School pursuing bond election
Two options are being considered by Holyoke School District Re-1J with regard to a bond election on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Details of the options were reviewed at the Aug. 4 school board meeting, with a final decision on the amount of the bond to be finalized at the board’s Tuesday, Aug. 18, meeting.
At the very least, the bond election request will provide $2.16 million of matching money required to receive $2,533,301 in state grant financial assistance already awarded under the Building Excellent Schools Today program.
This $4.7 million project will focus on secure entry, student safety and access improvements to address existing deficiencies in the JR/SR high.
The second option looks at a $3.95 million bond election. In addition to the $2,160,000 for matching money for the BEST grant project, the moneys would also target energy performance savings work that has been discussed in recent months.
This additional $1.79 million in the second option would finance improvements in facility lighting, phone systems, heating/ventilation/air conditioning components and related improvements which provide significant operation and energy efficiency savings.
Superintendent Kyle Stumpf said that he and budget and finance director Ben Rahe had visited with the bonding agent and bond writer who will be getting them information with regard to cost breakdowns for 10-, 15- and 20-year bond campaigns for both options.
Rahe noted that the district’s current bond is roughly at 1.8 mills and a rough projection for the new project would approximately double that for probably no more than a total of four mills.
Details as to how that would affect local property taxes is forthcoming for the board to consider as it decides the direction to take with the bond election.
Stumpf pointed out that the BEST funds provide a huge opportunity to get matching moneys. Due to a shortage in funds this year, money was stripped away from BEST funding. The district is fortunate to have obtained the BEST funds which will be harder and harder to get in the future, Stumpf added.
As part of election procedure, the board appointed district administrative director Brenda Krueger as the designated election official for the Nov. 3 school election.
Staff hired
A first grade teacher and two paraprofessionals for the elementary school were hired for the 2020-21 school year at last week’s board meeting.
Megan Parker was hired to teach first grade. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in elementary education through Colorado Christian University in Lakewood.
Joylyn Kinnie and Tara Krueger were approved as paraprofessionals at Holyoke Elementary.
Re-entry plans discussed
Stumpf talked about cohorting in the school re-entry plan. He noted this will be much easier at the elementary school where same grade level students can go to specials, lunch and classes together.
However, at the JR/SR high level, it’s different when students from varying grade levels have classes together, making it harder to separate students on a consistent basis.
Stumpf cited an example from Buena Vista School District with regard to scanning a QR code to complete a quick health assessment for entering buildings. This will be potentially altered for use in the local district.
A big topic among staff members deals with protocol and procedure if they’re home with a sick child or a child whose cohort has been quarantined, etc.
The need to address a policy on staff teaching remotely from home if they’re quarantined with a child was highlighted.
With regard to medical leave acts, Stumpf highlighted five acts that will come into play for staff leave. Among them are the Families First Coronavirus Act, Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Family Medical Leave Act. He also noted that the district has a very large sick leave bank that can be accessed.
There are a lot of opportunities for teachers to get paid leave, Stumpf noted. He pointed out that they can get up to two weeks or 80 hours. This could expand to be 80 hours in the fall and 80 in the spring. He did note that this would not be per child. So if a teacher is home with one child for 80 hours, they couldn’t turn around and get another 80 hours for another quarantined child in the family.
Handbook changes reviewed
Handbook changes for both schools and staff were reviewed by building principals at last week’s board meeting.
Holyoke Elementary School Principal Andrea Kammer said that the biggest change for grades K-6 is that students will arrive at 7:45 a.m. instead of 7:55, and breakfast will be available in the classroom.
Additionally, no visitors will be allowed in the classrooms. Printed planners for the year were sent off for printing last spring, so there will be numerous changes in those.
Kammer said they will be updating items such as attendance policies, adding those pages to the printed planners or potentially getting the word out in monthly newsletters.
JR/SR High Principal Angie Powell noted that with regard to excused absences, she had originally considered changing the policy to note that students would be allowed one day for every day missed in order to make up their work.
However, due to all the unknowns surrounding the COVID-19 era, she said that for this year, they will retain the policy to allow two days for every day missed for make-up work. She said she will revisit discussion on this topic at the end of the school year.
Powell noted that for students who stay on campus during the lunch break, junior high kids will eat in the junior high area of the building, while high school students will eat in the high school area.
Locker access details were still being discussed, and Powell also noted discipline matrix changes. In short, she noted that this is a fluid document that will need constant review.
With regard to the staff handbook, Kammer noted that staff will need to arrive ahead of the 7:45 a.m. arrival of students.
Stumpf said that activities director John Baumgartner is working on the athletic handbook to have it ready for the Aug. 18 board meeting. Numbers need to be changed in the discipline matrix with regard to percentage of games since total game numbers for each sport have been reduced for 2020-21.
Details from the Colorado High School Activities Association ruling creating A, B, C and D seasons for 2020-21 were received just hours prior to last week’s board meeting.
Stumpf added that they will cross-reference the athletic policies with the student handbook to make sure they match up.
Info offered for consideration of bus barn relocation
Stumpf referenced a previous board question on moving the transportation department from its current site 1 mile east of the stoplight in Holyoke to its former site on the southwest corner of the football field/track complex property.
He said there are lots of options as to how this could be approached if that’s what they decide to do. They could sell the current property by bid, sealed bid, realtor and more.
A three-sided 48-foot-by-100-foot shed would cost in the neighborhood of $45,000-$50,000, while a fully enclosed shed of that size would run roughly $10,000 higher.
Stumpf said he’s still getting figures with regard to tearing down the existing building near the football field, noting it would probably need an asbestos review.
With regard to transportation duties, Stumpf said he is attempting to get approval for being the person to sign off on small-vehicle tests for district personnel.
Policy readings approved
Graduation requirements policies for 2020-21 were approved on second reading at last week’s board meeting.
A number of policy updates with language changes were recommended by the Colorado Association of School Boards to match the COVID-19 pandemic updates and requirements, with finalization needed prior to school starting.
The district went with the CASB recommendations, approving first reading on all CASB policies related to reopening schools and reflecting Title IX changes and state legislative changes.
Specific policy topics included prevention of disease/infection transmissions, school closings/cancellations, workplace health and safety protection, school year/school calendar/instruction time, staff health, student absences and excuses, communicable/infectious diseases and visitors to schools.
Also part-time and substitute support staff employment, staff use of internet and electronic communications, Title IX nondiscrimination/equal opportunity, sexual harassment, and student concerns/complaints/grievances.
Also tobacco free schools, open hiring/equal employment opportunity, professional staff recruiting/hiring, support staff recruiting/hiring, grading assessment systems, equal educational opportunities, admission/denial of admission, interdistrict choice/open enrollment, violent and aggressive behavior, bullying prevention and education, school-related student publications, student distribution of noncurricular materials and relations with district charter schools.
Other business
In other business at the Aug. 4 meeting, the school board held a work session following the regular meeting to discuss the board self-evaluation.