2 • Annual Report 2005

Our district, its systems and processes will be subject to

continual scrutiny and improvement.

We will be recognized for

management by fact, results focus and a long-range outlook.

Human Diversity

Educational Excellence

Individual Potential

Shared Responsibility

Ethical Behavior

Continuous Improvement

High expectations are the focus of everything we do.

We challenge all people to

acquire a foundation of knowledge and academic skills, and to achieve their

highest potential.

Varied beliefs and backgrounds strengthen a public education system.

We respect differences which contribute to a better society for all human beings.

Individuals develop within an environment that nurtures

intellectual, social, emotional, physical and aesthetic growth.

Lifelong Learning

Productive Eﬀort

Education is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout life.

We foster

curiosity, motivation and the desire to learn that extends beyond school settings.

The pursuit of greater knowledge and more powerful thinking

demands hard work, perseverance and commitment.

The partnerships among parents, students, staff and community members

are characterized by mutual commitment and collaborative effort.

Our actions are distinguished by the highest standards

of personal behavior,

including trust, honesty, fairness,

integrity and mutual respect.

Revised by the Board of Education March 21, 2000

Douglas County School District Core Values

Key words for speciﬁc topics are

indicated throughout this report.

Log on to www.dcsdk12.org and

click on “Key Word List” under the

DCSD Info menu option.

Douglas County

School District

• 3

ouglas County School District administrators and the Board

of Education are committed to channeling the lion’s share of

district resources directly to the classroom to accomplish the goals

outlined on page ﬁve. As our schools work to meet the needs of their

students, they are pulled from this primary mission by conﬂicting

federal, state and local mandates. The independent school district bill,

proposed at the state legislature in February 2005, was designed to

allow us to channel greater time, energy and resources to the classroom.

Although the initiative was postponed, we are encouraged by the spirit

of the dialogue raised in the committee, and the heartfelt interest in this

important issue by all parties. It was a close vote, and we will continue

working to achieve our ultimate goal to reduce the bureaucracy in our

public schools.

At the district level, our focus remains on our mission: to provide an

educational foundation that allows each student to reach his or her

individual potential. Meeting the needs of all students in Douglas

County is a multi-faceted task—the following pages will provide an

overview of the learning that happens in our schools every day.

For more comprehensive information about Douglas County School

District, please visit www.dcsdk12.org

Contents

Superintendent’s Message

...............

Board of Education

.........................

District Proﬁle

................................

Human Resources

...........................

Learning Services

............................

Organizational Development

.............

Information & Technology Services

Educational Support Services

.........

Communications

............................

Douglas County

Educational Foundation

.................

Finance

........................................

Colorado Student Assessment Program

Reading scores

..............................

Writing scores

...............................

Math scores

..................................

Science scores

..............................

PLAN, ACT and SAT Results

..........

School Accountability Indicators

.....

Alternatives in DCSD

.....................

School Directory

...........................

Administrative Directory

................

4 • Annual Report 2005

In schools, we focus much of our effort and communication on the col-

laboration among parents, students and teachers. In the past year we have also

been reaching out to our broader community. The Board of Education has

been engaged in critical discussions with a variety of civic and community

groups about the things our students need to know and be able to do by the

time they graduate. By deliberately hearing

from some of the 70 percent of adults who do

not have children in school, we are better able

to reﬂ ect Douglas County’s priorities.

Without the support of our community, we

could not build schools and staff them with the

very best and brightest people. In this difﬁ cult

state budget environment, we are doing the best

we can to have an efﬁ cient model of delivery

for the business of teaching and learning.

Our job is to create a sturdy foundation

of knowledge and skills for each student in

Douglas County. Our schools create a place for

lifelong friendships, artistic creativity, athletic

competition, and they impart a sense of ethics

and personal responsibility. Each day the people

who work in our district meet the challenges,

while implementing best practices and innova-

tive ideas for improvement.

This annual report will provide you with

the Board’s vision—called end statements—as

well as an update on the work being done within the district to support these

statements. The mission of Douglas County School District is to provide an

educational foundation that allows each student to reach his or her individual

potential. This report provides an overview of the work we do to support that

mission. I encourage you to visit www.dcsdk12.org for more detailed infor-

mation about any aspect of school district operations.

Thanks for your continued support of our schools.

Sincerely,

Jim Christensen

From the Superintendent

Cutting the ribbon to ofﬁ cially open

Soaring Hawk Elementary School:

Superintendent Jim Christensen

and Principal Jill Donley.

Douglas County

School District

• 5

Scott A. Campbell

, Treasurer

District F

Term expires 2007

“The primary goal of public education should be to teach children how to think

clearly, rather than to clearly teach them what to think. I am deeply committed to

developing critical thinking skills in our children so that they can become lifelo

learners who skillfully acquire both knowledge and wisdom.”

Timothy L. White

President

District D

Term expires 2005

“The Board has worked hard this year to reach into the Douglas County community

to gather feedback as to what our graduates should know and be able to do. Thi

input—from taxpayers, parents, staff and students—has greatly helped our thi

nk-

ing about the future. Now our work shifts to accomplishing ambitious and rele

vant

goals.”

Suzan Klatt

, Director

District A

Term expires 2005

“Education is fundamental to a successful society. My goal is to assist in creating the

environment for our students and teachers to focus on core skills, as well as bu

ilding

the desire for lifelong learning.”

Jill Repella

Director

District C

Term expires 2007

“Quality education in Douglas County is achieved when educators and communi

members come together to provide opportunities that motivate and inspire stu

dents

to obtain knowledge, wisdom and

the desire to expand beyond what

they know they can be.”

John Sheehan

Vice President

District B

Term expires 2005

“As I ﬁ nish up my last year on the Board, I am thrilled to see us focusing on graduating

good citizens skilled in the liberal arts and prepared to prosper economically

intellectually and personally.”

Kristine Sherman

Secretary

District E

Term expires 2005

“I would like to see us continue to take education to a higher level so that our ch

il-

dren graduate with a solid understanding of the “ABC’s” as well as fortitude of char-

acter, social awareness and interpersonal skills. In addition, I would like to see our

students possess the desire to become lifelong learners and contributors to socie

ty.”

The Board of Education has

focused on reﬁ ning their policies

to make them as meaningful and

on target as possible. The Board

follows a policy governance model ,

allowing board members to focus on

policy decisions rather than opera-

tional issues. This sets the stage for

school district staff to interpret the

policies and implement procedures

at the level they apply (i.e. driving

decisions to the “dance ﬂ oor”). The

Board of Education monitors prog-

ress towards goals through regular

monitoring reports. The superinten-

dent carries out the Board of Educa-

tion vision and is responsible for the

performance of the organization.

Board members have been dili-

gently working with focus groups

consisting of parents, community

and staff members to deﬁ ne the

purpose and vision of the district.

To date, the Board has deﬁ ned two

draft end statements that act as dis-

cussion topics. The Board of Educa-

tion plans to compile their ﬁ rst end

vision by the end of the 2004-2005

school year.

Draft End Statements

Goal 1: Graduates from Douglas County

School District are responsible citizens who

contribute to our democratic society as:

Critical thinkers

Appliers of knowledge

Ethical members of society

Leaders

Lifelong learners

Healthy members of the community

Goal 2: Douglas County School District

offers a quality liberal arts education to all of

the students in our community.

Essential skills include:

Reading Speaking Listening

Writing Figuring Reasoning

—Understanding of a core body of

knowledge for all students

—Exposure to the Fine Arts

—Exploration beyond the liberal arts

foundation that expands future

opportunities for all students

Jacqueline Killian

Director

District G

Term expires 2005

“Think of one thing you can do this day, this week, this month and this year, to help

in the education of a child. You can read a book, play a game, write a letter or attend

a student performance. Let’s support the children of Douglas County in these simple

but meaningful ways to help them become the best educated students around.”

www.dcsdk12.org

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Board

Board of Education

6 • Annual Report 2005

Schools

Elementary

Middle

High

Charter

Alternative high school

Night high school

ELOB magnet school

University center

Preschools

School-age childcare sites 29

Student-teacher ratio

Grades K-3

Grades 4-6

Grades 7-8

19.5

Grades 9-12

20.5

Teachers

Number of teachers

2,831

New teachers hired for 2004-2005 435

Teacher applicants for 2004-2005 6,000

Average years of experience 10

Average years with Douglas County 6

Percentage with master’s degrees 58

Percentage with doctorates 1

Average new hire salary $39,082

Average teacher salary $48,451

District

2004 Per Pupil Revenue $5,742

School lunches served daily 19,000

Staff on hand to prepare lunches 185

Computers within 60 sites 12,000+

64 percent

of high school

students (grades 9-12) have a

grade point average of 3.00

or above.

District Proﬁ le

Students

Figures from 2004-2005 Student October Count

Enrollment

44,762

American Indian/Alaska Native 276

Asian or Paciﬁ c Islander 1,753

Black

801

Hispanic

2,922

White

39,010

Free/reduced Lunch

1,021

Gifted and Talented

1,311

International Baccalaureate 87

Students with a second

home language

1,206

Students served by DCSD English

as a Second Language program 735

Graduation Rate (2003) 94.8%

Dropout Rate (2003)

0.3%

Attendance Rate (2003) 95.6%

Expulsions (2004)

103

Employees

Certiﬁ ed staff

2,831

Classiﬁ ed staff

2,230

Administrators

181

Professional/Technical

Douglas County

School District

• 7

Larry Linnen

, district coordinator for

math curriculum and instruction, published

a book entitled

Algebra Through Visual

Patterns

. Teachers and students use

the book to explore algebraic concepts,

present their methods, rationale and

solutions to problems and build on existing

knowledge to increase their understanding.

Staﬃ ng for success

The Human Resources department is working in partnership with the Re-

search and Assessment department to connect Colorado Student Assessment

Program (CSAP) data to student improvement in classrooms taught by desig-

nated “Master” and “Outstanding” teachers. Students have increased perfor-

mance by as much as 13 percent in these classrooms.

A new research-based administrator/professional/technical evaluation in-

strument is now being piloted, in alignment with Board of Education goals.

The administrator/professional/technical employee Pay for Performance

program has also been redesigned after being on hiatus for a year.

In concert with the Business Services department, a new stafﬁ ng model

called “position control,” is now in use. This model provides an efﬁ cient

means to track all stafﬁ ng requests and new hires throughout the system.

To meet student growth demands, over 425 teachers, 20 administrator/

professional associates and approximately 72 classiﬁ ed personnel were hired

for the 2004-05 school year.

542 teachers received the

“Outstanding”

designation

at the end of the 2003-2004

school year.

23 district teachers

are

National Board

Certiﬁ ed

, and

22 teachers

have received

“Master

Teacher”

designation.

www.dcsdk12.org

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Human Resources

8 • Annual Report 2005

Working to improve school quality

The goal of the Learning Services department is to provide the best edu-

cation possible for the students of Douglas County. Many elements need

consideration: curriculum, instruction and assessment; procedures for school

management; strong leadership and safe, respectful environments.

The Learning Services department addresses the needs of all learners,

including second language learners, students with special educ

gifted learners and students with unique social or physical requirements.

Feeder area directors provide continuity to all grade levels

Directors of Schools were assigned to each high school feeder area at the

beginning of the 2004-2005 school year. These seven directors focus on the

development of strong leadership and school improvement. This new method

of management has provided increased guidance for schools as they deﬁ ne

goals and plan efforts to meet those goals. Directors are also leading the ef-

forts of schools to develop successful transition strategies as students move

from elementary to middle school, and then from middle to high school.

Alignment of curriculum with state standards

The Curriculum and Instruction department is focused on researching and

providing effective methods for teachers and students to use when working to

meet Colorado State Content Standards. In addition, efforts are coordinated

with staff development and human resources to ensure teachers are well quali-

ﬁ ed. Teachers are also trained in the use of district-developed assessments to

monitor the progress of individual students.

Focusing on the needs of exceptional learners

Professional development for special education staff has focused on how to

write and measure goals. A shift to measuring success by academic achieve-

ment, rather than the number of minutes each child is served, provides the

opportunity to align objectives with district academic standards. Each year

approximately 10 percent of special education students exit the program.

A continued focus has also been placed on differentiation of instruction for

students working above grade level.

Keeping students involved with athletic and activities

Supporting the efforts of coaches, athletic directors, club sponsors and others

who lead student activities in the schools is also part of our mission. Student

involvement is directly linked to student success in school. All district programs

promote the proper ideals of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and fair play.

www.dcsdk12.org

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Learning Services

Bob McCaslin

, a special education

teacher at Wildcat Mountain

Elementary, has been inducted into

the

Umpire Hall of Fame

at the

National Baseball Hall of Fame,

in Cooperstown, NY. This honor

is bestowed in recognition of his

exemplary work in support of youth

baseball programs.

Learning Services

Douglas County

School District

• 9

Of the 10,086 core academic

classes in the district,

9,627

classes (95 percent) were taught

by teachers meeting

Highly

Qualiﬁ ed

criteria, as deﬁ ned

by federal No Child Left Behind

legislation.

Continuing to learn and grow in support of students

In an effort to meet the training, coaching and professional development

of all staff, the Staff Development and Continuous Quality Improvement

departments work with district leaders to provide training, analysis, evalua-

tion and support in an effort to align the staff’s work to the Board’s goals.

Sharing the work of district leadership

It is important for district staff to be informed about ongoing project team

work. Methods for sharing information are being developed, and include

posting information on the District’s web site at Cabinet Central, designated

time during the Superintendent’s Cabinet meetings and discussion at the

District Leadership Team meetings.

Addressing customer concerns eﬃ ciently

Organizational Development is also testing a comprehensive complaint

management system within the Superintendent’s ofﬁ ce. The system is de-

signed to manage internal and external complaints at the appropriate level

within district administration. Customer requirements and best practices

from other proven systems are being studied as this program is developed.

Welcoming teachers to the district

Driven by the philosophy that ﬁ rst impressions make lasting ones, improv-

ing the teacher induction process is

another priority, focusing on what

to include in the orientation for new

teachers. These efforts are made in

direct support of Board Goals related

to hiring and retaining the most highly

qualiﬁ ed staff.

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Organizational

Development

Susan Dickinson

, a special

education teacher at Highlands

Ranch High School, has been

inducted into the

National Hall

of Fame for Persons With

Disabilities

as a result of her work

as an advocate for Colorado’s deaf

and hard of hearing community.

Past inductees include Franklin D.

Roosevelt and Helen Keller.

Organizational Development

10•AnnualReport2005

Providing technology services to facilitate learning

The Information and Technology Services (ITS) division provides informa

tion management and infrastructure systems supportive of the instructional

and operational environments within Douglas County School District

(DCSD). The services provided by ITS empower learners, staff and com

munity by providing access to information through voice, video and data

technology.

Technology upgrades underway

This year, ITS embarked upon the ﬁrst year of a projected ﬁve-year tech

nology upgrade process. Over the course of the 2004-2005 school year, ITS

invested $2.8 million in classroom technology and an additional $1.3 million

in software, wiring and technology infrastructure.

Signiﬁcant progress has been made in connecting students to new and

advanced learning opportunities during the ﬁrst year of upgrades; projections

indicate an additional four years of similar investment will be necessary to

provide an equitable baseline for all schools.

Focused improvements to key systems, including electronic document man

agement, web services, technology security and network management systems

will continue.

Support for users remains a priority

Another component of the technology upgrade process is the assignment of

permanent support staff within each of the district’s seven feeder areas. This

staff provides direct support for district-wide educational technology integra

tion and individual school improvement goals, as well as school-based tech

nology maintenance and repair services.

Response time for technical and educational support issues has dropped

signiﬁcantly as the result of an automated help desk system, and greater use of

the collaborative features within the DCSD e-mail system.

Improving long-term records security and accessibility

A Document Management System allows district staff to convert, store,

manage and track current paper documents within a central repository. The

system ensures the ability to share documents among coworkers and other

departments, while maintaining document security, and facilitates the search

and retrieval of commonly referenced documents across departments. Cur

rently, 10 million documents are stored within 234,000 individual records.

Each month, 13,000 documents are accessed by staff.

During the 2004-2005 school

year, the district’s technology

infrastructure has supported:

1.4 million

phone calls;

15.5 million

e-mails;

10 million

printing

impressions;

6,500

electronic job

applications and more than

50,000

network user accounts.

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ITS

Information and Technology Services

Douglas County

School District

• 11

Students explored careers in the

construction industry at the 2nd

annual Colorado Construction

Career Days, held October 2004

in Castle Rock.

Providing spaces for classroom and community use

Streamlining public use of facilities

School facilities are available for public use to the greatest extent pos

sible, as long as public use does not interfere with the education of children.

Centralized facility scheduling will begin in July 2005, with the newly-hired

Facility Use Coordinator working to balance the needs of the school district,

school sites and the community. Centralized scheduling of school facilities

will enable more efﬁcient use of district facilities for after-hours activities and

provide more opportunities for use by community groups.

Use of 4-track calendar monitored

The 4-track calendar and mobile classrooms have long

been strategies put into place when school enrollment

exceeds building capacity. Educational Support Services

staff conducted a study to determine if decisions made

several years ago regarding use of the 4-track calendar

are still valid. Having both the 4-track and the tradi

tional calendar available as options provides schools

with the ﬂexibility necessary to manage enrollment

cycles. Schools with an enrollment of less than 600

students have the option to utilize a traditional

calendar.

Keeping facilities up to date

Every ﬁve years, the school district evaluates

education speciﬁcations for the district’s elementary,

middle and high school facilities. A team has convened to

review the most recent speciﬁcations, adopted in 2000, and

recommends revisions to ensure that our facilities are adequate

to support all instructional programs offered in the district.

Safety measures implemented

The Security department has a number of programs that continue to

provide the safest possible places to study, learn and work, including:

• electronic access control, alarm systems and security cameras in all

buildings;

• installation of a 24-hour safety and security control center;

• upgrade of radio system, linking all schools with the security control center;

• emergency response training provided for all building administrators;

• after-hours security patrol function;

• improvement of threat assessment and management at schools; and

• continued effective partnerships with local community law enforcement,

ﬁre and emergency services agencies in prevention and mitigation programs.

Te Planning department projected

enrollment for this year came in

99.92% accuracy

—a

margin of 35 students out of

43,560!

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Educational Support

Educational Support Services

12 • Annual Report 2005

The Board of Education believes that listening to, and communicating

with, stakeholders is a critical aspect of our operations. In addition to work-

ing with media and schools, the Communications Ofﬁ ce strives to provide

timely and relevant information to a range of audiences.

Newsline

is a weekly

publication that reports on current issues and the Board’s work. The Doug-

las County School District web site also provides detailed insight into Board

policy and how the district operates.

Using technology to connect with the community

The rollout of Audience Response Technology (ART) provides a means to

survey an audience using handheld devices and see immediate survey results. This

technology is now in use by the Board of Education, schools and departments.

Survey Central, an online survey on the district web site, provides a con-

solidated means for all district surveys to be administered.

A newly developed listserv provides a convenient way for stakeholders to

electronically subscribe and unsubscribe to district communications, including

e-Newsline, breaking news, Board of Education information and quick surveys.

Connecting community with schools

The ofﬁ ce of School/Community Partnerships provides many opportunities

for parents and other community members to connect with students.

The

District Advisory Council

(DAC), comprised of parents, teachers,

community members and school administrators provides opportunities for

members to be involved on the Public Engagement Subcommittee and the

Budget/Finance Subcommittee. The DAC Steering Committee continues to

provide oversight and support to School Advisory Councils.

DAC members meet throughout the year, and have recently addressed

Board of Education end statements; local, state and federal requirements that

impact schools; the district budget; and school improvement planning.

Juniors and seniors from each high school participate in the

Student

Advisory Group

(SAG). The superintendent and district personnel rely on

this “focus group” of students to express their viewpoints regarding education.

Recent activities include:

•

A visit to the state capitol to observe Senate Education Committee discus-

sions. One student also testifed in support of a proposed Senate Bill.

• Discussion with school staff, parents, and the Board of Education regarding

current graduation requirements.

• Participation in the Douglas County Job Fair. Students joined high school

administrators as they interviewed prospective teachers.

The

Senior Employment Program

offers an excellent opportunity for

senior citizens to work in the district and earn money to offset property taxes.

Eighty-six seniors currently bring their enthusiasm to our students.

Strong

volunteer connections

are an integral part of the district’s core

value of Shared Responsiblity. Central ofﬁ ce staff are taking advantage of a

new program that allows them to volunteer once a week at district schools.

Twenty-three volunteers have worked in all grade levels to provide an extra

dimension to student learning.

www.dcsdk12.org

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Community

Communications

During the 2003-2004 school year,

326,000

volunteer hours were

logged, valued at $3,106,780!

Douglas County

School District

• 13

The goal of the Douglas County Educational Foundation (DCEF) is to

provide outstanding educational programs to the teachers, students and com-

munity members of Douglas County. In conjunction with the school district,

the Foundation has set high goals for the future.

DCEF welcomes new leadership

In January 2005, Sean McGraw took the helm as executive director. His

background includes extensive work with community boards, marketing and

management of philanthropic, as well as “for proﬁ t” businesses.

“The most important aspect of the Foundation is respect from the com-

munity, corporate partners, teachers and students,” said McGraw. “Douglas

County has some of the most inﬂ uential business leaders and community

leaders in the state. I look forward to bringing them together for education.

The opportunity that we have in front of us is limitless.”

Champions of Education events create opportunities for students

The 2004

Champions of Education

Golf Tournament and Dinner took place

at the Inverness Hotel and Golf Course in September of 2004. Seven teachers

were recognized at the event. These outstanding educators were selected from

nearly 170 “Thank a Teacher” nominations:

Paul Lopez 6th grade Bear Canyon Elementary

Brad Wiidakas 8th grade Health Castle Rock Middle School

Jody Papini Math Cresthill Middle School

Mary Holland 1st grade Pine Grove Elementary

Andrea Meyers Music Ponderosa High School/Northeast Elem.

Jenny Dallman Science Rock Canyon High School

Stephanie Crowe 4th grade Saddle Ranch Elementary

More than $70,000 was raised at the

Champions

of Education

event, which

will fund professional development grants for teachers and numerous Founda-

tion programs, including:

Young AmeriTowne

—5th graders participate in the nationally-recognized

program that teaches students about the economy in the United States.

Young

AmeriTowne

enhances lesson plans that teachers have created to complement

the program.

CU World Affairs Conference

—Over 300 Douglas County sophomores were

invited to visit the University of Colorado in April 2005 for a day of educa-

tional lectures about college life. This program continues to provide valuable

information about college to our students as they begin to think about what

lies ahead for them.

Proceeds from DCEF events are also earmarked for Professional Develop-

ment Grants designed to help teachers provide alternative teaching methods

in the classroom.

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DCEF

Castle Rock Elementary teachers

Bruce Morgan

, grades 3/4, and

Deb Odom

, grade 6, co-authored a

book entitled,

Writing Through the

Tween Years, Supporting Writers,

Grades 3-6

. The book adopts insights

from reading strategy instruction and

creates a renewed emphasis on the

basics of writers’ workshops.

Douglas County Educational Foundation

14•AnnualReport2005

State-S

pecial Education

$2,775,896

Local-P

ropert

Tax

(General) $91,704,913

Transfer In

$250,000

State-Equaliz

ation

$145,200,070

State-Other

$1,385,489

State-Pupil

Transpor

tation

$2,741,220

Local-S

pecific O

wnership

Tax

(Out of F

ormula) $8,309,831

Local-S

pecific

Ownership

Tax

(In F

ormula) $9,677,624

Local-P

ropert

Tax

(Override) $28,713,000

Local-Other

$14,040,157

2004-2005 Revenues—$304,798,200

Capital Reser

ve/Insurance

Transfer

$10,803,985

Community S

ervices

$66,619

Instr

uction

$216,367,494

Contingenc

$1,653,688

General Administration

$1,658,428

Other Pupil Support Ser

vices

$18,287,479

Pupil

Transpor

tation

$11,032,987

Operations and Maintenance

$25,034,581

School Administration

$20,800,428

2004-2005 Expenditures—$305,705,689

2004-2005 Highlights

• Sale of $100,000,000 in bonds for the construction and renovation of schools.

• Reﬁnance of $178,820,000 in bonds at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers

over $9,000,000 over life of bonds.

• Annual audit successfully completed for 2003-2004. Received certiﬁcate of

achievement for Excellence in Reporting from the Government Finance Of

ﬁcers Association for the 17th consecutive year.

• Installation of credit card terminals in all secondary schools to assist with

student registration payments.

The Budget ofﬁce has had a tre

mendous year with many new chal

lenges and accomplishments. Use of

the new position control and public

sector budgeting model has enabled

a more efﬁcient system of operation.

Principals can now focus resources

on instructional practices within

their buildings, and all users are now

in more direct control of individual

budgets. Leaders are able to identify

where their dollars are being allocated

and spent.

In addition to receiving the presti

gious Government Finance Ofﬁcers

Award for the Fiscal Year 2004-2005

budget, the district also received

its second consecutive Meritorious

Budget Award from the Association

of School Business Ofﬁcials for excel

lence in school system budgeting.

Use of an Automated Time Man

agement System is now underway

districtwide. The system reduces

district costs, ensures accurate pay

ment for time worked and provides

a tool for supervisors to monitor and

manage employee costs. In addition,

the system ensures compliance with

the requirements of the U.S. Depart

ment of Labor Fair Labor standards

act. Twenty-ﬁve departments and

15 schools are currently utilizing the

system.

DCSD received the prestigious

Government Finance

Ofﬁcers Award

for the

Fiscal Year 2004-2005 budget.

Finance

Douglas County

School District

• 15

2003 Bond Election Overview—projected to accommodate growth until 2008

Project

Location

Cost

Completion

Sand Creek Elementary remodel

Highlands Ranch $2.5 million Complete

Eagle Ridge Elementary remodel

Lone Tree

$2 million

June 2006

Rock Ridge Elementary remodel

Castle Rock

$2.1 million August 2005

Cherokee Trail Elementary remodel Parker

$2 million

June 2006

Mountain Vista High School addition Highlands Ranch $6 million

Complete

Elementary #39 (funded by 2000 bond) Highlands Ranch $9 million

August 2005

Elementary #41

Highlands Ranch $9 million

August 2005

High School #8

Castle Rock

$29.7 million August 2006

High School #9

Parker

$29.7 million 2008-2009

Middle School #8

Castle Rock

$17 million 2008-2009

2003 Budget Election Overview

In November 2003, voters approved a $17 million budget referendum to enable the district to keep up with growth

while maintaining current levels of service, class size and student-teacher ratios.

A portion of the $17 million was used to replace cuts made in the 2003-2004 budget year. A ﬁve-year budget plan

includes allocation of the remaining proceeds. The plan is based on assumptions that include student enrollment

projections, inﬂation predictions and estimated per-pupil revenues.

Replacement of 2003-2004 Budget Cuts

$ 3,186,610

Textbooks

813,000

Coca-Cola commissions to schools

407,000

Supplies: schools and departments

775,000

Capital outlay

1,191,610

2004-2005 Budget

$10,634,941

Cost of business (utilities, transportation, insurance, salaries)

5,243,515

Charter school allocation ($251/pupil)

523,586

Pilot-additional planning time for schools

120,000

Supplies for Art, Music and Physical Education

200,000

Speciﬁc requests/needs (library, science, gifted & talented, voc-ed, counseling, foreign language)

480,000

One percent salary increase

2,081,779

Additional stafﬁng (administrative, professional/technical, certiﬁed and classiﬁed)

1,986,061

District Fund Balance

(to meet ﬁve percent requirement and future business costs)

$ 3,178,449

The required, but restricted, TABOR reserve of three percent of ﬁscal year

spending will be maintained each year, as required by the state constitutional

amendment. A district contingency reserve of no less than two percent

of revenues will also be appropriated each year. The combination of these

two requirements totals ﬁve percent of district General Fund revenues/

expenditures to be held in district Fund Balance, per Board policy.

www.dcsdk12.org

log on for more information

Budget

16 • Annual Report 2005

The

One Report

is an accountability and accreditation report furnished to the public and the Colorado

Department of Education annually. The

One Report

provides detailed insight into Douglas County School

District performance on a variety of measures. Select

One Report

from the Key Word list to view this

comprehensive publication.

Douglas County High School

sent 28 students to the polls to serve as student election judges on Election Day.

The students attended a two-hour training session and were treated as equals to election judges. This is the ﬁ rst year

the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder’s Ofﬁ ce has utilized student judges. Many judges reported that the students

were exceptional assets for them and have requested student judges at their polling places in future elections. Other

participating schools were

Ponderosa

Mountain Vista

Highlands Ranch

and

Chaparral

high schools.

Chaparral High School

has been selected out of almost 200 schools nationwide to perform their production of

Pucks

Potion

on the main stage of the “International Thespian Festival” at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

Colorado Student Assessment Program: Reading

Student Group

Percent of Students At or Above Proﬁ cient

3rd grade

4th grade5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade

State 2004

District 2004

Gender

Female

Male

Ethnicity

American Indian/Alaskan

100

Asian/Paciﬁ c Islander85

Black

Hispanic

White

Disability

One or more disabilities

None

Exceptional Ability

Discovery Program

100

English Language Learners

Enrolled in ESL

Not enrolled in ESL

Socio-Economic

Free/reduced lunch

Not free/reduced lunch87

* Too few to report (fewer than 16 students in the group)

Student Achievement

Douglas County

School District

• 17

Colorado Student Assessment Program: Writing

Student Group

Percent of Students At or Above Proﬁ cient

3rd grade4th grade5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade

State 2004

District 2004

Gender

Female

Male

Ethnicity

American Indian/Alaskan

Asian/Paciﬁ c Islander68

Black

Hispanic

White

Disability

One or more disabilities

None

Exceptional Ability

Discovery Program

100

English Language Learners

Enrolled in ESL

Not enrolled in ESL

Socio-Economic

Free/reduced lunch

Not free/reduced lunch65

* Too few to report (fewer than 16 students in the group)

The

Highlands Ranch High School

2004 literary magazine, entitled

A Struggle To Be

, sponsored by English teacher

Pamela McGee

, won a ﬁ rst-place award with merit from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA). Senior

Trisha Calvarese

also received the ASPA Outstanding Story award for her short story,

Snow in Alabama

Mountain Vista High School’s

2003-2004 issues of its newspaper,

the

Vista Vine

, earned a silver recognition for layout and writing in

a national competition sponsored by the Columbia Scholastic Press

Association. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is a department

of Columbia University in New York City.

The 2004

Ponderosa High School

yearbook,

Eques

, tied for 1st

place overall in the annual Colorado High School Press Association’s

Sweepstakes Contest. This is the second consecutive state title for

Ponderosa’s yearbook staff. Ponderosa’s newspaper,

Mustang Express

, won

six individual awards at the competition, including a 1st-place Opinion

Column award for seniors

Joel Grove

and

Matthew Mock

18 • Annual Report 2005

Colorado Student Assessment Program: Math

Student Group

Percent of Students At or Above Proﬁ cient

5th grade

6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

9th grade

10th grade

State 2004

District 2004

Gender

Female

Male

Ethnicity

American Indian/Alaskan62

Asian/Paciﬁ c Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Disability

One or more disabilities24

None

Exceptional Ability

Discovery Program

100

English Language Learners

Enrolled in ESL

Not enrolled in ESL

Socio-Economic

Free/reduced lunch

Not free/reduced lunch

* Too few to report (fewer than 16 students in the group)

Douglas County High School’s Future Farmers of America

(FFA)

chapter

competed at the National FFA convention last fall. The Agricultural Communications

Team earned an overall Silver award. Individual awards also went to

Brittany Sandell

(Gold),

Amber Garﬁ eld

(Silver),

Abby Butler

(Bronze) and

Kayce Conwell

(Bronze).

Sophomore

Annie Lawson

won a Silver individual award in Creed Speaking, and

Chelsea Good

earned a Silver individual award in Extemporaneous Public Speaking.

The team of

Tim Martini

Jonathan Ingebrigtsen

Molly Leask

Joe Christensen

Faryn Moats

and

Sara McManus

captured an overall Gold rating in Parliamentary

Procedure.

Two Douglas County schools ranked ﬁ rst and second in their middle-school division

(164 teams) and in the coordinators’ division (1,116 teams) in the Stock Market Game,