All members of the Falcon School District 49 Board of Education were present at the May 12 regular meeting.Before the meeting, the BOE held a ìFantastic 49î event and recognized students from Skyview Middle School and Sand Creek and Falcon high schools.The board recognized Damar Taylor, a senior at Sand Creek, as the recipient of the Daniels Fund Scholarship, a four-year annually renewable college scholarship. Taylor said he will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the fall, where he plans to study biology or biochemistry. The board also recognized Genesis Andino, a seventh-grade student at Skyview, who will attend the West Point science, technology, engineering and mathematics workshop this summer in New York.Caleb Jackson and Dakota Nelson, 12thgrade students at Falcon High School, were lauded for being accepted to the United States Air Force Academy. Jackson said he plans to study sports medicine and biology; Nelson said he plans to study aeronautical engineering.Open forumThree parents from the district thanked the board for considering the therapeutic marijuana policy ìJaxís Policy.î Jennie Stormes, whose son, Jackson, inspired the policy, was one of the thankful parents.Meagan Patrick, whose daughter has been using cannabis oil for treatment for two years, said, ìYou have really put these studentsí needs to be educated on par with their need for medical treatment.î Jaxís Policy The BOE unanimously passed ìJaxís Policy.î The policy represents the first of its kind in Colorado.Following the vote, the BOE took a short recess for a press conference. Peter Hilts, D 49 chief education officer, said, ìJaxís policy has been a year in the making. It has been crafted carefully and deliberately to honor the voices of the entire District 49 family, from our larger community to our parents and from our staff to our students … We want to be clear that this policy does not change our position and policy that recreational marijuana in any and all forms is not permitted in District 49 schools.îAction itemsThe BOE unanimously approved the following:
- The revised innovation plan for Woodmen Hills Elementary School, which was a continuation of the current innovation plan
- The following new or revised job descriptions: district building custodial supervisor; variable site building custodial technician; area project-maintenance coordinator; grounds lead; nutrition services facilitator; nutrition services specialist; coordinator of literacy performance; and coordinator of academic performance
- Rates for the transportation fee-for-service program for the 2016-2017 school year ñ no change in fees for 2015-2016
- School fees for the 2016-2017 school year
- Changes to the administrative salary schedule
- A policy to provide the public with insight into the districtís proactive response protocols executed when graffiti and/or iconography are left on the districtís physical or virtual property
- 2016 performance evaluation metrics for the chief business officer and the chief operations officer
- Review of the following district policies: accreditation; standards-based education; school building administration; budget referenda; food services; free and reduced-price food services; nutritious food choices; and nondiscrimination on the basis of sex
- Changes to the Kidsí Corner work calendar
Discussion itemsGene Hammond, D 49 transportation director, presented the board with information about installing seat belts in the districtís school buses. He said the way to get the biggest bang for the buck would be to retrofit the buses designated as ìout-of-townî buses, of which the district currently has 10. Every new bus the district acquires would also include seat belts, Hammond said.Hammond also presented information about the FXS bus guard system, which the district is piloting. The FXS bus guard system uses cameras mounted on the outside of the bus at various locations to create a record of any vehicles violating bus safety laws, such as not stopping for the busís stop arm, he said. Twice as many fatalities occur outside and around a school bus than inside it, usually because other drivers are violating bus safety laws, Hammond said.The system shows vehicle license plates via various cameras mounted on the bus, which allows the district to more easily report violations. D 49 is the first district in Colorado to pilot the FXS bus guard system, he said.FXS Colorado makes the bus guard and will supply the district with the equipment for the system at no charge, in exchange for a portion of the revenue acquired from monetary fines for violations, he said.Zach Craddock, executive director of individualized education, proposed that the district create a director of special education position to meet student growth needs and efficiency requirements. The board moved the proposal forward as an action item for the June 9 regular meeting.Mike Pickering, POWER zone leader, updated the board on how his zoneís performance is being measured.Brett Ridgway, chief business officer, presented information about the districtís preparations for its participation in the November 2016 election.Andy Franko, iConnect zone leader, presented information on a proposed name change for the Patriot Learning Center to Patriot High School. All feedback received has been positive about the change, he said. The board moved the proposal forward as an action item for the June meeting.Paul Andersen, director of human resources, presented a proposal for a unified job description of ìinstructional coachî that would effectively compensate employees acting in that capacity. The proposal does not create any new positions, he said. The board moved this proposal forward as an action item for Juneís meeting.Lou Fletcher, director of culture and services, presented information about proposed policy changes that would use restorative practices to help re-integrate students after suspensions or other similar forms of disciplinary action. The board moved this proposal forward as an action item for Juneís meeting.Areashera Bartlett, member of the Sand Creek campus innovation team, presented information on a proposal to change Sand Creek High School to a teacher-led campus, in which a collaborative model of leadership and teaching would replace the current, traditional model. The proposal would allow the school to divide the authority and duties of the principal among the administration and teacher leaders, she said.The directors agreed that the proposal needed more work; it will be listed as a discussion item for the June meeting.The next regular meeting of the BOE is June 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom of the D 49 Education Services Center.
