By Deb Risden
The El Paso County School District 49 Board of Education held its monthly meeting June 13. All BOE members were in attendance.
Superintendent’s update
Peter Hilts, superintendent, said that going forward, four zone superintendents and the executive directors will provide a report to the BOE. Hilts said the district is hiring and training and has made progress, including having two new principals in place. He said high school graduations went well; and, based on survey data, moving ceremonies indoors was a positive change as well as the World Arena venue.
Board update
Lori Thompson, president, attended multiple district promotion and graduation ceremonies and said the variety of graduates included college-bound, internships, military and employment. Thompson said the Falcon High School baseball team competed in the state playoffs and the seniors on the team received their diplomas on the baseball field. Thompson spoke to the El Paso County Commissioners in May where the commission unanimously passed a proclamation in support of charter schools.
Jamilynn D’Avola, vice president, attended graduations in May. She noted that the World Arena was more accessible for students with disabilities than prior outdoor venues.
Mike Heil, treasurer, said $165 million of deferred maintenance was identified during the annual planning summit and a long-range facilities planning committee was formed. The committee is evaluating a Colorado Energy Office energy performance contracting program that provides an innovative funding model for capital improvements in school districts. Heil said the district engages an energy services company to audit the facilities and produce a proposal that would provide savings on utility bills. Money is borrowed against those projected savings to pay for the projects. If cost-saving targets are met at the end of the project, the savings pay off the debt. If savings exceed target, Heil said those savings can be used toward other projects. He said if the target is short of the projected numbers, the contractor is required to pay the difference, which protects the district from financial obligation. Heil said the committee selected Schneider Electric from two submitted proposals because they are the No. 1 rated company in the country for this type of project work; El Paso County School Districts 11 and 38 have utilized their services. He said the next step is for Schneider Electric to conduct an audit of D 49 facilities and present a proposal.
Debra Schmidt, director, attended graduations and noted that Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy held graduation on their new football field. Schmidt toured the new transportation facility. She attended the Newcomer Summit where there was a three-student panel that discussed hurdles they faced and ideas to make them feel more comfortable. There was also training on techniques to help kids regulate themselves when sad or upset, as well as a program to help kids with reading and language.
Marie LaVere-Wright, secretary, said FHS has received a mini-grant for refurbishing and creating flexible learning spaces in the school. There is a sign-up for furniture donations on Facebook and through the Falcon Zone website. She said art students will help refurbish and recreate donated furniture.
Action items
The BOE unanimously approved the following:
- Coordinator of school health services job position
- Early childhood education staff aide job position
- Transportation parts technician job position
- New job description for the discipline secretary
- Revisions to policies that reflect graduation requirements aligned to state requirements
The BOE approved the following by a majority vote:
- Minor changes to policies
- An annual update of the student handbook
Discussion items
Amy Sanchez-Martinez, principal at Sand Creek High School, proposed two new courses for students entering upper levels of career and technical education pathways: health science teaching assistant and shop assistant. Sanchez-Martinez said these courses will provide leadership skills and help students obtain certifications in careers like phlebotomy. The BOE moved it forward for a vote at the next regular meeting.
Daniel Payne, facilities building maintenance group manager, presented a job description for a lead facilities system specialist. He said a lead is needed because of an increased workload. He said it will be funded from the facilities budget. The BOE moved it forward for a vote at the next regular meeting.
David Trautenberg, chief financial officer, proposed a new position for a coordinator of technology that would work with zone leaders, educators and students to bring the best technology into the classrooms. He said the position would replace a current role with some added salary and benefits. The BOE moved it forward for a vote at the next regular meeting.
Amy Attwood, a contract lobbyist for D 49, provided an education legislation update. Attwood said three significant bills were passed during the 2024 legislative session:
- An annual school funding package (HB24-188)
- Reform of a school funding formula that directs more money to special education students, at-risk and English language learners (HB24-1448)
- Two-tiered property tax system designed to protect school district revenues (HB24-233)
Attwood said legislators recognize that these bills address some school funding issues but do not address whether schools are spending enough funds to achieve student achievement goals.
For the 2024-25 school year, the per-pupil funding rate will increase by $419.
A performance update of the Applied & Advanced Learning program was given by Sean Norman, director of applied and advanced learning, and members of the AAL team.
Shonda Green, concurrent enrollment program coordinator, reported that student participation has grown in all zones and more so in the Sand Creek Zone. She said the principal and dean work closely with the AAL department and are now offering 32 college courses. Green said the biggest growth is seen in the spring semester after outreach to students and families takes place. A data dashboard and interactive tool has been created so all stakeholders could have access to program data.
Mary Krisco, coordinator for career and technical education, said each year high demand careers are identified, which drives the program focus. For the 2024-25 school year, those careers include hospitality and food services; professional, scientific and technical services; health care and social assistance; construction; manufacturing and transportation. Krisco said 15 new career pathways are available to students, three of which are at the middle school level that align with high school curriculums. She said 20% of all jobs will require an industry-recognized certification. D 49 programs help students attain certification in areas such as Adobe Illustrator, certified nursing assistant, construction and OSHA, phlebotomy and ServSafe. Krisco said students recently completed building a house in partnership with the Homebuilders Association. The house has been purchased and will be moved to Calhan for occupancy by its new owner.
Kelsey Grimaldo, choice and success program manager, said the D 49 program is highlighted on the Colorado Department of Education website for best practices. Grimaldo reported that during the 2023-24 school year, there were about 130 industry professionals coming into the classrooms as guest speakers, 75 student industry site visits, 35 job shadows and 60 internships. Grimaldo said one internship example is in phlebotomy. The program partners with Matthews-Vu Medical Group and LabCorp for students to obtain the skills needed and earn certifications, which allow them to enter the workforce immediately after high school graduation.
The district partnered with Reilly Crisler Jump Start Memorial Fund and the Colorado Workforce Center to host the first annual Draft Day, which gave students an opportunity to speak with local industry partners. Grimaldo said the industry participants said it was worth their time and better than a traditional career fair. She said 57% of students who attended were hired by participating employers. Grimaldo said, “Work-based learning is for all students. We want to grow our own community and give them an opportunity to meet professionals so they’ll come back and work in our community.”
David Nancarrow, director of communications, provided a communications department performance report. He said D 49 has overtaken D 11 on key social media metrics such as Facebook page likes and followers, and the numbers are increasing on Instagram. Nancarrow said the department is working on filling job vacancies. A compliance and customer service specialist is scheduled to start late June and an offer has been presented for an internal communications manager. Nancarrow said during the next school year, each zone will host a BOE meeting to allow easier access for more people to attend. Nancarrow announced that D 49 Communications Department has recently been awarded excellence in video, writing and for the podcast by the Colorado School Public Relations Association.
The next regular meeting of the BOE is Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Peakview Hall at the Creekside Success Center in Colorado Springs.
