All members of the El Paso County Colorado School District 49 Board of Education were present at the regular meeting in March, except John Koster, director, who was absent with prior notice. Emily Miller, a 12th grader from Vista Ridge High School, attended as a member of the student board of representatives.Before the regular meeting, the BOE held a ìFantastic 49î event and honored the following: Lindy Bachman, a seventh-grade science teacher at Skyview Middle School, for providing excellent learning experiences for her students; Nicole Juhl, kindergarten teacher at Springs Ranch Elementary School, for creating a caring classroom and celebrating each studentís individuality; Kristy Sundberg, seventh-grade teacher at Falcon Middle School, for implementing modern teaching strategies; and Melinda Snavley, attendance secretary at Meridian Ranch Elementary School, for being the welcoming face and voice for students and families.Peter Hilts, chief education officer, provided a statement on the districtís decision to suspend all schools and programs for two weeks, starting March 17, because of the coronavirus.ìAlthough we are completely confident and capable of doing things by ourselves as a district, we are doing this in concert with virtually every school district in the Pikes Peak region, reaching down toward Fremont and all around up to Woodland Park,î he said.Board updateKevin Butcher, vice president, said even though COVID-19 has been at the forefront of everyoneís minds, 2020 is still a census year, and it is important for people to participate because the information obtained helps determine how funds are distributed to school districts and the county.Dave Cruson, treasurer, reminded everyone about the Falcon Education Foundation fundraiser April 17 at 6 p.m. at Boot Barn Hall in Colorado Springs, but he said that could change if COVID-19 precautions call for extended gathering restrictions.John Graham, president, said he attended a conference on inclusion of special education students into the general education environment and was happy to see that Inspiration View Elementary School ñ- which is in its first year of operation ñ- is already undertaking that challenge. ìI got a really good feeling for how inclusion can improve not only the school, but all of the students that attend those schools,î he said.Chief officersí updateHilts said the Falcon Zone has reached level 5 in Digital Convergence on the Modern Teacher platform for their zone model called EmpowerFZ. The zones represent the only system of schools in the nation operating at that level, which is outstanding, he said.Hilts also recognized Emma Schlosser, a sixth-grader at Horizon Middle School, who was elected to be the Colorado-Wyoming Governor of the Junior Optimist International organization and Linda Rogers, a teacher at HMS, who was selected as a Business Excellence Educator by the EduCenter in Colorado.Pedro Almeida, chief operations officer, said the safety and security department hired six armed security personnel from the pool of candidates interviewed over the last few weeks. Training of those individuals began during spring break.The capital planning and prioritization team spent time going through the capital projects and proposals, and will bring a prioritized list to the BOE in the next couple of months, Almeida said.Student board of representativesí updateMiller said VRHS hosted a statewide health professionals club competition and had three groups qualify for the international competition set to take place in Houston in June.Open forumBradley Kurtz, community member, said he is a board member for the EPC Young Democrats, and the organization is conducting a voter registration drive to encourage eligible high school students to vote in the November 2020 election. ìThis is not a partisan matter,î he said. ìVoter registration and participation are the cornerstone of our nationís democracy.îAction itemsThe BOE unanimously approved the following:
- Revisions to the following policies: preparation for postsecondary and workforce success; graduation requirements; literacy and reading comprehension assessments; entrance age requirements; first aid and emergency medical care; and student use of the internet and electronic communications
- Revisions to the districtís strategic priorities or ìBig Rocksî to initiate a new six-year review cycle
- The 2020 list of strategic objectives: upgrade support to address disruptive and harmful student behaviors; foster mental wellness for students and the workforce; elevate local accountability measures and systems; secure community leadership to increase school funding; implement a comprehensive strategic communications plan; optimize facility planning and configurations; and sustain and extend enhanced security
