Handbooks approved
Four Holyoke School District handbooks were officially approved at the Aug. 9 board meeting, in preparation for the start of the 2019-20 school year.
Handbook changes were discussed for elementary students, JR/SR high students, activities/athletics and staff.
Timing is just right for the Aug. 15 registration day for all K-12 students and their parents. First day of school for students in grades 7-12 is Wednesday, Aug. 21, while K-6 students will head back to class Thursday, Aug. 22.
Superintendent Kyle Stumpf noted that Holyoke Elementary School Principal Andrea Kammer’s K-6 handbook is more about protocol and procedures rather than actual district policies. The handbook also includes a Spanish translation.
A primary change in the JR/SR high student handbook is in the dress code, where yoga pants are now allowed, noted Principal Shane Walkinshaw.
There’s also a change in discipline procedures for having too many tardies. Prior procedure was for in-school suspension, but Walkinshaw feels there’s a better approach than pulling students out of class. The discipline matrix highlights the changes made.
Activity/athletic handbook changes addressed fee structures with regard to band instruments. The instrument rental fee will be $25 per semester. Additionally, a high school band/choir or flag team participation fee for cleaning is $20.
The number of games a softball or volleyball player could be suspended with violation of contract behavior was also changed. That is now five contests, which is 20% of the 23 games allowed in a season.
Stumpf noted that activities director John Baumgartner would like to spend time this year looking at revised structures for coaching stipends.
Board member Dusty Sprague voiced opposition to the JR/SR high handbook penalties for students who refuse to report to the Academic Opportunity Center. After a student’s third refusal in a semester, he/she will be assigned a day of out-of-school suspension for each occasion of refusing to report.
Specifically, Sprague said that parents should have input into this. If the parents want their child to keep a low grade and learn from failure rather than making up the work in the AOC for a higher grade, he feels that should be the parents’ prerogative.
Stumpf cited the difference between involved parents and not-involved parents. Sprague agreed that the right to choose to go to the AOC should be the parents’, not the student’s.
Sprague also suggested for the activity/athletic policies that consideration should be given to charging higher fees for out-of-district students to participate on Holyoke sports teams when their district does not offer that sport.
“Those kids’ parents aren’t the taxpayers in the district,” Sprague pointed out.
Stumpf and Walkinshaw noted that out-of-district student athletes on Holyoke teams do follow the eligiblity and random drug testing requirements for HHS athletes.
Legalities for accepting and charging fees for out-of-district athletes would need to be reviewed before any changes could be considered.
Mill levy override ballot wording discussed
Specific ballot content, including timelines for extending the current mill levy override, was discussed at last week’s board meeting and is due to be finalized by Sept. 6 for the Nov. 5 ballot.
Board members emphasized the importance of making sure voters know that this is not about building a new school. It’s about extension of the current MLO to enhance funding for such things as technology devices, transportation and fine arts.
A 7-mill override has been approved through tax year 2020, to be collected in 2021. This year’s ballot question looks to extend that MLO.
Details pertaining to the amount, length and focus areas for that extension will be finalized soon. The board is also looking to incorporate a community committee to promote passage of the MLO ballot question.
Other business
In other business at the Aug. 9 meeting, the Re-1J School Board:
— Heard from Stumpf that a draft of the district’s long-term master facility plan was to be returned to the Neenan Company Monday, Aug. 12.
— Recapped the July 16 board retreat, noting that too much was on the agenda. It was suggested that retreat-type topics be handled one by one as board member items at regular meetings or to schedule retreats more often than once or twice a year.
— Looked at several Colorado Association of School Boards policies that will return to the Aug. 20 meeting for first reading. Subjects included maternity/paternity/parental leave, staff leave, sick leave bank, and support staff vacations and holidays.
— Hired Mariann Landes as a full-time bus route driver for 2019-20 and new elementary school physical education teacher David Mauler as the HS assistant boys golf coach.
— Approved second reading of CASB policies presented June 4 on the subjects of student absences and excuses, student discipline, use of physical intervention and restraint, grading/assessment systems, and discipline, suspension and dismissal of professional staff.
— Reviewed the board evaluation tool, superintendent evaluation tool and the board’s self-evaluation results.