By Deb Risden
The El Paso County School District 49 Board of Education held its monthly meeting March 13 at Sand Creek High School. All board members were present. Kayla Maldonado, internal communications manager, recognized the Fantastic 49 staff.
- Melissa Solis, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education intern at Skyview Middle School, for her demonstration of initiative and dedication to helping multilingual students achieve success
- Claire Phillips, senior staffing specialist, for her willingness to help other staff members, taking the initiative in changing district onboarding processes and creating ADA compliant staff calendars
- Jay Sharkey, Horizon Middle School paraprofessional, for always being available to assist students and staff
- Lance Carroll, assistant principal at Sand Creek High School, for her leadership and involvement in the community, including initiating a student climate and culture board to get input from the entire student body
Superintendent’s update
Peter Hilts, superintendent, attended a recent city summit event hosted by COSILoveYou. Hilts participated on a panel with other superintendents and said there were organizations looking to partner with schools for activities such as clothing and food drives.
Hilts recognized some student accomplishments in the Sand Creek Zone. He said Horizon Middle School’s seventh and eighth grade orchestras earned the top rating of superior at state competitions. He said the wind ensemble earned an excellent rating at Colorado Bandmasters. Hilts said that two out of four SCHS wrestlers who competed in the state championship won their competition.
Student Board of Representatives’ update
Keira Teeples, Jakin Ford and Kathrine Taylor said the SBOR will be meeting soon to discuss the results of their discussions with elementary and middle school students throughout D 49.
Board update
Lori Thompson, president, attended the Engage 49 safety and security event. She said school resources officers, representatives from Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable information at the event. She encouraged the community to attend any future Engage 49 events. Thompson attended the SBOR meeting where students discussed participation in the new leadership course. She said the students discussed the qualities of good leadership, highlighting servant leadership, conflict resolution, being respectful when there are differing opinions, how to fix their mistakes and the importance of not confusing popularity with leadership.
Jamilynn D’Avola, vice president, visited five elementary schools and said she found that students are excited about learning and engaged in their classroom work.
Marie LaVere-Wright, secretary, said some tables are available for the Falcon Education Foundation annual fundraiser event scheduled for April 11. LaVere-Wright said she is the FEF contact person for anyone who would like to donate auction items. The FEF grants scholarships to senior students as well as D 49 classrooms. She encouraged others to help seniors who might need assistance by checking all possible resources for scholarships.
Mike Heil, treasurer, attended a Special Education Advisory Committee meeting where the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs gave an informational presentation on a program offered by UCCS and Pikes Peak State College for students who have a diagnosed intellectual disability. He said it is a four-year transition to an independent living program involving classes, obtaining employment, apartment living, social events and working with a mentor. Heil said it is a comprehensive program that culminates in a certificate of completion and participation in a graduation ceremony. He said financial aid is available.
Heil participated in the district’s interview process for a new chief financial officer.
Debra Schmidt, director, also participated in the CFO interviewing process.
Action items
The BOE unanimously approved the following:
- A proclamation naming April as the Month of the Military Child
- Mountain View Academy five-year charter renewal
Discussion items
Karen Bixler, coordinator of D 49 title programs, provided an annual update of the district’s Title I, II, III and IV federally funded programs. Title I funds are allocated for improving academic achievement related to the disadvantaged. D 49 has eight Title I schools serving 3,921 students. Bixler said the district will add two new schools to Title I funding next year — Skyview Middle School and Power Technical Middle School.
Title II funds are used to prepare, train and recruit high quality educators and leaders with a goal to improve student achievement.
Title III funds provide supplemental support for English language learners. Bixler said within the Title III funds is an immigration set-aside grant that provides the district funds to enhance instructional opportunities for immigrant students and their families. The funds help pay for family community liaisons, family engagement events, adult classes for parent education and child care, books in native languages and technology.
Title IV funds are used for student support with a goal of increasing academic achievement by providing well-rounded education, improving school conditions (safety and health) and improving the use of technology.
All four title fund programs help provide professional development for staff. Bixler said the title programs undergo an annual review process that involves ongoing monitoring and data collection throughout the year. She said a needs assessment is conducted in the spring followed by planning and budgeting for the next year. A consolidated application is submitted to the Colorado Department of Education by June 30 of each year.
The BOE discussed proposed revisions for policies AD and AD-R — School District 49 Identity, Vision, Mission and Philosophy. The BOE moved the policy revisions to the next working session for further discussion.
The next regular meeting of the BOE is April 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Peakview Hall at the Creekside Success Center in Colorado Springs.
