The El Paso County School District 49 Board of Education held its monthly meeting Dec. 16.Amy Matisek, internal communications manager, recognized the following Fantastic 49 recipients:
- Jessica Cole, interim assistant principal at Inspiration View Elementary, for serving as a crossing guard as needed
- Rachel Zilverberg, significant support needs paraeducator at Falcon Elementary School of Technology, for her dedication to students
Community supporters/partners who have provided time, money or resources to D 49 students and families were also recognized:
- Tresa Flanegin, ACTS Coordinator, Woodmen Valley Chapel
- Steven Williams, direct services manager, Care and Share Food Bank
- Mike Tapia and Dana Smith, Christmas Unlimited
Open forumTillie Elvrum, president of the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families Board of Directors, leads the Parent Support for Online Learning initiative. She said they partner locally with the National School Choice Week Event and invited D 49 to join them on Jan. 22 at the Colorado Springs Event Center.
Chief Officersí updatePedro Almeida, chief operations officer, commended the transportation department for cancelling transportation services during the severe Dec. 15 windstorm. D 49 is still short 25 bus drivers and 16 nutrition staff. Almeida gave an update on Middle School 23226, explaining there has always been a risk involved with the timeline of the construction of a school in an area that is not yet developed.Brett Ridgway, chief business officer, said for additional transparency about the finances and D 49 budget, the finance file they upload to the Colorado Department of Education is 21,000 lines long. He said it requires precision and plenty of time for the finance department and auditing.Peter Hilts, chief education officer, said several of the staff and board attended the Colorado Association of School Boards Annual Convention. The following members of the student board of representatives also attended: Emma Teeples and Delia Case from Sand Creek High School, and Alexander Branch from Springs Studio for Academic Excellence. He also announced the results of the Dec. 10 State Spirit Championships: Sand Creek High School 4A Co-Ed Cheer placed seventh and the Falcon High School 4A Co-Ed Cheer placed third.
Student Board of Representativesí updateAeneas Penaflor, Falcon High School, said he attended a student board representative meeting where security initiatives were discussed; he said some of the teachers at the meeting were supportive of updated security measures.Hunter Wortkoetter, Vista Ridge High School, reiterated what Penaflor said about teachers supporting updated security measures.
Board updateJohn Graham, president, said the district is still about 200 positions short. Graham said he also attended the CASB annual convention.Lucy Liu, treasurer, visited 13 schools to meet with the principals regarding improving school performance. She gave a shout out to Evans Elementary School ó kids and teachers ó on score improvements the students have made since the beginning of the school year.
Action itemsThe BOE unanimously approved the following:
- The addition of a yoga 2 class at Falcon High School as recommended by the administration
- Moved to certify a mill levy to property owners within District 49 totaling 44.111 mills.
- Approved the proposed revisions to eight policies that include staff and administrative issues
Discussion itemsThe District Accountability Advisory Committee presented their annual report. DAAC is a legislatively sanctioned body, recognized by the state of Colorado, to empower community engagement across the school districtís community.Tom Sistare, CPA, Hoelting & Company Inc., reported on the external audit they performed. The board and chiefs received the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the accompanying board letter.Paul Andersen, director of Human Resources, Amy Matisek, Internal Communications manager and Hilts, CEO, reported on the annual Voice of the Workforce Survey. The goal of the survey process is to obtain employee feedback and insights: 1,575 respondents and 91% of eligible employees completed the survey this year, with a 7.6% satisfaction score for all of D 49.Ron Sprinz, director of finance, gave the financial report for the month ending Oct. 31.Graham said the board plans to hold the Annual Planning Summit Feb. 5, which is open to the public. Public notice of the workshop, including the topics for discussion and study, will be provided. The Annual Planning Summit gives the board and invited administrators a chance to examine the districtís strategic and cultural priorities at a more detailed level.The board updated the primary and secondary committees and liaison assignments for the board, e.g., the Cultural Leadership Advisory Committee, Falcon Community Builders and Student Board of Representatives. The board will forward a discussion on ensuring parentsí presence at elementary school vaccine clinics to the next meeting.The next board meeting is Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Peakview Hall at the Creekside Success Center in Colorado springs.
