get central what they need and also some of the things that Fruita that, we should have done maybe down the road that we can actually knock out now,
I think will be really good for the school. So I'm excited about both of those. And then, yeah, to the point of Jose Luis, tracks, you know, that's something that we can always look at down the road as well if we have some cost savings because I do think the high schools all need all weather tracks, which would be nice. Alright. Thank you. Thank you. Alright. So our last, presentation is for our charter school recommendation, and Jen's gonna present. Just a reminder tonight, it's not actually a recommendation being made because that's for next Tuesday. It'll be a recommendation and vote by the board. Jen wants to present an update on where we are in the process,
and so I'm gonna turn it over to to do that. Okay. Hello, everybody. Thank you very much. Yes. Tonight's presentation, will provide an overview of the charter school review and evaluation process to ensure that we've got clarity, transparency, and transparency in how each application was assessed, like doctor Hill said. It tonight will not include a recommendation from the district. So first, I'm gonna start with the process. Overview of the charter school application process. First, charter schools apply to operate under d fifty one's authorization. So we become the authorizer.
Applications must meet legal, academic, operational, and financial standards. These are based on board policy LBD, LBDR, and obviously state statute. They all align with each other or everything aligns to, state statute. There is a structured timeline and process, that, will guide the denial, it has to be by resolution. There are eight key phases in this process. The first phase is the letter of intent. It's submitted prior to when the full applications are submitted.
Full applications, are submitted. There's a window from February 1 to April 1. So that letter of intent needs to happen before February 1. That window of February 1 to April 1 was of this year, 2025. That begins about an eighteen month clock. So, all the applications, everything will be reviewed. The board will determine by the June. June 30 is what state statute says for schools to start in the 2026 school year. After the applications are all submitted,
we notify the board and then the district accountability committee has the opportunity to review and evaluate parts of the application and give feedback. Then, d fifty one leadership team reviews and evaluates the entire, application. Then we move per state statute. We have community meetings, which you all were part of. It was Saturday, May 17. We had, a community or a community meeting. Then capacity interviews with applicants. I do wanna note capacity interviews are not required by state statute.
It is, best practice, and we held, capacity interviews on June 4. And then lastly, the district makes a recommendation and the board makes final decision, and that will happen next, next Tuesday in a special meeting on June 24. Here's a timeline, that I through the lens of DAC. We started I started training on February 6. I provided a training to DAC. I knew at that time, the window had just opened, but I knew at that time that we would have some charter school submissions.
So I trained DAC. We meet on the first Thursday of every month. So on February 6, I trained, DAC. We reviewed, all board policies, like I said, LBD and LBDR. We review in state statute. We review the application and an evaluation standards document. We have viewed the evaluation rubric, and I shared what that process would look like. We received two applications that we will, provide findings on next week. The first one that we reviewed as from DAC was gateway for success,
and we reviewed that, as a DAC on April 3. DAC review, they have the entire with each of these, applications, they do have, the entire and we'll review it and read it and look at it, but they only evaluate the sections that we have up here. That's a, b, d, k, and l. So the executive summary, vision and mission statements, evidence of support, parent and community involvement, and enrollment policy. We came back the next Thursday on April, and,
DAC reviewed the Somerset Academy, scenic view application. And, again, they did the same, the same sections. I do wanna add, that there was a conflict of interest screener that I administered to each member of, the DAC to ensure there wasn't a conflict of interest with any member. And, I actually received that from CAPSA, and it was a great addition. So that actually has been added to our process is a conflict of interest. So then I'm gonna share the timeline that we did with the d fifty one
admin team. So that training happened on April. Again, very similar. Reviewed the board policies, state statute, application and evaluation standards document, the evaluation rubric, and the process overview overview. I do need to add that and these are all documents that you yourself have seen because I've shared them with each one of you along with the applications. I want to share that, I forgot what I wanted to share additionally, but I'm sure it will pop into my head any moment now. So, Oh, I know what I wanted to share. Sorry. That that application and evaluation standards document,
that is a document, that I shared with each charter school when they sent in their letter of intent to apply. And I'll go over that a little, more in detail on the next slide, but I wanted to share that they do receive board policies and that document. Then the application evaluation. So while I trained everybody on April, we all gave them a a little bit of time, about six to seven weeks, six weeks to review each one of the applications, and they needed to have their reviews done by the May because we did capacity
interviews on June 4. And so reviewing the application against the evaluation standards and the rubric had to be done by the thirtieth so that we could have, the capacity interviews on June 4. Right before those capacity interviews, I did train again our, admin team on what a properly, constituted capacity interview. Remember, these aren't required, but it is best practice. And then board presentations tonight, the charter school evaluation, process overview, and then next Tuesday is a special meeting.
I do wanna add an addition. The district contracted with an external, evaluator, doctor Mackenzie Khan, from the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers, also known as CAXA, to ensure the charter application review process was transparent, thorough, and aligned with best practices and charter school authorization at both the state and the national level. Doctor Khan helped the team stay objective and eliminate any biases through the review process. So the evaluation tools used. Again, I said you you have had the opportunity to look at these tools.
I've shared them with you. The charter school application and evaluation standards document, this tool provides a comprehensive framework aligned with board policy and Colorado state statute, ensuring that all required components of a charter application are addressed and evaluated consistently. Charter school evaluation rubric also align to state statute and board policy. This rubric provides clear criteria and rating scales across each area to support evidence based
decision making. And last, the capacity interviews. These interviews allow the evaluation team to assess the applicant's readiness and ability to implement their proposed model in practice. They these interviews help verify information in the written application and identify areas needing any further clarification. Together, these tools ensure that all charter applications are evaluated rigorously, equitably, and in the best interest of students, the district, and our broader community. I am gonna share this,
this slide has got a little a lot of words. So if you just wanna take a moment and read, it describes each of the rubric ratings. The top being fully developed from mostly to partially, and unfortunately, it's a little hard to read on the the front screen, not developed. I have highlighted or bolded some words that should grab your attention in each, area rating. So the evaluation process essentially has three steps. This first step, we will review, the committee will review and evaluate the application against that new charter school application and
evaluation standards document and the evaluation rubric. On the evaluation rubric, we note the strengths, concerns, and identify key questions that might need to be asked at the capacity interview. Finally, each evaluator will assign a preliminary rating for each section of the rubric reviewed and evaluated. When we move to step two, at the capacity interview, which is the capacity interview step, the evaluators ask clarifying key questions as identified in the evaluation rubric for specific sections.
Evaluators may change their original rating based on the responses at the capacity interviews. Then the last step, all ratings are gathered from each evaluator's rubric and combined into one document, and then each section is assigned an overall rating. These three steps collectively provide a body of evidence that will inform the final decision making. While there are nineteen secondtions of an application and all sections are reviewed and evaluated,
there are eight sections, these listed above on on the slide, that represent the foundational elements necessary to open and operate a school. If any of these sections are underdeveloped, they raise concerns for the applicant's readiness to launch and sustain their school. Those sections are c, goals, objectives, and pupil performance, d, evidence of support, f, plan for evaluating pupil performance, G, budget and finance. H, governance and facilities.
Section Q, serving students with special needs. And the section s, school management contracts. So now I will share a little bit of information regarding the two applications that we received gateway for success and Somerset Academy scenic view. So the overview of gateway for success anticipated opening, they would like to open, the fall of twenty twenty six. Grade levels that they serve is nine through 12 high school. The model, it's a blended learning model to include online and independent study coursework with drop in
options. They plan to, if accepted, apply for an alternative ed campus and AEC. We do have one of those in the district already. The educational program is considered alternative credit recovery and a year round school, and they'll have multiple of these drop in centers. They are, they have or they're working in partnership with a charter management organization, and that, CMO is pathways management group. Their enrollment projections are here, and you can see those.
Our second application is the Somerset Academy scenic view, anticipated opening fall of twenty twenty six. They plan to start, year one, k five. Then years two through five, there'll be a gradual expansion from, two five to k eight. I'm sorry. Year two five. They'll gradually expand from k to eighth grade. Model is traditional in person on a school campus. Their charter management organization that they're going they want to work with is Somerset Academy of Colorado. It's a non profit profit,
corporation which contracts with the educational service provider Academica. And here you'll see their enrollment projections. So my final slide is the evening. What is the board's responsibilities? I know you know what your responsibilities are. However, I thought, well, this would be an opportunity to share not only with you, but with, our the public. So you have had the charter school applications as long as we've had. So you need to ensure that you review those charter, applications, all those materials entirely and thoroughly. You have both of those evaluation documents,
to review and evaluate these applications. Watch the capacity interview recordings. And then next week, consider the d 51 summary of findings and recommendations. And, again, it is your responsibility to vote, to approve, or deny any by resolution, and I put by June 30. I know we're meeting on the twenty fourth. State statute just says June 30, so it has to be done by June 30. And with that, I have shared the process with you all. Thank you. Thank you. Made it.
Thanks, Jen. And that concludes my superintendent report. Alright. Okay. Next up, we have audience comments. So, director Jones will be calling who's up and then who's on deck. So up there at the microphone, you do have the timer, which will be counting down, And then you also will have, the ding at thirty seconds, which will just let you know that you have thirty seconds left to wrap up and then a longer tone, when your time is complete. So, director Jones, are you ready to go?
So you have three minutes, for public comment. Alrighty. Up first, we have, Chris Masters, and on deck, Stanley Magnuson. Board of Education. Hill, thank you for having us today. My name is Chris Masters, and I'm the chief operating officer for HomeAdobe on the Grand Valley and Pathways Family Shelter. I am here today to advocate for transportation to and from school for our unhoused children. Our unhoused community, as we know, is the most vulnerable in our community, and our children out of that population are the most vulnerable. I took the liberty of taking the walk from Pathways Family Shelter to Fruitvale,
both routes. It took me about an hour. I would just imagine how long it would take little 12 inch legs to make that walk. Just something to think about. Since January, we have had about that over 200 school aged kids come through the shelter. And remember, we also share a parking lot with, Pathways Village, which also has children that are have been recently unhoused that are just moving into an apartment that also will be affected by this. I just wanna paint a quick picture for you. You have a disabled parent with two school aged kids,
a toddler and an infant with no transportation. It is going to be impossible for them to make it to school. As we know, transportation extremely improves learning and attendance when it comes to education. So what I am asking for is transportation for the most vulnerable of our community to and from school. Again, right now, we have about 50 children at our shelter. Please, please consider this. This is very important. We have children, with all sorts of disabilities.
And, the the last thing I would want is for a parent because of some of the, issues with the children, developmental and whatnot and physical, to take that walk and for one of the parents to lose positive control and the kid just run-in the street and get hit. As I was walking down Orchard, I counted about 80 cars as I was going down Orchard. As I was going down past Patterson, I stopped counting when I got to about a 150 cars. I also took the route through 24 a Half, through Bookcliff, through Dawn Drive, which is not a very safe neighborhood for our children to be,
walking through. Most of our parents do not have, transportation, So this is my plea. Please provide transportation to the most vulnerable individuals in our community, our unhoused children. Thank you. Okay. Up next, we have Stanley Magnuson, and on deck, Sheila Worth. Recently, I had a chance encounter with a highly respected and long tenured faculty member at Grand Junction High School. He told me Grand Junction High School runs short of subs every day. Since this is the case, I wonder why does district fifty one limit the number of subs it employs?
Is district fifty one's income mean revenue is so limited. They can't employ all the subs they need. Most places, they just say most districts are saying get bring your girlfriend, bring your mother or so, but have them be subs type of thing. But I just I never really may not understand this where there's such a limitation on the number of subs, and yet they're running short every day. I don't think it's a lack of funds. We've been talk people have been talked to died about all these funds coming in here, savings here, this and that. And then,
of course, we recently had the chance to build a new Grand Junction High School, that from complete scratch up, so to speak, and that took a lot of money. And, well, it was 68 years old and did have flooding problems as as I understand. But looking at the original four Denver high schools, Northwest, South, and east, those are all about a 100 plus and still going. And also but, I think there's there's plenty of funds that are coming in. On another highly critical note,
when I interviewed with the the human resources the director of human resources some years ago, she told me she didn't think I could handle the students of Mesa County District fifty one as they are truly very, unruly and misbehaved. Perhaps the principals and the faculty of the District fifty one schools should be given additional inservice instruction on student management. Also, in regard to, campus security officers, maybe not have them only be protecting the students from outside perpetrators,
but monitoring and somewhat getting after the students that are causing disruptions in the classroom and making things so hard for teachers, administrators, and the good students to have to endure. There was a measure that worked well in the Amarillo Schools. It was regarding to have resource officers the option of charging a person on a fine or community service. That would be something that might work well in in in, Grand Junction Schools. I think that just it seems to be quite a mystery why they're running short
every day, yet they only hire a limited amount of subs. I It's a mystery I have yet to try to understand. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Stanley. Alright. Up now, we have miss Sheila Worth, and on deck, Josh Worth. I'm gonna start anytime. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Doctor Hill, mister administration, and board of education. I through this whole charter process, I have gained a whole new appreciation for what you do, I just have to say, from the top down. I just it's it's huge. I don't have a whole lot of comment, other than to say that I know,
Somerset Scenic strongly desires to partner, with District fifty one in a strategic and truly collaborative way, to address the needs that have been shared tonight and and during other times as well. I do wanna say, we are not adversaries to anyone, but we are partners, and that's truly how I see it. I wouldn't be part of it if it weren't the case. I'm not into that kind of thing. So, but we are truly partners in providing high quality education and a culture of kindness for all students.
And, I think we have we all have that in common. With an estimated and this is just, just making phone calls almost 400 students on wait lists at the current charter schools in Grand Junction. And this doesn't include the number of students that are on wait lists at school of choice, schools in the district. But with almost 400 students, I don't think it will be hard to meet our enrollment projections. And I also want to challenge the paradigm thought, and maybe not necessarily yours, but just maybe in the community or with different ones,
about how that we're not taking from the district, but that we would want to work with the district to kind of rise everything up. So it would be it just really could be quite possible where, in the end, d 51 could benefit, everyone would benefit, but that that really requires strategic conversations, collaboration, and and those kinds of things. I know in our application, it's not just words on a page. It's not a template. It isn't just things that just sort of you just threw in there because it sounded good.
It it really is what we what we believe and who we are. And I can't believe I have time left. So, oh, well, two corrections perhaps. One, we'd love to have it, in 2025, not 2026, if that's a possibility. And then also the CMO is Somerset Academy Inc. So just one small little correction, but thank you. Alrighty. Up now, we have Josh Worth, and our final one, miss miss Miranda Young. How you guys doing this evening? I just wanna thank everyone from the district for this collaboration, with Jen Marsh and and everyone with the district through this process.
Like Sheila said, I can't say any better. A true appreciation for what you guys do every day, to just get a little glimpse into, the lives of of the district employees and the people that make this district run so flawlessly. So thank you guys for everything that you guys do. I think it goes unappreciated. So I just wanted to start off by saying that. I just had a couple questions. I, we have some updated enrollment numbers for our charter application and some facility updates and different things. I didn't know if, I was under the impression that recommendation would be tonight, so I was gonna speak to those tonight.
But I didn't know if I should email those, or what the best way would be to get those to you just to make sure you guys make the most informed decision based on our most up to date, data that we have. I just wanted to talk a little bit about this morning. I, sat in on a, board meeting, the annual board meeting for the Somerset network. It was the first chance I got a chance to see all the principals and other board members during these annuals that they have for the whole CMO network, and I was extremely impressed. I just want I wish I could have recorded it or shared it.
Maybe it's recorded, and I can share it with you guys just to show you the people that are behind this mission. It's the same people that were coming here to Grand Junction, speaking with our families, with our parents, having parent meetings. And, and they're just so open and just so loving on all their kids, and it was just so kid focused during this, you know, meeting when they're talking about millions of dollars worth of budgets, and it's still everything came back for how this is gonna benefit the kids in every single one of their schools. They had schools that had intense challenges with, free and reduced lunch, really high rates of that in underprivileged areas,
and they were giving out awards to those students that made these huge growth strides and to the principals. So it was just really encouraging to see, even though it wasn't our community, just to stand back and watch how that could look like in our in our community, how we can pull from that and, and really shape it with ingrain it with what makes our community so special. So I just wanted to share that with you guys, and hopefully, I can get a hold of that recording and pass it along because it's a public document being a annual board meeting so anybody can watch it and anybody could attend those meetings. We've been told by community members that they've been emailing letters of support for the
Charter System to ensure, that that those are coming through, and and, I think a few people said that they're they may have been ending up in spam folders. So I just wanted to share that. There's some concerns from parents, so I just wanted to pass that along that that's the the communications that they have chosen to kinda show their support was sending in some emails. So, I I just am really encouraged by the community as a whole. It's been very encouraging to hear from parents, just the motivation they have behind this, and we really look forward to what's next. Thank you, guys. Alright. And our final audience, would be miss Miranda Young. Good evening.
I just wanted to let you know some of you might might not know me. I am a special education teacher for d five one. I've been teaching here for twenty years, and I absolutely love working in d five one. And I also love the students that I work with each and every day and watching them grow and improve. Okay. In the last couple weeks, a couple of issues have come up, that I've noticed. One is the relationship with MBAA and the board. I know that it's gotten tricky. I've watched for twenty years.
I'm not I'm an I'm a member, but I'm not an I don't I just basically observe. And I've been observing, and I really hope that in July that we can get to a point where both sides can work together, and create the positive outcomes for teachers and for students. And then the next issue is looking at steps and lanes. That it's really important to teachers and especially steps because we can't gain those back as, like,
making up steps. And I learned that through our transition back to the, steps in lanes model. And so as I'm at my twenty year mark, I'm starting to look at retirement, not for a while. But I need it really is helpful when I look at the steps and lanes of knowing when it's that time and how to plan my life. So thank you so much for your, time, and thank you so much for all that you do for us as teachers and
for our students that we are here for. Thank you. That concludes our audience comments for the evening. Alright. Thank you, everyone. Alright. Next up, we have our consent agenda. Excuse me. Alright. The consent agenda contains personnel actions and acceptance of gifts. These 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 requesting any items to be removed this evening? Okay. Seeing none, do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda?
Motion to approve the consent agenda. Second. K. Mister Travis. Approved. Missus Evenson? Yep. Missus Heights? Yes. Mister Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. Alright. Next up, we have, business items. So, board, you'll see we have some policy first readings. So if you have any questions, between now and our next meeting, just make sure that you, are able to ask any questions, just a lot of these are, again, minor changes or changes that we're required to make via the state. So we have our first readings for these changes,
and you'll see those red lines that we receive, in our emails. So these are just the first. And then next up, we have, the new strategic plan adoption. So we have I'd like to actually, move to table this just until our special meeting on Tuesday. My apologies. I just have not had enough time to get through everything this week since I got back into town. So if I just to wait until Tuesday to approve mhmm. Is is everybody good voting on a strategic plan next Tuesday, delaying it one week? Okay. So just next week? Okay.
Well, do we have a oh, sorry. Thank you. Do we have a second to table the, new strategic plan adoption to next Tuesday? I'll second it. Is is there any but is there can we have a discussion about it really quick? Is there Yes. Is there any issue or, like, anything that's gonna offset that by giving it seven more days? Other other than I'll have a a better chance to see it and just go through it. I mean, I feel like you spent a lot of your personal time doing that. I mean, I know I was able to attend one of the meetings, but you attended the majority of those.
So I think out of the respect of the time that you spent at those meetings, that you would have a better insight on that than I would. So I would if there's anything that you saw during your time in those meetings that just doesn't look right to you No. You spent more time than that. Well, I'm just saying There's no there's no specific reason. Right. Well, I'm just saying that out of respect for the time that you spent at those, you know, those meetings, like, I would second that. Not to put words in your mouth, but you were on vacation. So I think you were just needing No. I have to smile. Look at it. Time to go on vacation. Well, you were just at you were away,
and you didn't have time. I just have no had time to Yeah. Get through everything. There's a lot that went down in the last three weeks. So Yeah. I just You had a life, and we just just asking for a little more time. I could just have a little more time there. Absolutely do that. So board good next week, next Tuesday? Okay. We can vote on the next Tuesday. We'll vote on tabling it. Yeah. Vote yeah. We're voting on tabling it till next Tuesday, so we'll vote. Okay. Mister Chavez? Yes. Missus Evanston? Yes. Missus Heights? Yes. Mister Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. Okay. So table. Alright.
And then we have a resolution for display certified staff. So we have that resolution in your packet. Do I have a motion for the resolution for certified staff to approve a resolution. Move to approve the resolution. Second. Any discussion? This is no different than what we've had to do before. Okay. So just so everybody knows. Alright. So seeing no further discussion, we can go ahead and take the vote. Mister Chavez? Yes. Missus Evenson? Yes. Missus Heights? Yes. Mister Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. Alright.
And then do I have a motion to approve the twenty twenty five twenty twenty six, budget adoption? Motion to approve the twenty twenty five twenty six budget adoption. Second. Any discussion on that? We had Mel present the last couple of weeks, and we've had our two budget hearings. So okay. Seeing no discussion, we can go ahead and take the vote. Mister Travis? Yes. Missus Evenson? Yes. Missus Heights? Yes. Mister Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. Alright. And then also with, well, do I have a motion to approve the use of the beginning fund balance?
Motion to approve the use of the beginning fund balance. Second. This was also discussed, with Mel. So k. Seeing no discussion, we can take the vote. Mister Chavez? Yes. Missus Evanston? Yes. Missus Heights? Yes. Mister Jones? Yes. Miss Lima? Yes. I suppose I could have done all three of these together. Sorry, board. It's okay. Alright. Do I have motion to borrow unencumbered monies for other district funds? Motion to approve borrowing unencumbered money for other district funds. Hang on a second. Go ahead and take a second. Mister Chavez. Yes. Missus Evanston. Yes. Missus Heights.
Yes. Mister Jones? Miss Lima? Yes. Alright. Thank you, board. That concludes our business items. Any other board discussion? Okay. Seeing none, we have, our board meeting. Well, we actually have a candidate a board of education candidate workshop. That'll be something new that we are doing this year. We actually have, the Colorado Association of School Board, Matt Cook, joining us to help us with the candidate workshop. And that will be, Monday, June 23 here in this room at 05:30. I think some board members will be here to help answer any questions for anyone
that's interested in being a candidate for, board of education. And, Matt will answer some questions, and I believe our own legal counsel will be here to answer questions. And then we have our, special meeting, next Tuesday, the twenty fourth for both the charter and, our strategic plan adoption vote. So alright. Do I have a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Alright. Thank you, everyone.