Across the Board

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Across the Board

December 12, 2023

Special Meeting

The Special Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 4:30 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The Board voted 6-0 to approve a resolution accepting the written resignation of Board Member Mike Peterson. 

 

Special Meeting Adjournment

At 4:37 p.m. a motion to adjourn the special meeting passed 6-0. 

 

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

• Colorado Parent Magazine Family Favorites Runners-Up and Winners

The Board honored DCSD schools, programs and principals who were named winners and runners up in the 2023 Colorado Parent Magazine Family Favorites contest. Over 61,000 votes from across the state were cast in this year’s contest. Click here to see the list of winners and runners up. 

 

• CASE 2024 Colorado Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year

The Board recognized Keri Stuebinger, Assistant Principal of Highlands Ranch High School. Keri was named the 2024 Colorado Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Colorado Association for School Executives (CASE). 

 

Superintendent Updates

 

• DCSD had a great showing at the CHSAA State Finals for Cheer and Poms last weekend - DCSD had four state champions and many other schools placed. Way to go!
  DCSD State Champions:

  • 5A Co-ed Cheer: Castle View High School

  • 5A Poms - Rock Canyon High School

  • 5A Jazz - Mountain Vista High School

  • 2A Poms - SkyView Academy
     

• Congratulations to the DCSD Unified Cheerleading team on their performance at CHSAA State Spirit performance! This team is made of unified athletes and peer coaches from middle school, high school, and Bridge students from all over the district.
   

• Continental Music Festival: The Best of the Best! Like the state championship for Band, Orchestra, and Choir. Students have to audition for this prestigious honor.  Only the best make it. They perform at Boettcher Hall at the DCPA on Tuesday, January 16 at 7:00pm.  Our students get to work with and be taught by guest conductors from local universities and colleges. We are excited to watch these amazing students perform and celebrate their hard work and talent.
   

• ThesCON took place last week and over the weekend and many DCSD high school and middle school students participated. We are working to obtain and share a list of winners soon.
   

• The Daniel C. Oakes High School Winter 2023 graduation took place last Thursday. Congratulations to the graduates!
   

• Congratulations to the Legacy Campus – they had over 1,000 attendees at their Showcase Night last Wednesday.
   

• Congratulations to Douglas County High School sophomore Madelyn E. The Town of Castle Rock’s 2023 holiday card will feature her original artwork titled “Wonderful Wilcox Street.” Madelyn was formally recognized by the Castle Rock Town Council on December 5, she also received a set of her very own printed cards and a $100 gift card to Hobby Lobby. Way to go Madelyn!
   

• Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) and Douglas County School District (DCSD) are proud to announce a new partnership to provide enhanced career opportunities to educators. This collaboration strengthens professional pathways for educators in the district and underscores CSU Global's commitment to its mission of facilitating workplace success and its ongoing work to support K-12 school districts throughout Colorado.
   

• Many incredible school and feeder holiday concerts and performances are taking place. Our choirs, bands, orchestras, etc. are incredibly talented!
   

• Rock Canyon High School Principal Andy Abner has been named the 2024 Administrator of the Year by the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA). He will officially be recognized at the CMEA Conference in late January and we will honor him at an upcoming Board meeting.
   

• Legend High School hosted a TSA (Technology Student Association) competition at the DCSD Legacy campus on Friday, December 8, where students participated in a variety of competitions.
   

• On December 1, the DCSD Special Education Team hosted our first legal conference for DCSD school administrators. The event focused on supporting students with disabilities.  Sessions included: Special Education Hot Topics, Mental Health, Safety Supports and Conflict Resolution. It was such a success that the school district is planning to host another conference for administrators when school gets out in May.
   

• Walktober Employee Wellness- We congratulate everyone that participated in the 2023 Walktober program! 2,440 employees and 30 household members embarked on this journey while boosting energy, improving mood, and making walking a priority. With nearly 29% of our employees participating, we collectively amassed a staggering 779,174,746 steps – that's an increase of 79,401,747 steps more than last year!  
   

Public Comments

The Board heard public comment on a variety of topics including: support of the renewal of charter school contracts for Ben Franklin Academy, North Star Academy, and STEM School Highlands Ranch; support for HOPE Online’s Priority Improvement plan; and proposed revisions to the Parent and Family Engagement policy (KB).

 

Charter Renewal Process Review

Director of Choice Programming Gordon Mosher provided an overview of the charter school renewal process. School leaders from Ben Franklin Academy, North Star Academy and STEM School Highlands Ranch presented overviews of their school to the Board of Education as part of their charter school renewal requests. Click here to view the presentation slides. Staff recommended approval of each renewal request. The Board will take action on these requests for charter renewals at its January 23 meeting.

 

Resolution Approving the Expansion of Challenge to Excellence Charter School Building 

Challenge to Excellence Charter School in Parker requested approval to expand its current building to add 10 classrooms, a middle school cafeteria, and an administration office allowing for the charter school building to accommodate an increase in overall enrollment from 550 students to 675 students. Director of Choice Programming Gordon Mosher provided an overview of the expansion request. Click here to view the presentation slides. Staff recommended approval of the expansion application. 

 

The Board engaged in discussion about updating policies to help expedite the charter school expansion approval process in the future.

 

The Board voted 6-0 to adopt a resolution approving the expansion of the Challenge to Excellence charter school building. 

 

HOPE Online Priority Improvement Plan Public Hearing (C.R.S. 22-32-142 (2)(c))  

HOPE Online CEO and Founder Heather O’Mara provided information about HOPE as well as plans to improve its middle school. Click here to view the presentation slides. A motion to adopt HOPE Online’s Priority Improvement Plan passed 6-0. 

 

District Accountability Committee (DAC) Final Recommendations Concerning Policy KB, Parent and Family Engagement 

The District Accountability Committee presented recommendations concerning Policy KB, Parent and Family Engagement. Click here to view the presentation slides. The Board engaged in discussion about whether or not edits to this policy are needed, and whether a separate Parents Rights policy should be created. 

 

Resolution to Delegate Mill Certification Authority 

2023-2024 School Year - Proposed Mill Levy Certification

Director of Budget Colleen Doan presented the draft proposed 2023 Mill Levy Certification (annual process conducted every December to certify property tax rate for the coming year). Click here to view the presentation slides. Because there has been a delay in receiving final assessed valuations from Douglas and Elbert Counties (due to factors to provide some tax relief including a special legislative session that took place at the state level to pass Senate Bill 23B-001 to reduce home assessed values; and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners are working to further reduce assessed values of homes in Douglas County), the certification authority cannot yet be finalized. 
 

A resolution to delegate mill certification authority to the Superintendent to true-up final numbers passed 6-0. An amendment to the resolution was approved 6-0 directing Superintendent Kane to provide final numbers to the Board at its January 9 meeting. 

 

Consideration of Draft Resolution Regarding a Board Vacancy 

The Board voted 6-0 to adopt a resolution outlining the timeline and process for filling the Board vacancy in District B. Board President Williams and Director Geiger will review the applications. Residents of DCSD Board District B are eligible to apply to be considered for appointment to the board seat. 

 

• The application form will be open from Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00 a.m. through Friday, January 5 at noon. 

• Board President Christy Williams and Director Brad Geiger shall review the applications no earlier than 12:00 p.m. (Noon) on January 5, 2024 and shall complete their review no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 8, 2024.

• Initial interviews with the Board will be held during a Special Meeting of the Board to be held on January 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. 

• Applicants who have been selected for initial interviews will be notified no later than 6:00 p.m. on January 8, 2024.

 

Proposed Revisions to Policy BG-E, Policy Process Delegation of District Policies - Second Reading 

Proposed revisions to Policy BG-E, Policy Process Delegation of District Policies were approved 6-0 on second reading. 

 

Proposed Revision to Policy BG, Policy Process

Proposed revisions to Policy BG, Policy Process were approved on a 6-0 vote. 

 

Adjournment

At 10:25 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 6-0.

 

Upcoming Meeting

The next work session of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, January 9 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board

November 30, 2023

Special Meeting

The Special Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

Resolution: Certification of Election Results

The results from the 2023 election were certified by the Board via a 6-0 vote. Click here to view the certified election results.

 

Newly Elected School Board Directors - Oath of Office

The Board congratulated and welcomed our school district’s newly elected (and re-elected) board members. Susan Meek, Brad Geiger and Valerie Thompson officially took the oath of office during the meeting. Thank you to Ryan J. Stuart, 18th Judicial District Judge for administering the oath of office. 

 

 

 

Pending Vacancy - Director District B

During the meeting, Director Mike Peterson announced that he would be resigning from the DCSD Board of Education effective December 1, 2023 for personal reasons. The seat does not officially become vacant until the Board votes to accept the resignation. That vote will take place at a future meeting. 

 

Election of Board of Education President

Christy Williams was elected Board of Education President on a 4-3 vote. 

 

Election of Board of Education Vice President

Kaylee Winegar was elected Board of Education Vice President on a 4-3 vote.

 

Election of Board of Education Secretary and Appointment of Board of Education Assistant Secretary

Becky Myers was re-elected as Board Secretary and Ronnae Brockman was re-appointed as Assistant Secretary. Both passed on a unanimous (7-0) vote. 

 

Election of Board of Education Treasurer and Appointment of Assistant Treasurer

Valerie Thompson was elected Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Jana Schleusner was re-appointed as Assistant Treasurer. Both passed on a unanimous (7-0) vote. 

 

Confidentiality Affidavits 

The newly elected and re-elected Board members signed confidentiality affidavits.

 

Board Committee Liaisons 

This agenda item was postponed until a future meeting. 

 

Adjournment

At 6:23 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meeting

 

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

 

Across the Board

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October 10, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

 

Video: 2023 Youth Congress Recap.

 

The DCSD Board of Education recognized:

 

●      2023 National Merit Semi-Finalists from DCSD Schools (with the exception of Chaparral, Ponderosa, and STEM high schools which will be recognized in November).

●      Parker Core Knowledge Charter School who was named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School   

●      Highlands Ranch High School Teacher Bas Wolf who was named the 2023 Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain Educator of the Year.

 

Superintendent Updates
Superintendent Erin Kane provided the following updates.

 

●      All DCSD High Schools were recognized by The College Board as being part of the Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll at either Bronze, Silver or Gold level. This is a new College Board award that recognizes AP programs that are delivering results for students while broadening access.

●      Superintendent Kane along with Board Directors Meek and Myers, attended the ThunderRidge High School Field Day on October 6.

●      The first Aerospace Partners Collaborative meeting took place on October 5. This collaborative represents a partnership between higher education, industry, and K-12 to support the growth of the aerospace industry in Douglas County.

●      The Student Advisory Group Board of Education Candidate Forum took place on Monday, October 10 at the DCSD Legacy Campus. Thank you to the students for their work on this student led and student organized forum.

●      Youth Congress took place October 3 at the State Capitol – 150 students attended and the focus was on mental health. Thank you to the Douglas County Youth Initiative for once again hosting this event.

●      Congratulations to the Rock Canyon Boys 5A Golf Team for winning the 5A State Championship. And, congratulations to Charlie Tucker, Rock Canyon student who won the state championship as an individual.

●      The Foundation for Douglas County Schools held their Building the Dream Gala on September 29. They raised $100,000 in donations and sponsorships to help support our schools.

●      Apple Award nominations are open through November 12 on the Foundation for Douglas County Schools’ website. Be sure to nominate a teacher or DCSD staff member who is making a difference in the lives of children.

●      The DCSD District Library and Media Center, DCSD Sustainability and the Douglas County Conservation District are partnering to host a One Book. One District. Community event on Saturday, November 11 from 9 to noon at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. View event flier.

●      October 9-13 is Gifted and Talented Education Week in Colorado. We’re very proud of many of our DCSD educators and leaders who presented this week at the state Gifted and Talented Conference. 

●      Additionally, several of our counselors and leaders presented at the Colorado Counseling Conference last week. Our DCSD educators are seen as leaders in these very important professional fields!

●      Dr. Kelli Smith, DCSD’s Director of Health, Wellness and Prevention, received the Counselor Advocate of the Year award at the state counseling conference last week!

●      Superintendent Kane and her husband have been enjoying Friday Night DCSD football games. She encourages everyone to go and show their school and district spirit!

 

Student Comment

Nandhana Vivek, co-president of the Student Advisory Group provided an update on the work of the SAG to date. The SAG held its Board Candidate forum on October 10. There were many great questions received from students and families. SAG will be taking some of the responses as well as data collected and incorporating it into their actions moving forward. SAG subgroups are continuing to work hard on their initiatives.

 

Public Comment

Members of the community spoke on topics including the DCSD Curriculum Advisory Council, special education, and support for the Mill Levy Override and Bond (5A and 5B).

 

Douglas County School District Pathways Updates

Assistant Superintendent Danny Winsor led an update about pathways in DCSD including Career and Technical Education, Concurrent Enrollment, and Work-Based Learning opportunities for students. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Alternative Licensure Program Update

Chief Learning Officer Matt Reynolds led an update about Alternative Licensure Pathways in DCSD. The program helps alleviate the educator shortage by providing other alternative pathways for qualified, non-traditional candidates to receive their teaching license. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Curriculum Advisory Council Plan/Updates

Chief Learning Officer Matt Reynolds, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Erica Mason provided an overview of the DCSD Curriculum Advisory Council. The primary role of this Council will be to provide feedback regarding academic standards and district adopted curricular resources. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Responsibilities of the Curriculum Advisory Council will include:

Review and discuss revisions to the adopted Colorado Academic Standards in accordance with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) revision cycle timeline

●      Review legislation related to standards and/or curricular resources

●      Review and provide feedback on the procedures for textbook and instructional materials selection and adoption

●      Review and provide feedback on proposals for district initiated textbook and instructional materials selection

●      Provide members to serve on the District Challenge Resource Committee as needed.

 

Universal Preschool (UPK) Update

Deputy Superintendent Danelle Hiatt, Executive Director of Special Education Liza Meier, and Director of Early Childhood Education Lisa Graham led an update about the University Preschool (pre-Kindergarten) program in DCSD. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Resolution in Support of Mill Levy Override and Bond

A motion to adopt a resolution in support of the DCSD Mill Levy Override and Bond measures (5A and 5B) passed as presented with revisions on a vote of 7-0.

Click here to view the resolution.

 

Consideration of New Policy DFD, Debt Management - First Reading

Chief Financial Officer Jana Schleusner provided the background for the development of this new policy as well as an overview of its purpose.

 

In 2022, the Board approved an Area of Focus for the Fiscal Oversight Committee to develop recommendations for long-term bond financing. In response, the policy was drafted by the FOC for the Board’s consideration.

 

Click here to view the presentation slides.

Click here to view the draft policy.

 

Adjournment

At 9:45 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

 

September 26, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

 

The DCSD Board of Education recognized:

 

• 2023 LifeChanger of the Year nominees from Douglas County School District.

  • Nadene Klein, Science and Psychology Teacher, Daniel C. Oakes High School

  • Eli Moore, Performing Arts / Guitar Instructor, Legend High School

Nadene and Eli are two of only seven teachers nominated from Colorado. The community is encouraged to support Nadene and Eli by commenting on their LifeChanger of the Year profiles, which will give each educator a chance to win the award.

 

• 2023 Outstanding Youth Environmental Leadership Award Recipient Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE)

  • Maya Ayres, Junior at Douglas County High School

Maya's official award was presented at CAEE’s Annual Awards Celebration Event, which was held in conjunction with this year’s Advancing Environmental Education Conference.

 

Superintendent Updates
Superintendent Kane provided a number of updates including:

• DCSD has 29 National Merit Semi-Finalists. All semi-finalists will be invited to be recognized at the October 10th Board meeting. 

• Parker Core Knowledge Charter Schools was named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School. Read more. >>

• Highlands Ranch High School teacher Bas Wolf has been named the Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain Educator of the Year. Bas will be formally recognized by Junior Achievement next week and we are making arrangements to honor him at a Board meeting in the very near future. Learn more. >>

• On September 26, many of DCSD’s departments participated in a hiring fair at the ACC Sturm Campus. 

• The first Parent University of this school year took place on September 27. The topic was Concussion Process and School Sports. Parent University is a partnership between DCSD and Sky Ridge Medical Center. Click here to view the recorded webinar. >>

• The Foundation’s Building the Dream Gala took place on Friday evening, September 29, at the Legacy Campus.

• The Foundation for Douglas County Schools 2023 Apple Award Nominations are open through November 12. Link to nomination form (select a school name to be routed to the nomination form). 

• The Douglas County Youth Congress took place on Tuesday, October 3. 

• Colorado Proud School Lunch Day took place on Tuesday, October 3. This is a special meal that is served at all traditional elementary schools featuring Colorado grown products and companies. In addition, Nutrition Services held a Farmer's Market at Redstone Elementary on October 3.

• The District Accountability Committee (DAC) will be hosting its Career Pathway Expo on Thursday, October 26 at the Legacy Campus. More information about that event will be coming soon. 

• Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations

  • Conexión, DCSD’s Spanish-language family group, held its first Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Legacy Campus on September 19. The celebration was a night full of food, family, and fun! There was a live band, dancing, and even a piñata! The event also provided parents with the opportunity to connect with DCSD staff and each other. Conexión aspires to be the voice of Spanish-language families, breaking barriers and building bridges with the educational community, so that each child reaches their full potential.
     

  • Last year, Castle Rock Middle School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of celebrations throughout the month with world language classes. This year there was a desire for more students and classes to be involved so it grew to a whole school assembly which took place on September 15. During the assembly, CRMS staff, students, and community members were honored to have special guests from Oaxaca, Mexico, and the Consul General of Mexico in Denver, Pável Meléndez Cruz. The group from Oaxaca, “Banda Filarmonica Sandunga de Santo Domingo Tehuantepec” consisted of 24 student musicians who traveled to the United States to perform lively selections for those in attendance. The musicians also performed at the State Capital and the Denver Center for Performing Arts. CRMS world language and ELD teacher, Rocio Meli, coordinated the event and secured a visit from the Consul General of Mexico in Denver, Pável Meléndez Cruz.

 

Public Comment

Members of the community spoke on a variety of topics including: DAC Priorities, Parent, Family and Community Engagement policy, Dyslexia, iReady, and litigation/legal issues. 

 

Approval of Superintendent Contract Updates

A motion to amend the proposed changes to the Superintendent’s contract to insert: “a meeting between the Board and Superintendent will take place in February of each contract year to discuss the superintendent’s performance and/or to identify any performance concerns. Passed 7-0.

 

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Data Presentation 

Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds presented an overview of Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) data as well as high school performance data (PSAT and SAT). 

 

Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

District Accountability Committee Unified Improvement Plan Recommendations (C.R.S. 22-11-303(1)(b)) 

Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds shared the District Accountability Committee’s recommendations for the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP). Click here to view the presentation slides. The due date for DCSD’s UIP plan submission is October 15, 2023.

 

A motion to adopt the UIP recommendations as presented per CRS 22-11-303-1A passed 7-0.

 

Approval of Resolution on Board of Education Committee Areas of Focus

The Board of Education considered focus areas for its Board Committees (i.e., District Accountability Committee, Fiscal Oversight Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Mill and Bond Oversight Ad Hoc Committee, and Student Advisory Group) for the 2023-2024 school year. This topic was discussed in the September 12 Study Session. 

 

A resolution to adopt the areas of focus for Board of Education Committees for the 2023-2024 school year with amendments passed 7-0.

 

Board of Education Community Engagement Plan Update 

The Board discussed proposed updates to its Community Engagement Plan for the 2023-2024 school year. Click here to view the plan. The Board will host a community outreach event on November 29.

 

Discussion of Settlement Related to Pending Litigation, Specifically Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., Pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071) 

The Board discussed a proposed settlement resolution related to pending litigation, specifically Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et. al. A motion to approve the settlement resolution with amendments passed 7-0. 

 

A secondary motion to add an additional amendment (therefore be it resolved statement) to the settlement resolution was defeated 2-5.

 

Selection of Voting Delegate for the Colorado Association of School Board (CASB) 2023 Delegate Assembly 

The Delegate Assembly is the foundation of the Colorado Association of School Board’s (CASB) governance structure. Resolutions approved at the Delegate Assembly provide critical direction to CASB as it represents members’ interests before state and national policymakers, throughout each year. Working with CASB’s advocacy staff and the Legislative Resolutions Committee, designated delegates from local boards help ensure that CASB reflects the interests of boards of education across the state.  Each school district is allowed to have one voting delegate who will participate (and vote) in the October 7, 2023 Delegate Assembly.

 

A motion to nominate Director Williams to act as the voting delegate passed 7-0.

 

Adjournment

At 10:03 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board

September 12, 2023

Study Session

The Study Session of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized DCSD’s School Resource Officers who have received the National School Resource Officer Practitioner (NASRO) designation. SROs from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Castle Rock Police Department, and Parker Police Department were recognized. In order to receive the NASRO designation, SROs must 1) serve as an SRO for a minimum of three years; 2) complete a NASRO-approved 40-hour Basic School Resource Officer training course; 3) complete a NASRO-approved 24-hour Advanced SRO or Supervisors and Management training course; 4) complete an additional 160 hours of specialized police in-service training; and 5) attend at least one NASRO Safety Conference.   

 

Superintendent Updates
Superintendent Kane provided a number of updates including:

• September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. DCSD teaches Signs of Suicide in 7th, 9th and 11th grades. This is a suicide prevention program for students. DCSD believes that suicide prevention is about educating everyone about what to do if they’re worried about themselves or a friend. DCSD teaches warning signs of depression and suicide and how to have conversations about it. 

• The Board and staff held a moment of silence in honor of 9/11 / Patriot Day. 

• The Continental League Super Summit took place on August 26 at Chaparral High School. This student event explored the challenges and opportunities facing students in today's world and provided practical strategies for success, featuring dynamic speakers and engaging workshops.   

• DCSD is offering its staff access to wellness screenings and events, including optional flu shot clinics at worksites. 

• Superintendent Kane gave a shoutout to DCSD high schools and students to enjoy upcoming homecoming festivities. 

• The Foundation for Douglas County Schools is hosting its annual Building the Dream Gala on Friday, September 29 at the Legacy Campus. Learn more. >>

• The Douglas County Youth Initiative is hosting its annual Youth Congress event on October 3. Many DCSD high school students have already signed up to participate. 

• One-time staff retention stipends will be paid in the September 20 payroll. This is for DCSD’s regular full-time, part-time, and 110 employees who were hired on by June 30, 2023 (or earlier) and were still with the school district as of August 31, 2023. The Board approved the payment of retention stipends using vacancy savings from unfilled job positions in the 2022-2023 school year.

• Superintendent Kane attended the Student Advisory Group meeting on September 11, to talk about how public schools are funded in Colorado. Many students were in attendance and they were very engaged. 

• The Partnership for Douglas County Governments CEO Event took place at Cherokee Ranch on September 7th. DCSD appreciated being invited to participate. 

• DCSD Nutrition Services has served 200% more student lunches this year and 400% more student breakfasts. DCSD has provided 26,000 employee meals since the beginning of the school year. Employee lunches are being provided at no cost. 

• PSAT testing will take place the First week of October.

• DCSD’s first professional development day of the year is Friday, September 22.

• Hispanic Heritage month begins September 15. Conexión, in partnership with DCSD, will be hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Sept 19th at Legacy Campus from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The event will feature a band (generously donated), dancing, food, activities, and parent speakers. The Conexión board will introduce themselves and invite other parents to join the group. Click here to RSVP. >>

 

Student Safety Updates 

Deputy Superintendent Danelle Hiatt and Assistant Superintendent Danny Winsor led an update on the system of supports that are in place in DCSD schools to ensure a safe environment, address bullying and support the behavioral, social and emotional needs of students. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Turnover and Hiring Data

Chief Human Resources Officer Amanda Thompson provided an overview of DCSD Turnover and Hiring Data. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Monitoring Reports and Superintendent Goals

Superintendent Kane presented proposed Superintendent goals and monitoring reports for the 2023-2024 school year. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

2023 End of Year iReady Data

Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds presented 2023 end-of-year i-Ready Data. Click here to view the presentation slides. iReady assessments are administered three times a year. DCSD students showed growth in Math and Reading across all grade levels and all bands. DCSD is performing above national norms. 

 

Board of Education Engagement Plan Update

Director Meek and Director Williams provided an update on the Board of Education’s engagement plan. The DCSD Community Connection Plan was introduced last year as a way to engage in two-way dialogue with the community. The overall goal of the plan is to meet with representative groups of different stakeholders. This three-year perpetual plan that will continue to evolve. Click here to view the current version of the plan.

 

Board of Education Mission and Vision Discussion

The Board discussed potential revisions to the DCSD Mission and Vision as discussed previously in a Board retreat. The Board also discussed next steps in obtaining community feedback on the proposed edits. The Board will also consider creating a Policy AD to include the mission and vision. Draft proposed revisions will be sent out to the community with the goal of receiving feedback early December 2023.

 

Adjournment

At 10:23 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and enter into Executive Session passed 6-1. The purpose of the executive session was to hold conference with the District's attorney(s) to receive legal advice on specific legal questions, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(b), regarding pending litigation, specifically Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071).

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board

August 22, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

• Kimberly Baldwin, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Ponderosa High School was inducted into the Colorado Association of Career and Technical Education Hall of Fame. 

• Redstone Elementary and Saddle Ranch Elementary were named 2023 i-Ready Super Stretch schools. These schools were recognized by i-Ready because they have more than 200 students and they made a stretch of more than 50 percent growth for the year. Redstone and Saddle Ranch were the only two schools in Douglas County to receive this recognition. In total, only 13 schools in Colorado and 170 schools across the country received this honor!

• On Monday, August 21, the cafe at the Legacy campus held its grand opening. This cafe is run by students of our 18-21 Bridge program. These students have been training over the past two weeks alongside Cafe manager Audra Gardner to be ready for the opening. Check out this video which highlights their hard work! The Legacy Cafe is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

 

Superintendent Updates
Superintendent Kane provided a number of updates including:

 

• According to the Denver Post and Denver Gazette, DCSD’s outscored every district in the Denver metro area on the 2023 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS). In addition, DCSD surpassed most of its scores from last year, and all of its scores from 2019 (pre-pandemic). Superintendent Kane thanked DCSD’s educators and staff who are delivering on the promise of academic excellence to students. She also shared how proud DCSD is of its students for their hard work and how thankful the school district is for the partnerships our schools have with families. 

• Last week was the start of the new school year for DCSD’s preschool students. Superintendent Kane thanked the district leaders who visited preschool programs on their first day to welcome staff and students back. 

• DCSD participated in the Cantril key exchange, a ceremonial turn over of the Cantril school building to the Town of Castle Rock. Superintendent Kane expressed gratitude for the school district’s partnership with the Town of Castle Rock. Under ownership by the Town of Castle Rock, the Cantril building will be restored, preserved and turned into a community asset. 

• DCSD recently experienced internet issues which have been stabilized. The issues were related to the systems that handle account authorization on the WiFi network. Superintendent Kane expressed that she understands frustrating connectivity issues can be and apologized for the inconvenience they have caused staff and students. Superintendent Kane thanked the DCSD IT department for working with our internet vendor to get this resolved. 

• DCSD has kicked off a variety of employee wellness events and opportunities for staff, all of which are free to employees. 

• DCSD leadership is hearing positive feedback about the free lunches for employees pilot that is taking place this school year.  

• Ponderosa High School is hosting its 40th anniversary celebration this Friday, August 25 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Ponderosa.

• The annual Car and Bike Show benefitting the Bridge program is taking place this Saturday, August 26, 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. at Lone Tree Brewing.

• Legacy Point Elementary is hosting its 20th anniversary celebration this Saturday, August 26 from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Legacy Point.

• Douglas County High School is hosting the official dedication of its Jan Shawcroft field on Thursday, August 31 at 3:30 p.m. Ms. Shawcroft was an employee at DCHS for 44 years. 

• The Foundation for Douglas County Schools’ Building the Dream Gala - September 29 at the Legacy Campus. Learn more. 

 

Public Comment

Members of the community spoke on a variety of topics including: feedback on proposed policy revisions, bullying prevention, equity, etc. 

 

Mill Bond Oversight Ad Hoc Committee (MBOC) Annual Report with Presentation by Chair 

Chair John Freeman provided an annual report from the Mill Bond Oversight Ad Hoc Committee (MBOC).The MBOC reported to the Board that all expenditures from the 2018 Mill Levy Override and Bond, thus far, are in alignment with ballot language approved by voters. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Click here to view the full annual report from the MBOC.

Click here to view a letter from the MBOC Chair.

 

Board Committee Areas of Focus

The Board discussed areas of focus for each Board committee for the 2023-2024 school year. The Board will vote on a resolution regarding committee areas of focus at its regular meeting on September 26.

 

State Testing and Literacy Update

Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds provided an update on state testing results including 2023 Colorado Measures of Academic Standards (CMAS) achievement, growth and participation rates. Click here to view the presentation slides. Achievement and growth continue to rise and are higher than they were pre-pandemic. Participation rates are increasing back to normal rates seen prior to the pandemic. 

 

Consideration of Student Advisory Group (SAG) Recommendations

The Board of Education discussed next steps pertaining to the recommendations made by the Student Advisory Group (SAG) in May. Specifically, the recommendations regarding weighting honors courses and financial literacy.

 

• A motion to direct the Superintendent to initiate, during 2023-2024, an assessment of effects of honors class GPA weighting and report a summary of findings back to the Board passed 7-0.

 

• A motion to direct the Superintendent to initiate, during 2023-2024, an assessment of the current state of financial literacy in the district and report a summary of findings back to the Board passed 7-0.

 

Proposed Revisions to Policy ADF, Student Wellness - Third Reading

The Board conducted a third reading of revisions to Policy ADF - Student Wellness. Click here to view the redlined version of the policy. A motion to approve policy ADF as presented passed 7-0.

 

Proposed Revisions to Policy BEDH, Public Participation at School Board Meetings - First Reading

The Board conducted a first reading of proposed revisions to Policy BEDH-Public Participation at Board Meetings. 

 

The intent of the proposed edits was to avoid the combining of public comments (meaning one commenter speaks on behalf of multiple people in order to get more time). The Board removed current policy language stating that commenters must provide their name and city/town of residence and allowed for anonymous comments to be provided. A commenter may provide comments on behalf of an anonymous speaker but may not speak on behalf of multiple people in order to increase their time. 

 

• A motion to approve policy BEDH with amendments passed 7-0.

 

Proposed Revisions to Policy KE, Public Concerns and Complaints - First Reading

The Board conducted a first reading of proposed revisions to Policy KE-Public Concerns and Complaints. 

 

• Proposed revisions were intended to ensure that concerns and complaints comes from DCSD staff, families, community members, and students but not outside interests. 

• In the future, a separate policy will be created with more details on how students can submit concerns and complaints. 

• A motion to approve KE with amendments passed 6-1.

 

Proposed Changes to Policy LBD-R-1, Charter School Procedure Manual - First Reading

Director of Choice Programming Gordon Mosher provided an overview of proposed edits to policy LBD-R-1, Charter School Procedure Manual. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Colorado House Bill 23-1025 adjusts various deadlines associated with charter school applications for consistency across the state. Edits to LBD-R-1 would update the DCSD Charter School Procedure Manual to reflect the updates in legislation. 

 

A motion to approve LBD-R-1 as presented passed 7-0.

 

Adjournment

At 9:25 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next study session of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board

August 8, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

Last year DCSD piloted a program called Readtopia to help boost literacy in the school district’s significant support needs classrooms. It went so well that this program is being expanded in the current school year. See how Readtopia is helping to boost literacy in DCSD's Significant Support Needs classrooms at Mammoth Heights Elementary School. Click here to watch the video.

 

Superintendent Updates
Superintendent Kane provided a number of updates including:

 

• Superintendent Kane, along with members of her Cabinet, Executive Directors of Schools and Board Directors visited every school on its first day to welcome staff and students to the 2023-2024 school year. Visits will continue in the coming days and months to welcome other schools as they return from break. Click here to view a slideshow from the first day visits. 

• Over the past couple of weeks, DCSD celebrated the openings of its two newest campuses. The Legacy Campus will provide additional Career and Technical Education opportunities for high school students. VALE (Venture Academy of Entrepreneurship and Leadership) is a new alternative education campus in Parker. VALE has a focus on entrepreneurship and already has strong relationships with businesses in the Parker area. 

• Professional Development kicked off over the past few weeks to ramp up for the school year. Events included: 

  • July 11-12: Mentor Lift-off

  • July 13-14: Launch of DCSD’s new alternative licensure program where DCSD employees with a Bachelors degree can work towards their teaching license while working for DCSD. This is being offered to employees at no cost. 

  • July 18-19: Math Fest (see video)

  • July 25-26: Summer Summit for new leaders

  • July 27: Summer Summit for Teachers

  • August 2 - Welcome Event for New Teachers and Staff

• Superintendent Kane thanked BASE workers across the district who worked to keep kids safe during the Highlands Ranch tornado in June. Damage to the Northridge Elementary building was repaired in time for the first day of school. Superintendent Kane provided a shout out to the DCSD Operations and Maintenance team who worked over the summer to prep school buildings for the first day. 

• Superintendent Kane thanked DCSD’s Transportation staff and families for their partnership and patience as DCSD navigates the ongoing bus driver shortage (DCSD currently has 104 bus driver vacancies). To apply visit www.dcsdk12.org/careers. 

• The Perseverance Scholarship Golf Tournament took place in July to raise money for a scholarship for students who have persevered through significant challenges. Learn more about this scholarship. 

• The Foundation for Douglas County Schools completed its annual Lend-A-Hand school supply collection/distribution. 1400 backpacks with school supplies were distributed to students in need. 

  • New this year: 110 new teachers were able to come pick up supplies for their classrooms. 

 

Bullying Prevention/Student Safety

Assistant Superintendent Danny Winsor provided a high-level overview of some of the programs, resources, and trainings in place at DCSD schools to handle and prevent incidents of bullying, discrimination, harassment, etc. 

 

A motion to have staff report to the Board on district-wide programs to address bullying and the social emotional needs of students as soon as possible but not later than the end of September passed 4-3. 

 

Some Board members expressed concern about voting on this topic when it had not been placed on the agenda in advance. 

 

Public Comment

During public comment the Board heard from students, teachers, neighborhood school principals, charter school principals, business leaders, elected officials and more who expressed strong support for additional funding. Click here to view the public comments. 

 

Staff Bond/Mill Levy Override Recommendation Recap

Superintendent Kane and members of her Cabinet provided an overview of funding needs and provided staff recommendations to place a $66 million Mill Levy Override and $484 million Bond on the November 2023 ballot. Click here to view the presentation slides. Click here to watch the presentation to the Board.

 

Consideration of Resolution to Approve Bond Plan 

A motion to accept a resolution to approve the DCSD Bond Plan passed 7-0. Click here to view the resolution. 

 

Consideration of Resolution to Place a Bond Issue on the November 7, 2023 Ballot

A motion to accept a resolution to place a bond issue on the November 7, 2023 ballot passed 7-0. Click here to view the resolution. 

 

Consideration of Resolution to Place a Mill Levy Override Issue on the November 7, 2023 Ballot 

A motion to accept a resolution to place a Mill Levy Override Issue on the November 7, 2023 ballot passed 7-0. Click here to view the resolution.

 

Consideration of a Resolution Regarding Staff Compensation Should a Mill Levy Override be Passed by Voters in the November 2023 Coordinated Election
The Board unanimously adopted a compensation resolution that will automatically trigger if the Mill Levy Override is passed by voters. Click here to view the resolution. 

 

Adjournment

At 8:53 p.m. a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, August 22 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

May 23, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized schools that received awards from the Colorado Department of Education for high academic achievement. 
 

• 17 of our schools received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award.
• 28 of our schools received the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award.
• Rock Canyon High School received the High School Academic Growth Award.

 

Click here to view the full list of award winners. 

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane also provided a number of updates including:
 

• Schools hosted graduations and other end-of-year milestone events.
• Pay increase statements went out to staff. 
• Over 300 teachers gave requested horizontal lane advancements – meaning a move up in the pay schedule due to obtaining additional education degrees/certifications. 
• Cimarron Middle School counselor Jill Bull received the national LifeChanger of the Year Award.
  Mountain Vista High School’s Boys Lacrosse team won the 5A Lacrosse state championships. 
  • Castle View High School’s girls lacrosse team was runner up in the 4A state championship. 
• The state championship in girls soccer will be a matchup between Rock Canyon High School and ThunderRidge High School (ThunderRidge High School went on to earn the state championship title).
• Three of DCSD’s high schools made the final 8 in state baseball championships.
• A number of DCSD students were nominated for Bobby G Awards. The Bobby G Awards is a statewide high school musical theatre program that recognizes Colorado students and educators in the areas of performance, design, direction, choreography, stage management, musical direction, orchestration, technical production, and overall production excellence. 

 

In response to a rally prior to the Board meeting, Superintendent Kane reiterated that racial slurs and discrimination are not acceptable in the Douglas County School District. 

 

Board Director Resignation

Director Hanson announced her resignation from the Board effective immediately. Next steps for filling the Board vacancy will be announced at a future meeting. 

 

Second Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Alexandria School of Innovation and John Dewey Institute Charter Schools | Agenda Item #23 and #24 Only
 

• Commenters spoke about the proposed Alexandria School of Innovation and John Dewey Institute Charter Schools.

 

Public Comment
 

• Commenters spoke on topics including educational equity, special education, and proposed Board policy revisions. 

 

Student Fees 

A motion to approve the Student Fee Schedule for the 2023-2024 school year as presented passed 4-2. 

 

Cancellation of June 6 Board Meeting

A motion to cancel the June 6 Board of Education Regular Meeting passed 4-2.

 

Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #3, Safe, Positive Climate and Culture
A motion to approve the Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #3, Safe, Positive Climate and Culture passed 6-0. 

 

Resolution to Name Liniger Hall

A resolution to name the Great Hall of the Legacy Campus the Liniger Hall passed 6-0. The naming is in honor of the significant contributions made by David L. and Gail Liniger in furtherance of the acquisition of the Legacy Campus.

 

FY 2023-2024 Proposed Financial Plan and Budget

Superintendent Kane and Budget Director Colleen Doan presented an overview of the 2023-2024 budget including projections over the next four years. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Alexandria School of Innovation Charter Applications

A resolution to accept staff recommendations to deny the Alexandria School of Innovation charter application passed 6-0. 

 

John Dewey Institute Charter Applications 

A resolution to accept staff recommendations to deny the John Dewey Institute charter application passed 6-0. 

 

2023 MLO and Bond Focus Group Results and Next Steps

Mark Truax from Pac/West Strategies presented an overview of information received from recent focus groups. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Policy Governance 

The Board conducted readings of the following proposed policies and policy revisions:
 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy ADB, Educational Equity

A motion to postpone consideration of changes to ADB until ADB-R (superintendent regulation) has been implemented for a full year was defeated 2-4.

 

A motion to approve revisions to policy ADB with amendments passed 4-2.

 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy JICB, Prevention of Bullying -  Second Reading
  A motion to recode this policy to JICDE and to approve recommended revisions as discussed passed 6-0.

 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy JLDA, Student Mental Health Wellness Services in the School Setting, and JLDA-R - Second Reading
  A motion to approve JLDA with one amendment passed 6-0.

            A motion to approve JLDA-R with amendments passed 6-0.

 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJ, Textbook and Instructional Materials Selection and Adoption - Second Reading 

A motion to approve revisions to Policy IJ as submitted passed 6-0
 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJA, Selection of Controversial Learning Resources - Second Reading 

A motion to recode Policy IJA to IMB along with proposed revisions with amendments passed 5-1.
 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJC, Instructional Resources - Second Reading

A motion to approve revisions to Policy IJC as submitted passed 6-0.
 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy ADF, Student Wellness - Second Reading 

A motion to postpone a vote on proposed revisions to the June 20 Board meeting to provide time for a legal review to ensure alignment with the National School Lunch Program passed 5-1.
 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy KBB, Parent and Family Engagement - Second Reading
  A motion to postpone a vote on proposed revisions to KBB until the June 20 Board meeting to provide time for input from the District Accountability Committee passed 6-0.
   

• Proposed New Policy JLCDC Medically Necessary Treatment in School Setting - First Reading

Proposed language for this policy is statutorily driven; Colorado law states that each school district has this policy in place by July 1, 2023. Click here to provide feedback on this draft policy (deadline for feedback is Thursday, June 15 at 5:00 p.m.). 

 

Adjournment

At 2:18 a.m. on May 24 a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 6-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

 

May 9, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

DCSD Spotlight - 2023 Perseverance Scholarships
On May 4, DCSD honored this year’s Perseverance Scholarship recipients. Financial need and academic merit are key criteria used in selecting scholarship recipients. In addition, students who are awarded this scholarship have often overcome personal challenges. The Perseverance Scholarships are made possible by donations from DCSD administrators and staff, and with support from The Foundation for Douglas County Schools. More than $276,000 in scholarships have been awarded to graduating seniors since the scholarship program began in 1988. Congratulations to the 12 students who received the Perseverance Scholarship in 2023! Click here to view some of the scholarship recipients video stories.

 

Superintendent Updates

 

Superintendent Kane made a statement reinforcing that racial slurs and discrimination are not acceptable in the Douglas County School District. Click here to view her statement. 

 

Superintendent Kane also provided a number of updates including:

 

• May 8-12 marked Teacher and Staff Appreciation week in DCSD. 

• Graduations begin May 13. Click here to view the full schedule and to access livestream links.

• The 2023 DCSD Employee Retirement Ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 3 at the Legacy Campus. This event celebrated and honored the service of our retiring employees. Over 200 people were in attendance at this event. 

• Benefits Open Enrollment is taking place for staff through Friday, Mary 19. DCSD is absorbing premium increases and not passing that on to employees. 

• Licensed staff contracts and pay information will be released on May 15.

• The Equity Advisory Council closed out the year. Staff is in the process of reviewing their recommendations regarding human resources. We thank them for their hard work.

• More than 100 students participated in DCSD’s 3rd Annual Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) Carnival at Chaparral High School. DCSD supports over 300 DHH kids either through an IEP or a 504 plan. However, these students don’t often have the opportunity to interact with other DHH students. This carnival gave our DHH students a chance to come together, connect and have fun. Learn more. 

• The annual DCSD Student Art Show took place at the Legacy Campus. Over the past few weeks artwork from students in Kindergarten-12th grade was displayed. In total, DCSD had 1,427 secondary and 1,294 elementary pieces of artwork on display. Hundreds of family members visited to view the artwork. Legacy Campus directors chose approximately 15 pieces to be showcased at the Legacy Campus throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

• Safety and Security has done a lot of work around vaping prevention. DCSD is reviewing technology to detect and prevent vaping and further assist with student addictions. DCSD’s nurses are also involved in training. 

• Spring sports are in the midst of playoffs which involve many students across our school district. 

 

Public Comment

Public commenters spoke on topics including the Educational Equity Policy.

 

Resolution Honoring Kendrick Castillo

A motion to accept a resolution and recommended actions to honor Kendrick Castillo passed 6-0 (one Board director was absent). Click here to view the resolution.

 

Mill Bond Exploratory Ad-Hoc Committee Presentation 

Members of the Mill Bond Exploratory Ad-Hoc Committee (MBEC) presented their recommendations regarding the feasibility of placing a potential Mill Levy Override (MLO) and Bond on a future ballot. Click here to view the presentation slides. The following is a summary of items addressed in the MBEC’s presentation: 

 

• While the MLO/Bond did not pass in 2022, polling shows that our community understands and supports the overall need, particularly the need to pay teachers more competitively with other school districts.

  • DCSD collects $2,000 less per student per year in Mill Levy Override dollars compared to some neighboring school districts.

    • As a result, DCSD’s average teacher pay of $58,193 is more than $19,000 less than Cherry Creek School District and $15,000 less than Littleton Public Schools. 

  • Starting pay for a teacher in DCSD is $45,290 making finding an affordable place to live incredibly challenging.

• DCSD Has Urgent, Time Sensitive Needs. A potential Mill Levy Override and Bond would help by:

  • Increasing Pay: Make DCSD teacher and staff pay more competitive with other school districts.

  • Enhancing Safety and Security: Provide additional School Resource Officers and security staff at schools and continuously upgrade and replace equipment.

  • Investing in Career and Technical Education: Continued investment in pathways, setting our students up for success after high school. 

  • Upgrading Buildings: Keeping school buildings comfortable and safe for students and staff. 

  • Constructing New Schools: Building new schools in quickly-growing neighborhoods to reduce crowding.

• November 2023 would be the most feasible time to place a MLO/Bond on the ballot. 

 

 

Review/Public Hearing Regarding the Charter School Applications Submitted by the Alexandria School of Innovation and John Dewey Institute 

Superintendent Kane provided an overview of the DCSD Charter School Application process. Alexandria School of Innovation (ASI) and John Dewey Institute (JDI) are seeking authorization to open new charter schools in four areas in the Douglas County School District with JDI embedded into each campus. Those areas are Crystal Valley, Highlands Ranch, Ridgegate, and Sterling Ranch. Judy Brannberg, founder of the proposed schools, presented the proposals to the Board of Education. The Board will take action at its May 23 meeting. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Public Comment Regarding Proposed Charter Schools

Judy Brannberg spoke individually and on behalf of Barry Brannberg  in favor of the approval of the charter school applications submitted by the Alexandria School of Innovation and John Dewey Institute .

 

Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #3, Safe, Positive Climate and Culture

Superintendent Kane presented Monitoring Report: End #3, Safe, Positive Climate and Culture. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Adjournment

At 9:52 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 6-0 (one Board director was absent).

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

 

May 8, 2023

Special Meeting

The Special Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 4:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

Superintendent Performance Assessment

The Board reviewed the Superintendent Performance plan. The performance summary tool was recommended by outside legal counsel. The Board discussed the process. One Board member recommended adding an opportunity for the Superintendent to provide self-reflection. One Board member recommended renaming this the Superintendent Summative Evaluation in alignment with the Superintendent’s contract language. President Peterson reiterated that the summative evaluation will be a combination of assessed job performance and a summary of Board monitoring reports. There were recommendations to align evaluation scoring with other staff evaluations. 

 

Policy ADB, Educational Equity

The Board discussed potential modifications to policy ADB - Educational Equity based on focus group and survey feedback. Click here to view proposed modifications. Click here to provide feedback on these proposed modifications. The deadline for feedback is Thursday, May 18 at 5:00 p.m. The Board will consider the second reading of this policy at the May 23 Board meeting with the option of taking action for approval.   

 

Public Comment

Public commenters spoke about agenda item #8 - Settlement Offer in the matter of Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071).

 

Convene in Executive Session

A motion to convene in Executive Session passed 7-0. The purpose of the executive session was to hold

conference with the District's attorney(s) to receive legal advice on specific legal questions, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(b), regarding pending litigation, specifically Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071)

 

Reconvene in Special Meeting

At 7:53 p.m. the board reconvened in its special meeting. 

 

Board Discussion and Action Regarding Settlement Offer in the matter of Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071)

The Board discussed action regarding the settlement officer in the matter of Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al. A motion to reject the settlement offer as presented passed 4-3. Because this is a legal matter and it was discussed in Executive Session, the Board did not have the ability to modify, wordsmith or amend the settlement offer - the vote could only be to accept or reject the settlement offer. 

 

Adjournment

At 8:30 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

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Across the Board

April 25, 2023

Special Meeting

The Special Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 3:45 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

Financial Well-Being: School Year 2023-2024 Budget Update

Director of Budget Colleen Doan provided a high level preview of the 2023-2024 budget. The official proposed budget will be presented to the Board on May 23. Both revenue and planned expenditures were discussed. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Student Advisory Group Presentations

Members of Student Advisory Group sub-committees presented their end-of-year presentations to the Board. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Recognition of Student Advisory Group

The Board recognized the Student Advisory Group for their work over the course of the 2022-2023 school year. Outgoing members of the Student Advisory Group were recognized and thanked for their service. 

 

.  

 

At 4:51 p.m. a motion to adjourn the Special Meeting passed 6-0.

 

---

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized the following students and staff:

• 2023 Daniels Scholarship Recipients: 

  • Legend High School Senior Siena Rojas 

  • Mountain Vista High School Senior Talia Reading

• Sagewood Middle School who was once again Designated a Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program (RAMP).

• Dr. Christopher Page, Highlands Ranch High School Principal, who was named the 2023 Colorado High School Principal of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE).

 

    
 

Superintendent Updates

• The Douglas County Special Education Advisory Committee (DCSEAC) recently delivered gift baskets to winners of the 2023 DCSEAC Shining Stars Awards. Each year, DCSEAC asks parents, guardians, and caregivers of students receiving special education services in our school district to nominate staff members who they feel have positively affected their child. Any staff member is eligible to be nominated whether they are a teacher, educational assistant, specialist, School Resource Officer, principal, custodian, etc. This year, over 400 nominations were received. The DCSEAC randomly drew 22 names from the 400 nominations received. The 22 people selected received a gift basket, hand delivered by board members of the DCSEAC. The baskets were created by DCSEAC board members, and funded through generous donations from local businesses, individual families, and a generous sponsorship from Developmental Pathways. 

• DCSD recently hosted its 11th annual English Language Development (ELD) celebration at the DCSD Legacy Campus and it was an incredible success. The ELD Celebration is an evening during which families and educators gather to celebrate DCSD's multilingual learners' languages, cultures, accomplishments, and futures. The expo-style event included family connections, celebrations, student performances, student artwork, and more. This year’s event had over 700 attendees.

• DCSD hosted a reunification exercise which went very well. All of DCSD’s law enforcement partnerships participated in the event, as did many DCSD staff, School Resource Officers, SRO supervisors, and more. 

• The Transportation department continues to work hard to minimize route cancellations. DCSD recently made upgrades to Transportation staff break rooms to further help with employee retention and hiring. 

• Superintendent Kane congratulated students on the Prom season and reminded them to be safe.  

• Ten amazing teenagers received Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards for overcoming personal adversity and creating positive change in their lives. Thank you to the Douglas County Youth Initiative for hosting this important event. And, thank you to Board Secretary Becky Myers and Director of Mental Health Stephanie Crawford-Goetz for serving on the Douglas County Youth Initiative Advisory Board. 

• Nearly 70 students in grades 4-8 participated in a day full of art workshops with local art teachers and artists. Students had an opportunity to create art, dialogue one on one with art experts in an interview process, and showcase their art for students, staff, and families. As part of our commitment to surfacing and nurturing potential in each of our students, artists and art teachers from across our community were invited to recommend up to three young artists to participate. Each artist will receive a written review of their art from a local art expert. Many of them are in the final stages of the gifted identification process, and for some, this opportunity will initiate that process. 

• DCSD Licensed staff participated in a Professional Development day on April 24. Superintendent Kane presented to 3,400 staff (across 8 feeder areas) about the state of DCSD and how funding works for DCSD.

• DCSD will honor approximately 130 retirees at its annual Retirement Ceremony taking place May 3 at the Legacy Campus.

• Superintendent Kane had the opportunity to speak with the Student Advisory Group about funding. The students were engaged and many shared creative ideas. 

 

Public Comment

Commenters spoke on topics including educational equity, student mental health and wellness, and licensed employee contracts. 

 

Interpretation and Implementation Plan for Policy ADB, Educational Equity
Superintendent Kane and members of her staff presented an interpretation and implementation plan for Policy ADB, Educational Equity. Superintendent Kane reiterated that the work around Educational Equity has been to get more specific about what DCSD is doing related to educational equity in order to allay fears expressed by community members and ensure that we take care of each and every one of the students in our school district. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

In summary, Superintendent Kane and members of her staff outlined the following:

• Staff is not recommending any specific changes to Board Policy ADB Educational Equity 

• Staff does recommend that the Board consider community feedback when considering board additions or revisions to ADB. 

• Staff has drafted ADB-R as the Superintendent Regulation to specify staff’s interpretation and implementation of Board Policy ADB. 

  • Superintendent Regulation ADB-R interprets Policy ADB through multiple lenses:

    • Academics 

    • Student Wellness 

    • Human Resources 

    • Resource Allocation 

    • Parent Engagement 

  • ADB-R includes an interpretation of the role of the Equity Advisory Council. 

 

Click here to review the draft of ADB-R, the Superintendent Regulation for the Educational Equity policy. A first reading of ADB-R was conducted later in the meeting. 

 

Policy Governance 

The Board conducted readings of the following proposed policies and policy revisions:

 

First Readings (For first readings, no Board vote to adopt the policies/policy revisions are made. Each of these policies will have a second reading at a future Board meeting):

• Proposed Policy ADB-R, Educational Equity Superintendent Regulation

  • The Board discussed proposed policy ADB-R. There was some discussion about whether this proposed policy should be a Board policy versus a superintendent regulation. 

• Proposed Revisions to Policy JICB, Prevention of Bullying

• Proposed Revisions to Policy JLDA, Student Mental Health Wellness Services in the School Setting, and JLDA-R

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJ, Textbook and Instructional Materials Selection and Adoption

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJA, Selection of Controversial Learning Resources

• Proposed Revisions to Policy IJC, Instructional Resources

• Proposed Revisions to Policy ADF, Student Wellness

• Proposed Revisions to Policy KBB, Parent and Family Engagement

• Proposed Revisions to Policy ADB, Educational Equity

  • A motion to reaffirm the original version of policy ADB from March 2021, adding reference to ADB-R, was defeated 4-2.

  • A motion to table the first reading of proposed revisions to ADB and have the first reading follow the Board’s May 8 work session passed 6-0.

 

Click here to submit questions or provide feedback on the proposed revisions to Board Policies listed above under first readings. The public will have the opportunity to provide feedback on ADB, Educational Equity following a first reading which will take place at a future Board meeting. 

 

Second Reading:

• Proposed Policy LBD-R-3, Charter School Waivers of District Policy, and LBD-R-3-E, Policy Designation Chart - Second Reading 

  • A motion to approve LBD-R-3 and LBD-R-3-E passed 6-0.

 

Adjournment

At 11:03 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 6-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

 

The next special meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, May 8 at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

 

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

 

April 11, 2023

Study Session

The Study Session of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/msaLvl-g5rk?feature=share. 

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

Over the past couple of months, our high schools have been participating in Wish Weeks which have become an important tradition here in DCSD. During Wish Weeks, high school students and staff come up with a variety of fundraising activities and events to grant the wish of a child who is battling health challenges. The DCSD Spotlight video featured a look at the Chaparral High School feeder’s Wish Week celebration (their 10th one to date!) Aria Stadler is seven-years-old and has congenital heart disease. Her wish is to go to Disney World to meet all of the Disney Princesses! Aria’s family spent the week singing songs, watching movies, and having tea parties with the Chap family.

 

Chaparral High School and the community of Parker raised an impressive $107,554.28! That amount granted Aria’s wish as well as the wishes of more than a dozen other children. Here is a look at Aria's Wish Week journey.

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane provided a variety of updates, including:

• April is Autism Acceptance Month. Board directors were encouraged to wear their Autism Acceptance pin at the April 25 meeting. 

• CMAS testing has continued this week. Superintendent Kane thanked staff and students for their hard work around CMAS testing. 

• Dr. Chris Page, Principal at Highlands Ranch High School, was recently named the Colorado High School Principal of the year by the Colorado Association of School Executives. He will be formally recognized at the April 25 Board meeting

• The 2023 Apple Awards winners were recognized at the Foundation for Douglas County Schools’ Apple Awards Reveal Party on April 1. The Apple Awards winners were:

  • Department Employee of the Year - Delceter Goosby, Kitchen Manager, Legend High School

  • Classified Employee of the Year - Stephanie Weber, Educational Assistant IV-Severe Needs and Assistant Principal, ThunderRidge High School

  • Elementary Educator of the Year - Erin Bidwell, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Platte River Academy

  • Secondary Educator of the Year - Erin Gilbert, Professional Learning Specialist, Gifted & Talented Coordinator and IB Coordinator, Mesa Middle School

  • Administrator of the Year - Michelle Franci, Principal, Stone Mountain Elementary

• Sagewood Middle School received the 2022 Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Sagewood Middle School will be formally recognized at the April 25 Board meeting.

• Superintendent Kane celebrated the Transportation staff who has been working hard to keep bus route cancellations to a minimum. DCSD has been averaging less than one cancellation per day for the last few weeks. 

Safety and Security Update

Jonny Grusing, Director of Safety and Security provided an update on safety and security in the Douglas County School District, including its response in light of recent events. Click here to view the presentation slides. Click here to view the full update. 

 

Potential Mill Levy Override and Bond Polling Results

Mark Truax with Pac/West Strategies and Evan Wilson with Moore Information Group presented findings from a recent poll to Douglas County residents regarding support for a potential Mill Levy Override and Bond initiative. Click here to view the full presentation. 

 

Click here to view the presentation slides. 

Poll Summary of Findings

Poll Crosstabs Data

 

The poll reflected that support for additional funding for DCSD has remained steady since the November 2022 election. The poll showed wide agreement on increased school funding, with 67% of those surveyed saying they strongly agree or somewhat agree that DCSD should receive increased funding to address issues including competitive pay for teachers and staff, building and expanding schools, and performing capital improvements on existing schools. Of the 67% who agree, 43% indicated they strongly agree.

 

When asked about specific funding areas, participants ranked a variety of areas as important, somewhat important, or not important. The top areas participants identified as important included:

• 66% - Retaining and attracting quality teachers and staff by increasing district salaries to be more competitive with neighboring districts.

• 65% - Increasing availability of student programming in career and technical education.

• 60% - Enhancing safety and security resources. 

• 56% - Updating and repairing school buildings to continue providing safe, efficient, quality learning environments for students and staff. 

 

Mill Levy Override (5A in November 2022)

• In November 2022, DCSD’s Mill Levy Override received more than 49% support.

• During the recent survey and after receiving information about a possible November 2023 Mill Levy Override, 53% of participants said they would definitely or probably vote yes.

 

Bond (5B in November 2022)

• In November 2022, DCSD’s Bond received nearly 47% support.

• During the recent survey and after receiving information about a possible November 2023 Bond, 50% of participants said they would definitely or probably vote yes.

 

 

Superintendent Monitoring Report, End #4 - Collaborative Parent, Family and Community Relations

Superintendent Kane presented the monitoring report for Board End #4 -Collaborative Parent, Family and Community Relations. The Board will take action on whether to approve the report, as is, at its regular meeting on April 25. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Adjournment

At 7:48 p.m., a motion to adjourn the study session passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Across the Board

 

March 28, 2023

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived here).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized the following student and staff:

• Collin Gordon, Mountain Vista High School Engineering Student, and Certified Solidworks Associate. Collin was selected for the Merrick and Company Summer Internship program. He was one of two students selected in Colorado for this position, and one of 25 in the nation. 

• Katie Allison, a teacher at Mountain Vista High School. Ms. Allison was named the Colorado Technology Student Association (TSA) Advisor of the Year.

• Rich McCarthy, a teacher at Douglas County High School. Mr. McCarthy was named the 2023 Colorado Business and Marketing Teacher of the Year at the Colorado DECA Conference. 

 

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane acknowledged that it has been a challenging couple of weeks, and reiterated that our hearts go out to the students, families, and staff impacted by the shootings at East High School in Denver, and at Covenant School in Tennessee. Superintendent Kane expressed appreciation for DCSD’s school leaders, staff, School Resource Officers, and law enforcement partners for helping us keep our schools safe. 

 

Superintendent Kane also provided a variety of updates, including:

• DCSD had a number of state champions at the recent DECA conference who will move on to the national competition in April.

• DCSD had a number of students quality for All-State Choir, Jazz, and Band.

• Hundreds of DCSD students will be participating in the Technology Student Association (TSA), and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) state competitions.

• DCSD had students compete at the CHSAA 5A Speech and Debate competition and had state champions named from Mountain Vista High School and Rock Canyon High School. 

• ThunderRidge High School students took first place in the Management competition at the Colorado ProStart competition. They also received the Hospitality trophy and will compete in nationals. 

• Chaparral High School Significant Support Needs (SSN) students and their teachers hosted a fundraiser at Applebees in Castle Rock and personally served a pancake breakfast to 250 Chaparral parents, families, and community members.

• Enrollment at the new DCSD Legacy Campus is almost at capacity for the upcoming school year. The Legacy Campus now has waitlists for its Aviation, CNA, and EMT pathways. Each student attending the Legacy Campus will receive an average of 6-10 college credit hours. 

  • There is a dedicated classroom at the Legacy Campus for the Bridge program so they can have work-based kitchen experience. 

  • 60% of programs at the Legacy Campus do not have any prerequisite requirements. 

• The 2023 Apple Awards reveal party will take place on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the DCSD Legacy Campus. 

• DCSD recently hosted a Dyslexia parent engagement event that was well attended. 

• CMAS testing started this week. 

• Many DCSD schools received the John Irwin School of Excellence Award, the Governor's Distinguished Award, and the High School Growth Award from the Colorado Department of Education. DCSD schools earned a total of 46 awards. 

 

 

Real Estate Updates

Superintendent Kane provided updates on DCSD real estate transactions such as the sale of the Cantril building in Castle Rock and the sale of dedicated school sites that will not be utilized. DCSD will lease its Wilcox building parking lot to Castle Rock during non-business hours. Castle Rock will provide revenue and share in the maintenance of the parking lot. DCSD is also exploring a potential partnership to improve the Wilcox building. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Equity Updates and Hanover Summary

Hanover Research provided a summary of research findings related to the Education equity policy implementation survey. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

The Board discussed potential next steps regarding the Educational Equity policy and whether any revisions are needed. Superintendent Kane recommended the creation of an Educational Equity superintendent’s regulation that would focus on the implementation of the policy. Staff will provide its official recommendations about the current policy to the Board at the April 25 meeting. 

 

Student Advisory Group Update

Student Advisory Group members Mona Rojas and Jake Oliver provided an update about SAG's work to date. SAG recently heard from the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative about the mental health toolkit that is available online. The SAG provided feedback on the toolkit including on marketing and promotion of the tools. SAG subgroups are continuing work on their end-of-year presentations to the Board. The subgroups continue to solicit feedback on their ideas before the end of the school year. Jake Oliver provided an update on the Diversity and Equity subgroup’s initiatives to date. This subgroup’s goal is to improve the quality of experiences for students in the district and engage students of all backgrounds. They are conducting research, connecting with experts, and engaging with the community. 

 

Public Comment

Commenters spoke on a variety of topics including educational equity, and special education.

 

Potential 2023 MLO/Bond Updates

Superintendent Kane discussed the timeline, to date, for a potential 2023 Mill Levy Override and Bond to help make teacher and staff pay more competitive with other Denver area school districts. The Board discussed potentially increasing the cost of the Mill Levy Override to further upgrade security throughout the school district. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Superintendent Evaluation Timeline

The Board discussed postponing the Superintendent’s evaluation until June 2023 to allow time for the remaining monitoring reports to be completed. A motion to submit a proposed contract amendment to the superintendent requesting postponement of the summative performance evaluation for 2023 to be completed no later than June 2023 passed unanimously. 

 

Proposed Process Regarding Charter School Waivers of District Policy

Director of Choice Programming Gordon Mosher provided an update on the proposed process for a systemic waiver process for DCSD charter schools. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Adjournment

At 10:42 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next study session of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Español | русский | 中文

 

Across the Board

March 7, 2023

 

Study Session

The Study Session of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/WTBbYWrwCc4?feature=share. 

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

Last month, DCSD’s Activities and Athletics department along with The Foundation for Douglas County Schools hosted our annual Girls and Women in Sports luncheon. During that event, we honored many of our middle school and high school athletes. We had a former WNBA player (and DCSD alum), as well as a 9News sports anchor, speak during the event. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who came together to help us honor these amazing girls. Here is a quick recap video of the Girls and Women in Sports Luncheon. 

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane provided a variety of updates, including:

• DCSD hosted the Colorado Education Recruiting Fair at its Legacy Campus on Saturday, March 4. Approximately 400 job seekers attended and DCSD interviewed over 100 candidates at its table. 

• During the April 24 staff Professional Development day, Superintendent Kane will present the State of DCSD and funding challenges to licensed staff across the school district (at nine separate feeder meetings). She will present the information to non-licensed staff on April 25. 

• DCSD is working with a consultant as it prepares to potentially place a Mill Levy Override and Bond on the ballot in 2023. The consultant will be conducting polling, focus groups, facilitated discussions, as well as helping DCSD frame its messaging. 

• Superintendent Kane, along with Board members, has received many emails of appreciation from teachers and staff in response to compensation increases that were announced for the 2023-2024 school year. 

• Last week, many DCSD schools participated in reading events for Read for America. 

• The South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce visited and toured the DCSD Legacy Campus.

• The Mountain Vista High School Boys’ Basketball team will play in the final four championships this Friday. 

• The spring sports season is kicking off. 

• The state DECA conference took place last weekend with many DCSD students participating in the event. 

Superintendent Monitoring Report, End #2 - Outstanding Educators and Staff

Superintendent Kane presented the monitoring report for Board End #2 - Outstanding Educators and Staff. The Board will take action on whether to approve the report, as is, at its regular meeting on March 28. 

Click here to view the presentation slides

 

Legislative Updates

DCSD’s Lobbyist Jason Hopfer provided updates on legislation being considered at the State Capitol that could impact public education. Click here to view the presentation slides

 

Accountability Update

Superintendent Kane shared an Education Accountability Proposal created in collaboration with the Denver Area School Superintendent Committee (DASSC). The Denver Area School Superintendent Council wholeheartedly supports a redesigned accountability system that: 1) Accurately and comprehensively measures and advances students’ learning and progress; 2) Does not result in bias towards any student demographic; 3) Utilizes timely data that is actionable; and 4) Holds school districts, schools, and educators to a high level of expectation. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

District Transportation Update

Superintendent Kane and Chief Operations Officer Rich Cosgrove provided an update on DCSD bus transportation. Transportation has been a “pain point” for families as DCSD navigates challenges, most notably the driver shortage that is affecting school districts across the country. We encourage our community to take some time to watch the update to the Board as it provides a lot of background information about the transportation challenges DCSD is facing, what DCSD has done so far to try to alleviate these challenges and the school district’s next steps. 

 

• Click here to view the video recording of the transportation update to the Board.

• Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Board Engagement Reflections and Planning 

The Board reflected on its recent engagement events with students and teachers and discussed planning for future engagement opportunities. Click here to view the Board’s DCSD Community Connections Plan. 

 

Adjournment

At 8:43 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and enter into executive session passed 7-0. The purpose of the executive session was to hold conference with the District's attorney(s) to receive legal advice on specific legal questions, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(b), regarding the following:  the status of threatened claims asserted by the District’s former superintendent, Corey Wise.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Español | русский

 

Across the Board

February 28, 2023

 

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/UhvbAv4qRe8?feature=share. 

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized Micah Bernhardt, Art Teacher and Department Chair at Ponderosa High School who was selected by the Colorado Art Education Association as the High School Art Educator of the Year. 

 

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane provided a variety of updates, including:

• The DCSD Elementary School Honor Choir took place this past Friday. Vocalists performed under the direction of Director Debbie DeSantis.

• Rock Canyon High School and Mountain Vista High School will play in the Final 8 for basketball this weekend.

• The Highlands Ranch girls basketball team will also play in the finals this weekend. 

• Congratulations to the four state wrestling champions from Ponderosa High School.

• Congratulations to DCSD’s state champion in 4A girls swimming from Highlands Ranch High School. 

• DCSD has officially launched its hiring season. DCSD will host the Colorado Education Recruiting Fair (CERF) this Saturday at the DCSD Legacy Campus. So far over 300 candidates have signed up. 

• The 2023 Career Pathways Expo on February 16 was a huge success with over 700 people in attendance. Thank you to the Foundation for Douglas County Schools and the District Accountability Committee for hosting that event.  

• On February 17, DCSD’s Activities and Athletics Department and the Foundation for Douglas County Schools hosted the annual Girls and Women in Sports luncheon where many middle and high school athletes were honored. 

• DCSD hosted a successful Professional Development Day on February 17.

• Superintendent Kane and President Peterson met with DCSD’s School Resource Officers on February 17 to thank them for their service and dedication. 

• Over 50 DCSD leaders attended the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) Conference. 

• Superintendent Kane and Director Williams and their families attended “Matilda” at Douglas County High School and were impressed with the talent of the student performers. 

• The Shine Summit to empower girls to empower one another will take place this week. 

Public Comment

Commenters spoke on a variety of topics including: educational equity, COVID protocols, staff retention and proposed pay increases.

 

Student Advisory Group Updates

Nicholas Menzel, Co-President of the Student Advisory Group (SAG) provided an update on the SAG’s work to date. At their most recent meeting, they talked about how students can get involved in helping pass a Mill Levy Override/Bond. The SAG is also discussing Safe2Tell and is creating a proposal to alter the way students view Safe2Tell and to suggest a new method of action for moderate/less severe (not urgent) situations. SAG is also following up on recommendations from the Board from their presentations in January, and is working to prepare formal presentations to bring to the Board later this year. 

 

Human Resources Updates

Superintendent Kane, Chief Human Resources Officer Amanda Thompson, and Chief Financial Officer Jana Schleusner provided information about pay gaps between DCSD and neighboring school districts and explained why DCSD is at a competitive disadvantage. For example, DCSD’s local Mill Levy Override is $1,000 - $2,000 per student less than our neighboring districts.

 

Superintendent Kane presented long-term strategies to help retain staff, including proposing pay increases for all staff beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. DCSD would normally wait until May to announce any pay increases (this is when the state School Finance Act is finalized). Staff expressed a hope that by letting employees know now what they can expect in terms of ongoing pay increases for the coming school year, it will serve as an additional incentive to stay with DCSD for the 2023-2024 school year.  

 

Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

The Board voted 7-0 to approve the proposed pay increases. 

 

Superintendent Kane reiterated that while DCSD will be able to offer pay raises due to increased funding from the state, other school districts will receive the same additional revenue and will also increase their pay. This means that while DCSD is pleased to be able to provide pay increases, this still will not help close the significant pay gap between us and our neighbors. Below is a graphic showing DCSD’s mill levy override dollars per student as compared to surrounding districts (as of 2022) - not surprisingly, there is a strong correlation to average teacher salary. 

 

 

Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #5, Financial Well-Being

Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

A motion to accept the monitoring report for End #5 as presented passed 7-0. 

 

Consideration of Revisions to Board File JCA-JFB, Assignment of Students to Schools, School Choice and Open Enrollment

General Counsel Mary Klimesh outlined proposed revisions to JCA-JFB, Assignment of Students to Schools, School Choice and Open Enrollment in order to provide more consistency of terminology and to align with the Colorado State Board of Education’s adopted changes to the rules governing Colorado’s Exceptional Children’s Education Act. Click here to view the presentation slides. Click here to view proposed edits to policy JCA-JFB. 

 

A motion to accept revisions to JCA-JFB with amended language of replacing “special education students” with the term “students receiving special education services” and striking from the policy the clause about Superintendent authority regarding implementation passed 7-0. 

 

Adjournment

At 9:01 p.m., a motion to adjourn passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next study session of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

Español | русский | 中文

 

Across the Board 

February 7, 2023

 

Study Session

The Study Session of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NysWgOOc_wU).

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. This video highlights some of the CTE opportunities available in the Douglas County School District. Click here to learn more about all of DCSD’s CTE and other postsecondary readiness programming.

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane provided a variety of updates, including:

●      Career Pathways Expo

○      The community can learn more about postsecondary options available to students at the Career Pathways Expo. The event will be held at the DCSD Legacy Campus (10035 South Peoria Street, Lone Tree) on Thursday, February 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Students from across the district will share insights from participating in these programs and how the experience is preparing them to succeed in the future. There will also be guided tours of the Legacy Campus throughout the evening.

●      District Spelling Bee

○      Superintendent Kane attended the recent DCSD District Spelling Bee, featuring 72 students who won competitions at their local schools. The list was narrowed down to 25 finalists who will move on to the written portion of the state spelling bee later this month.

●      National School Counselor Week

○      February 6-10 is National School Counselor Week. Superintendent Kane encouraged everyone to thank a school counselor and highlighted how DCSD is fortunate to have at least one counselor in every DCSD school thanks to the passage of the 2018 Mill Levy Override (MLO).

●      Black History Month

○      February is Black History Month. DCSD is proud to join our community and the nation in celebrating the history of African Americans and recognizing the contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history.

●      School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation

○      Wednesday, February 15 is National School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day. Our SROs are in our schools making sure things are running smoothly and making connections with our community. Superintendent Kane honored the important role our SROs have in our schools.

●      Wish Weeks

○      Many high schools participate in a “Wish Week” fundraiser with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with some elementary and middle schools also participating. Superintendent Kane highlighted the experience of attending a recent Wish Week ceremony and seeing a high school community rallying together to support a child’s wish.

●      Incoming Eighth-Grade Events

○      Several high schools are hosting incoming eighth-grade student nights, where families can visit the school, navigate their way around the building and ask general questions.

●      Hiring Season and Job Fair

○      The education hiring season will be kicking off soon. DCSD is working to post open positions as soon as possible to attract the best possible candidates to our school district.

○      A statewide teacher job fair, sponsored by the Colorado Association of School Executives, will be hosted by DCSD at the Legacy Campus (10035 South Peoria Street, Lone Tree) on Saturday, March 4.

●      Equity Survey

○      DCSD has partnered with Hanover Research, an independent research firm based in Arlington, Virginia, to explore perceptions of DCSD’s Educational Equity policy. The DCSD community can participate in the survey by clicking here. The survey will close on February 17.

 

DCSD Pathways Update

Postsecondary Readiness Coordinator Aimee Barker, Executive Director of Schools Dan McMinimee and Assistant Superintendent Danny Winsor provided updates on DCSD’s postsecondary readiness pathways. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Proposal for Attainable Housing for DCSD Teachers and Staff

Chief Operations Officer Rich Cosgrove and Superintendent Kane reviewed proposals to create an attainable housing option for DCSD teachers and staff. Click here to view the presentation slides. Superintendent Kane emphasized that this is just the beginning of discussions as there are many open questions and details that have to be worked out.

 

Douglas County Community Foundation Partnership Overview

Executive Director of the Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF) Mike Waid briefed the Board on the role of DCCF and outlined a proposed Intergovernmental Agreement between the DCCF and the Douglas County School District. Click here to view the draft IGA.

 

BOE Discussion on End #5: Financial Well-Being

The Board reviewed End #5: Financial Well-Being.

 

Assessment of Board Norms

The Board reviewed and assessed its operating norms.

 

Convene in Executive Session

A motion to enter into executive session passed 7-0 at 8:07 p.m.

 

The Board of Education convened in Executive Session (a closed session) pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(g) for the purpose of considering documents related to the student expulsion appeal that are protected under the mandatory nondisclosure provision of the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. § 24-72-204(3)(a)(I); and, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(c) for purposes of hearing the appeal of the Superintendent’s decision to expel a student from school, a matter which is required to be kept confidential by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. §1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99; and, pursuant to C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)(b) to conference with the District’s attorney(s) to receive legal advice on specific legal questions related to the appeal of the decision to expel a student from school; and, pursuant to C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)(h), for purposes of holding discussion regarding an individual student expulsion matter in which public disclosure would adversely affect the person or persons involved.

 

Reconvene in Study Session

The Board exited Executive Session and reconvened at 10:50 p.m.

 

Board Action Regarding Student Expulsion Appeal No. 2022-23/01

A motion to affirm the Superintendent’s decision regarding expulsion appeal no. 2022-23/01 through April 27, 2023 passed 6-1.

 

Adjournment

At 10:53 p.m., a motion to adjourn passed 7-0.

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board 

January 24, 2023

 

Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://youtu.be/wlRW1bXa2xs.

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized:

●      Paulina Wilkerson, Art Teacher at Frontier Valley Elementary, who was named Emerging Art Educator of the Year by the Colorado Art Education Association.

●      Kelli Mueller, DCSD School Nurse Consultant, who was named a finalist for the 2022 School Nurse of the Year Award by the Colorado Association of School Nurses.

 

January is School Board Appreciation Month, and Superintendent Kane thanked each of the board directors for their service to the students, staff and community of the Douglas County School District. Each Board director volunteers many hours in their role on the DCSD Board of Education.

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane provided a variety of updates, including:

●      Many DCSD high school students performed in the Continental League Music Festival at Boettcher Hall on January 17.

●      On January 19, DCSD’s Legacy Campus held its first student registration and information night. Approximately 350 prospective parents and students attended the event. Check out the Legacy Campus’ Course Guide to see what programs and courses DCSD students can take advantage of to get a head start on their career after high school.

●      Families and the community can learn more about all of DCSD’s postsecondary programming options at the upcoming Career Pathway Expo taking place on Wednesday, February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the DCSD Legacy Campus. Learn more.

●      On January 23, Tim Ottmann, former principal and wrestling coach at Ponderosa High School, and Ann Strother Abromaitis, a 2002 graduate from Highlands Ranch High School were inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame. Ottmann served for 18 years as the school's wrestling coach. Strother Abromaitis was a two-time CHSAA 5A girls basketball state champion.

●      Congratulations to Eagle Academy’s Class of January 2023 who graduated on January 20.

●      On January 19, Superintendent Kane hosted a virtual town hall for staff to talk about employee retention strategies. Over 100 attended live, and nearly 400 have viewed the recording.

 

Student Advisory Group Updates

Diya Nair, officer of the Student Advisory Group (SAG) thanked the Board for the opportunity for SAG members to present SAG subgroup proposals to the Board at the January 10th meeting. The Subgroups are continuing to move forward by incorporating feedback received into their proposals.

 

Public Comment

Commenters spoke on a variety of topics including: educational equity, special education, support for Leman Academy’s renewal and replication request, and more.

 

Consent Agenda

The following were pulled from the consent agenda.

 

●      #13 - Approval of Updates to Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) Bylaws
Director Ray recommended editing the LRPC bylaws to include a representative from the Douglas County Federation to the LRPC’s chairperson. Other directors recommended postponing any action until input is received from the committee.

 

A motion to delay approval of the LRPC bylaws until the next regular Board meeting in order to provide time for discussions with the LRPC chairperson passed 7-0.

 

●      #17 - Approval of Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #1, Academic Excellence
A motion to approve Superintendent Monitoring Report: End #1, Academic Excellence as presented passed 5-2.
 

●      #19 - Approval of American Academy Charter School’s Renewal Application

A motion to approve American Academy Charter School’s renewal application for a term of five years with corrections to dates on the resolution passed 7-0.

 

●      #20 - Approval of Academy Charter School’s Renewal Application
A motion to approve Academy Charter School’s renewal application for a term of five years with corrections to dates on the resolution passed 7-0.

 

●      #21 - Approval of Leman Classical School’s Renewal Application
A motion to approve Leman Classical School’s renewal application for a term of five years with corrections to dates on the resolution passed 7-0.

 

Leman Classical School Replication Requests Summary

Director of School Choice Gordon Mosher presented a summary of Leman Classical School’s Replication requests. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

●      Resolution Regarding Modification of Resolution Re: Conditional Approval of Leman’s Replication and Modification of Date for Submission of Site Lease Agreement
A motion to approve the resolution regarding modification of resolution regarding conditional approval of Leman’s replication, and modification of date for submission of site lease agreement passed 7-0.

 

●      Approval of Charter Contract for Leman Classical School (Replication)
A motion to approve the replication contract for Leman Classical School as presented passed 7-0.

 

●      Approval of Resolution Regarding Approval of Leman Classical School Site Lease
A motion to approve the resolution regarding approval of the Leman Classical School Site lease passed 7-0.

 

Revised FY 2022-2023 Financial Plan and Budget and Revised Budget Resolution

Interim CFO Jana Schleusner presented the revised 2022-2023 budget. Click here to view the presentation slides.

●      A motion to approve the  appropriation resolution passed 7-0.

●      A motion to approve the resolution to authorize use of a portion of beginning fund balance passed 7-0.

 

2022-2023 Enrollment Projections

Director of Planning Shavon Caldwell provided an overview of the enrollment projections process as well as 2022-2023 projected enrollment for DCSD. Click here to view the presentation slides.

 

Growth and Decline Briefing

Superintendent Erin Kane and Assistant Superintendent Danny Winsor provided an overview of plans to address growth and decline in the North Planning Area which includes Highlands Ranch and Sterling Ranch. Click here to view the presentation slides. There was Board consensus for staff to begin the development of a community engagement process regarding growth and decline in the North Planning Area.

 

Revisions to Board File KE, Public Complaints

A motion to approve revisions to Board policy KE with amendments passed 7-0.

 

Revisions to Board File DJ, District Purchasing

A motion to approve revisions to Board policy DJ passed 7-0.

 

Consideration of Revisions to Board File BEDA, Notification of School Board Meetings

A motion to approve revisions to Board policy BEDA passed 7-0.

 

Approval of Resolution Regarding Notice of Meetings of the Board of Education

A motion to approve the resolution regarding notice of meetings of the Board of Education passed 7-0.

 

Board Student Engagement

The Board is working with staff to coordinate an engagement session with students on January 31, and an engagement session  with teachers on February 13.

 

Adjournment

At 11:30 p.m., a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and enter into executive session passed 7-0.

 

The purpose of the Executive Session was to hold conference with the District's attorney(s) to receive legal advice on specific legal questions, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(b), regarding pending litigation, specifically Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071); and, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(e)(I), for the purpose of conferencing with its negotiator/attorney to discuss and adopt positions related to negotiations being conducted regarding the mediation of issues in the matter of Marshall v. Douglas County Board of Education et al., pending in District Court, Douglas County (Case No. 2022-cv-30071).

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next study session of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.

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Across the Board

January 10, 2023

 

Study Session

The Study Session of the DCSD Board of Education was called to order at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was broadcast live through the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and on Comcast Channel 54 (also recorded and archived at the following link: https://youtu.be/uiaSMDFMoBc. 

 

The following are some highlights from the meeting.

 

DCSD Spotlight

The Board recognized some of the students who participated in the 2022 Colorado Thespian Conference (including Junior ThesCon) in December. Ten DCSD high schools, 11 middle schools, and one elementary school sent students to ThesCon. Special congratulations to Douglas County High School who was the state main stage show winner and performer for their production of The 39 Steps. 

 

Superintendent Updates

Superintendent Kane welcomed staff and students back from the break. Superintendent Kane reported that DCSD has heard from many families about how frustrating it is to have last-minute cancellations of bus routes. The ongoing labor shortage combined with DCSD’s inability to pay competitively compared to other school districts (and other employers) has contributed to the school district often not having enough staff to run all of our bus routes each day. However, DCSD has heard loud and clear that families want and need the school district to prioritize finding solutions. Even with its limited resources, DCSD will be increasing compensation for its Transportation staff as a step in trying to alleviate this ongoing challenge. The community can help by spreading the word about DCSD’s need to hire additional bus drivers and transportation assistants. Learn more about these positions and to apply to be part of the team at www.dcsdk12.org/DriveDCSD

 

Student Advisory Group Updates

Members of the Student Advisory Group (SAG) subgroups provided presentations on topics including: Mental Health, Financial Literacy, School Safety, Weighting Honors Classes, LED Lights, Environmental Sustainability, Technology - Online Tool for Tracking Community Service Hours, and Diversity and Equity. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Retention Strategies Related to 5A

Superintendent Kane and Chief Human Resources Officer Amanda Thompson discussed strategies to retain teachers and staff and encourage employees to stay with the school district in the coming school year. DCSD will be investing one-time savings from staff positions that were unfilled this year (due to current labor shortages) into the school district’s teachers and staff. Superintendent Kane reiterated that this is only a one-year fix and it will not close pay gaps between DCSD and other school districts. DCSD’s need for additional long-term funding to pay teachers and staff more competitively with neighboring school districts remains.
Click here to view the presentation to the Board. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Core Reading Program Implementation Update

Principals and teachers from Cherokee Trail Elementary (Parker), Stone Mountain Elementary (Highlands Ranch), and Sage Canyon Elementary (Castle Rock) presented updates on how they are implementing DCSD’s new Science of Reading based core reading in their classrooms. These programs are already making a significant impact on student literacy at DCSD schools. The principals and teachers who spoke used many words to describe these new programs, including: “stability,” “alignment across grade levels,” “student love of reading and writing,” “teacher collaboration,” and more. 

 

View the recording of the presentations. 

Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

District Performance Framework Presentation

Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds provided an overview of DCSD's Performance Frameworks data. Performance frameworks are a way to annually review the performance of schools using three categories: Academic Achievement, Academic Longitudinal Growth, and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (high school only). DCSD is currently ranked “Accredited: Low Participation,” due to not meeting federal thresholds for participation in state assessment tests. Mr. Reynolds also reported that DCSD schools will be receiving a combined 46 School Performance Framework awards from the Colorado Department of Education sometime this spring. This is the highest number of awards DCSD schools have received over the past five years. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Superintendent Monitoring Report End #1: Academic Excellence

Superintendent Kane and Learning Services Officer Matt Reynolds reported on indicators of Board End #1: Academic Excellence. Indicators reported on included: District Accreditation Rating, District Academic Achievement, District Academic Growth, District Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness, District Disaggregated Growth, District Graduation Rate, District Award Winning Schools, Concurrent Enrollment Cost Savings, and Postsecondary Enrollment. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Parent Engagement Update

Director of Parent, Community and Civic Engagement Alison Rausch provided an overview of DCSD’s grievance process as outlined on page 12 of the school district’s Parent’s Guide. She suggested edits to Board policy KE: Public Complaints to more closely align with the language of the Parent Guide. The Board will consider edits to this policy at the January 24 meeting. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

Charter School Waiver Process Updates

Director of Choice Programming Gordon Mosher provided an overview of the charter school waiver process and outlined next steps for future charter school waiver requests. The Board and staff will continue to work to finalize the updated charter waiver process. Click here to view the presentation slides. 

 

BOE Discussion on End #4: Collaborative Parent, Family and Community Relations

The Board reviewed End #4: Collaborative Parent, Family and Community Relations. No edits were suggested to this End. 

 

Adjournment

At 9:32 p.m., a motion to adjourn the study session passed 6-0. 

 

Upcoming Meetings

The next regular meeting of the DCSD Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24. The meeting will take place at the DCSD administration building, 620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock and will be available to view on the DCSDK12 YouTube Channel and will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 54.