School district cleared in complaints filed with CDE/AG
No Holyoke School District personnel acted unethically and no licensing claims against any staff member will be pursued, as released from an investigation of complaints by the Colorado Department of Education and the attorney general’s office.
Superintendent Kyle Stumpf reported on the completion of the investigation at the Aug. 7 Board of Education meeting.
Parents Kim Killin and Michelle Van Overbeke initially raised awareness for the complaints filed with the CDE at the Dec. 19, 2017, local school board meeting. They cited concerns for information potentially withheld from the board, as well as compliance with behavior and/or safety plans.
Stumpf read a prepared statement to the school board at last week’s meeting:
“As you know, Colorado Department of Education and the attorney general’s office have been investigating complaints made by Holyoke community members concerning how the district’s licensed personnel handled the investigation of student misconduct, discipline for such misconduct and enforcement of safety plans last school year.
“I have been informed by Mr. (John) McCleary, former Holyoke School District superintendent, that the assistant attorney general’s investigation is complete, that it has been determined that no personnel acted unethically, and that CDE has found no cause to pursue any licensing claims against any district personnel,” concluded Stumpf.
McCleary, who is now superintendent of the Limon School District, was contacted late last week and confirmed that report.
McQuown hired for JR/SR high English position
With the 2018-19 school year starting this week, the board was pleased to approve Megan McQuown as an English language arts teacher for Holyoke JR/SR High.
McQuown has five years teaching experience in Colorado as a middle school language arts and high school social studies teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from National University in San Diego, California, and taught seventh-grade language arts last year in Cañon City.
Additional extra-duty assignments were also approved at last week’s board meeting. Aaron Mosenteen was hired as head JH football coach; Danyell Coons, head JH volleyball; and Audrey Ault, head HS boys golf, all with $1,825 stipends. Mosenteen was also named volunteer HS football coach.
Also in preparation for the new school year, Stumpf shared changes in the staff handbook.
Athletic/Activities Director John Baumgartner reported on changes in the activity/athletic handbook. Three primary changes were cited:
— Sitting out five softball contests for a first major offense consequence. The standard is 20 percent of the number of games, and since softball now has 23 games scheduled, that consequence increased from four to five.
— Addition of criteria for lettering in drama as part of the lettering policy.
— JR/SR High Principal Shane Walkinshaw is the district coordinator for the random drug testing program, a position formerly held by former principal Susan Ortner.
Other business
In other business at the Aug. 7 meeting, the school board:
— Reviewed schedules for the Aug. 9-15 back-to-school staff sessions and the Aug. 8 new teacher orientation.
— Heard from Director of Budget and Finance Ben Rahe about final-quarter finances for FY18. He emphasized that he’s looking at unaudited numbers, but it appears that after adjustments, the ending reserve balance will be between $1.1 million to $1.2 million.