Transcript

0:00:02I'd like to call to order this regular meeting of the Boulder Valley School District for Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Board members may attend and participate in board meetings electronically in accordance with board policy BMEA in state law. Laura, can you please call the role? >> Booker >> here. >> Chavez >> here. >> Medler >> here. Quinn Linua >> here. >> Raj Paul >> here. Tuading >> here. Anger >> here. >> Thank you. >> I'd like to turn everyone's attention encourage everyone to turn their attention to the screen for our land acknowledgement this morning. The Boulder Valley School District resides and operates on land that is the ancestral homeland and unjustly and illegally taken territory of the Ute, Queblin, Arapjo, Cheyenne, Apache, Navajo, and 48 other nations historically tied to this land who have called this land home since time and memorial.

0:01:31We acknowledge the atrocities committed here, including the painful history of genocide, forced assimilation, and efforts to alienate the indigenous inhabitants from their homeland supported by the policies of the United States government. BBSD is aware of the many indigenous peoples past and present and their dignified nations and cultures who care for this land with strength and resilience. BBSD recognizes the histories of the land in Colorado and the survival of many nations that carried their traditions into the present. It is BBSD's responsibility to educate ourselves, our community, and our students so that we can embrace the wisdom and knowledge of indigenous peoples and actively stand together to address justices. In offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm and honor the history, wisdom, oral traditions, and resilience of indigenous people, and recognize the responsibility to care for and appreciate this land together.

0:02:47>> I'd like to remind everybody that the mission of the Boulder Valley School District is to create challenging, meaningful, and engaging learning opportunities so that all children thrive and are prepared for successful, civically engaged lives. Good morning, everybody. We're glad to have you observe and participate in our meetings. At this time, is there a motion to approve this morning's agenda? Moved by Anna, seconded by Deianne. Laura, can you please call the role? >> Uh, yes. Chavez, >> yes. Medler. >> Yes. >> Raj Paul. Yes. Tamuading. >> Yes. Anger. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> Board members, we will now move on to the work session portion of this morning's agenda. I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Anderson for introductions. >> Thank you, board president Raj Paul. Good morning, everyone. Uh good to see you all. Um thanks for being able to join us virtually. uh for those of you that are virtually uh as we do every semester, but we are going to be working through our board prioritization process uh for our next semester, which is in fall 2026.

0:04:35Board members, uh we'll do a quick check-in. We'll review uh the agenda setting items from this semester. Um and then we're going to be building out our board not finalizing 2025 but 2026 priorities. So I apologize for that typo. Yeah, the down arrow would be the right arrow. Thanks. Appreciate that. uh you know as we do uh and as we do at each board meeting and I think it's important to do uh here as well just reviewing the vision and the mission of our school district uh you know the mission of the bully school districts to create challenging meaningful engaging learning opportunities so all children thrive and are prepared for successful civically engaged lives and I'm very proud to the extent that we are doing that each and every day here in BBSD as a reminder before we uh we get into the prioritization um four uh strategic objectives. Uh these are aligned to our UIP. Uh and these are this is the work that we've been doing over the past couple of years. Uh no limits, making sure all students have access to grade level standards and instruction. Next best step being very focused on ensuring all students get the tiered support they need to be successful. uh defining the destination with uh just increased opportunities uh around post-secondary

0:05:50readiness and making sure that all of our students feel valued and included in that as a system we are culturally competent. And as just a reminder, um, we've also defined we're going to be defining success by these outcomes. Achievement growth, especially for our historically marginalized groups. Uh, making sure that students get the interventions that they need. Making sure that we're proportionate for students that are identified for special education and gifted and talented. making sure that that more students graduate and obtain at least one grad plus recognition. And as a reminder, we're over 90% um for the class of 2026, which is really, really great. Uh continuing to work on our discipline framework, making sure that we're increasing the fidelity and uh decreasing out of school suspensions while reducing proport disproportionality. So, as uh before we get in, Heather, I don't know if I have a slide on here for a board checkin. Um if if we wanted to do maybe a quick whip around check in see how folks are doing.

0:06:59>> I know that. So uh why don't we do that and then we could talk about the semester ahead. >> And as a general rule board first of all good morning. Um hello online friends. Um uh love to hear look like to look back and look forward. >> Oh sorry thank you. Looking back um love to hear uh things that you feel really good about that you did last semester. uh things that were accomplished, maybe things that you heard from students or parents or teachers or what have you, and then looking forward like what's on your mind um for the semester or the year that lies ahead. Um and we can go in any order. I'd love to take volunteers. Um anyone want to go first? Look back, look forward. >> Thank you. Such a hero.

0:07:44>> Yeah, thanks for the opportunity for this. You know, it's it's been a a busy year already, right? This this year was very busy. Um, I'm I've been really pleased with the community engagement level that we've had. I mean, we've talked to a lot of community members, a lot of teachers, a lot of families, and and got a lot of insight in terms of kind of what priorities are, and it's been a lot of work for the administration, for the for the staff. They've done a tremendous job. It has been a lot of work. Looking forward, the harder work and more work is coming. So, this this is like the tip of the iceberg. It's kind of how I see it. And so I know in terms of the changes that are coming, the decisions that we have to make and the ways in which we can support our students and families with those changes, it's going to be really challenging. And so I have that really top of mind of staying on track with that while making sure that we don't forget about our objectives and strategic plan is going to be really challenging with other things that inevitably pop up.

0:08:36>> Love it. Thank you. >> Let's see. Looking back, I'm starting to feel like I have my um sea legs on a little bit and I know which direction I'm headed and that feels really good. So, thank you for everybody here who's helped me to learn about what this role really entails and um has challenged me to um to do some other things as well. Uh I really appreciate the board itself. I've been thinking a lot about how lucky the district is to have a incredibly smart, wellthinking board who really does want the best for all kids. So, I feel lucky to be part of this group. Um, looking forward, like Jorge, I'm uh anxious about what the fall will bring uh because I feel like that's a big variable. um we don't know how our community is exactly going to react to whatever is proposed for changes and um I still think we're doing the right method of taking it slow. Nobody's going to be in the new school when they're complaining if they're complaining. So that'll be that'll be better. Um and um I would also like to say I really appreciate some of our uh people who are on the executive team I think who have really helped us like um Bill Sutter. I want to

0:10:14just shout out that um he's been a really important person and helping me understand um where the district is going financially and the problems that we have. So, um, I wanted to shout out to Bill and thank you all for everything you all the gifts you gave to me in learning how to do this role. >> I can go next. I uh had a really great first semester of being on the board. Uh, getting to learn um to know everybody and learn all of the different facets of the district. Um I uh because of my background having worked in uh immigration policy um I knew some teachers that instantly invited me to their FETSS and that was really great to get to to listen to and hear from the parents right away. Um last uh board meeting I mentioned just how spoiled I felt of the community engagement that I was able to to receive and the community input that I was able to receive. Um, one of the best things that I saw this past semester is just the um, attentiveness, intentionality, and the rapid response when there is a a greater need to engage deeper into specifically Spanish-sp speakaking families. Um, and I know that that is coming even more so as we continue the work in declining enrollment. Um

0:11:46that is one of the things that I am looking forward to the most and know that um I am willing to take on um whatever engagement or outreach or additional support that the district needs in order to make sure that we are fulfilling that and living up to that during um our decision making on declining enrollment. Um, I am also really super looking forward to I know I've floated the idea of um hosting um the commission on higher education here at the district which is a a commission that I serve on. Um, and I've uh talked to Rob. I've also talked to um uh the president at the department and they are both really excited to be able to host that sometime in the next um semester coming up. And so we have our our retreat uh at CSU in July and then um the department of higher education is also um becoming a new department with uh the workforce development um uh the state's workforce development. So it's really just like a new goal of becoming more um succinct and cohesive of how we get um our students from cradle to career. And so I'm even more excited to be able to bring a lot of those new folks that are going to be within the department um to the district to really

0:13:04get to know the district a little bit better and hopefully to get um the board to know the department a little bit better as well and have more of that open dialogue and um and conversation. So that those are two things that I'm looking forward to next semester. I think for me the looking backward looking forward are very similar. I just am endlessly appreciative of the way in which our board and our administration have been able to take on really big things this year. I mean progress of the strategic plan, curriculum rollouts, declining enrollment, it it takes it's it takes a lot to do to make any one significant change and to be a willingness to take on several simultaneously. union negotiations um shows that we are we continue to be committed to our the mission and the vision of this school district and really doing everything we can within our means to do what is best for our students and for our staff. And I think optimistic and um happy that that that all of that effort that we've put in trusting each other really leaning on best practice doing what's right for our stakeholders is going to help us make the really hard decisions moving forward as well. And so I just think we are we have shown that we uh

0:14:30are not shy about when it comes to doing the right things for our students and I think that will help us as we continue to make significant changes in the best interests of our community moving forward. So gratitude for our administrative team, for this board, uh, for really keeping students at the center. >> How about for our virtual friends? Who's up? You want me to just holler at him? >> All right, Jason, go ahead. >> Thank you. I can't. >> I was going to say Lolina had her hand up first, but I'm happy to go. Um, hey everyone. Sorry to not be there in person. Um I yeah I don't have a whole lot to add to what uh what you all had to say already about looking back. Um I've just been you know as as we all as others have said you know really impressed with the process and all the work that went into the declining enrollment engagement sessions. Um and I'm you know it's as Jorge said I think it's you know a lot of work looking forward and um you know I'm looking forward to that as well. Uh, it's going to be difficult, but I think we're ready for that.

0:15:38Um, also, you know, been great to have Deianne and Anna join us and I think quickly got up to speed and are um, great contributing board members. So, looking back on that time and happy to have them and looking forward to working with them more. Um and just yeah just grateful to this board and this group um this leadership team uh you know that we're all um I I couldn't ask for better colleagues to be doing this work with. So looking forward to continue to serve with you all. >> Thanks Jason. I did try to steal your seat today and your colleagues were not going to have that. So just like they have your back here on all the way. >> Thanks for looking out for me. Good morning, Lenia. >> Good morning. Um, looking back, I am really grateful for Bill and his team's work. Uh, all of the negotiations team, uh, the work on getting a salary schedule that will take us into the future responsibly and that's going to work. Um, I'm thankful for BVEA's work on that as well because that's hard work. Um, and it took a lot probably to build consensus. I wasn't at all of those meetings, but I am grateful that we got somewhere that is sustainable for the future. Um, and then

0:17:07looking forward, I am grateful that we are going to maintain student experience. um and do whatever the hard work is come fall. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is Alex online? Alex, are you there? Alex, are you on mute and there? >> I I see him. So, I don't know why we can't hear him. Uh >> oh. Technical difficulties. carry on. >> Okay, it sounds like you're a little bit sketchy. If you have thoughts, you want to pop them in the chat. We can have someone read them out. But in the meantime, Rob, let's carry on. Um, lots of great things happening and apparently lots of um opportunity for more engagement in the future. Huh. >> Absolutely. I you know when I as I look back and look forward I'm I'm just so uh thankful and grateful to work uh with such a high performing governance team and uh I think that we have a really good processes system structures and relationships where we can have hard conversations we can bring up challenges we can address those in ways where we keep um the the the best interests of the district and the community and our students most important importantly front and center. Uh really proud of the work that our team, our executive team and and our schools and teachers and

0:18:39everyone did this past year. You know, performance is at an all-time high. Uh we look we intend on keeping it that way. And so all of the work that has gone into continuing to support our students, especially our most vulnerable students, uh I think is has makes me really really proud. Um I am also appreciative of BVEA. we in in a time where districts and uh unions um in a lot of places are struggling to be able to come together am amidst really difficult circumstances. uh we've been able to break the mold and uh David Stewart and Katie David and leadership and uh you know I I think that we are also able to have really tough difficult conversations and I've spent over 50 hours in negotiations personally with with leadership from BVEA to get to a place where um our salary schedule becomes more sustainable and we can continue to be the highest paying school district in Colorado but also think about long-term sustainability and those are two things that are really really important to me and I think that that was some incredible work. And then I'm just so grateful to uh to serve in a community that's willing to engage and uh as I think over the amount of engagement we've done this past uh six months as we

0:19:55begin to make prepare to make tough decisions in August around declining enrollment. Um our community was there. They showed up. They were honest. Um they gave us good feedback. if there were things that we they thought that they appreciated, they let us know. If there's challenges or questions, they let us know. And I think as a as as a public servant, that's all you can ask for is folks show up and tell you um you know what they want to see in process and what they want to see in outcomes. And again, when I look at districts across the country struggling with this topic, uh, in in many places, it's breaking the trust between the district and the school district and the community. And and as hard as it may be to believe, I believe we've built trust this past six months on this tough topic. And uh, I've gotten really good feedback. We're going to be able to make much better decisions and know very clearly what folks want.

0:20:52Um and so thankful to our community uh and thankful to our senior team who's who's worked double triple time to be able to do it right and you know that it's I think that you know everybody says they you know want to do the right thing but doing things right I think is just as important and so uh really really proud of that and uh and excited we have some new uh leaders on our team uh new deputy superintendent new assistant superintendent of schools new chief academic officer Uh um we've got handful of new principles at schools um handful of other new positions as well. And so I'm excited to continue to lead um with our team and um and and continue to support the systems and structures that that we've developed to uh to create the opportunities that we need to for kids so they can continue to do great. So really really good.

0:21:48I just I love hearing about all the great things that you do and Bora, just so you know, I've heard Rob talk about you when you're not around and he says good things even when you're not watching. >> Um, fantastic. Rob, you want to walk us through sort of what's on your mind as we lead up to uh prioritization considerations, sir? >> Absolutely. Uh, as we think about fall semester, you know, what do we need to consider as we think about how much new work can we take on given what we have kind of going on? Um, we've all talked about the declining enrollment decisions that we're going to be making. Uh, on August 25th, we'll be bringing forward to our community the recom our board the recommendations for consideration on closures, consolidations, reconfigurations of our schools. Uh, we do have our district UIP that will be finalized this fall. We haven't added that specifically unifi unified improvement plan.

0:22:42Um, so I know our team is hard at work with that, but but you won't see that on the board, but I'll put that in. Just know that that's coming. Um, I shared we have new leadership and then we have a few other priorities that were prioritized um this past semester that um I think that we're going to be able to address most of those. Um, Heather, this is the the survey that that you had sent out. Thanks everybody for to part for participating. And with that, I'm going to I guess I'm going to >> show >> the talk show uh microphone. Um, and I'll bring the board over. And so, Alex, Lolia, and Jason, if you have questions, please let me know. So, we could see it. If I put the board here, will folks see it online?

0:23:29>> You want all the way up? >> Does that Can you see it online? She's going to adjust it. Okay. All right, welcome to Let's Make a Deal. I feel like the microphone. Um, all right. So, uh, in August, our first meeting, uh, back to school update. We we do that every year, just kind of reorienting our community back to what it takes to open up 56 schools for 27,000 students. This and all that goes into that. and gives our opport gives an opportunity for the bo board and community to to meet all of our senior team as we present there. Uh on the 18th we will do um an executive session superintendent goal setting. We'll have our first conversations around what we need to what we feel like that should look like. I'll bring some a draft recommendations like just like last year. We'll talk through what else we need to add there on August 25th.

0:24:30And we can discuss whether we want this to be in the evening, afternoon, or the day. Typically, our second meeting is a daytime session, but I've moved that to a night meeting because I really feel like the declining enrollment needs to be a multi-hour work session, and that's the only thing we probably need to talk about that day. And so as it gets closer, we can decide what's better for our community and for our board. Is it during the day? Is it at night? Um again, because it's a work session, there won't be public comment and other business. Um so, but that's the big day that we've been working towards, which is when we're going to bring those recommendations. Um beginning of September, DACK, we'll have DAC here for for their work session. we'll begin to start to talk about our legislative priorities. We have that in September because there's going to be a bunch of ballot initiatives and uh I know there's going to be early childhood and there's going to be a couple school finance things and we're going to want to be able to take action um early September so we can begin to start to advocate as a board for for those things that that we want to advocate for. Um on the 15th we'll do

0:25:41strategic plan update which is where we'll talk about the culture and climate metrics. We can we can kind of review the metrics we've been using. We could talk about some new potential options. This was something that was most highly prioritized by our board um amongst all the other priorities. So we will make sure that we do that there. on the September 22nd. Uh I have here no work session or information session items because I'm guessing we'll have multiple hours of public comment from what we presented on the 25th. And because we will be studying the final plan adjustments, we'll approve the legislative priorities, but we'll we'll we'll study the final school plan adjustments. And then on the 13th, we will approve the final plan adjustments. Now, I say that and and I will say board members, when you see the when you see what we bring forward on the 25th, right, if if there's no adjustments or if you feel like that's that we're in in a really good place, it would be up to the board. You could potentially move this up a little bit.

0:26:48So study on the 8th approve on September 22nd which would give you about a would give us about a month before the um BBSD is the place to be showcased and about six weeks before open enrollment windows open which is November 1st I believe. >> Yes, Nicole. So, a question and also Heather just because I know you typically moderate these. If you hear a very faint doorbell sound, it's somebody chiming in and I think Jason did chime in and I'm trying not to be the moderator. So, so you >> or so maybe like Amalo can raise a hand or if if you want me to like cue you into that. And I um I just with this timeline I I I am concerned that October 13th is getting really close to the showcase. And so I I I think it's in our best interest to nudge those two days earlier, if I'm being completely honest, to give some our community a little bit more breathing room before BVSD is a place to be and we're doing our open enrollment nights and because we continue to hear like that high degree of anxiety around decisions being finalized. So that would be something that I would advocate for there. Um, likewise, we might want to be prepared for public comment being long

0:28:09on September the 8th after that first presentation because that would be the first opportunity for public comment after the initial presentation. So, I would just say we might be getting public copious a lot of public comment sooner sooner than those two dates that you've identified. And I think that's great if we the community shows up. We just need to be prepared for it. Last, the UIP submission deadline is October 15th. And if we actually want to see our UIP and provide feedback on it for any potential changes, we would need to see that like in August. >> UIP in August. >> UIP in August >> because that has to be submitted to the state by the 15th of October. and knowing where all the declining enrollment stuff. Maybe if we could get it our first look before this, we dive head first into declining enrollment, it might be >> okay.

0:29:03>> Um helpful. >> A couple of adjustments here. >> Well, you're noodling on that. Jason, did you want to jump in? >> Uh yeah, and maybe it's just I can't see the board totally, but I I heard Rob say something about moving a day session to the evening. Is that Are you looking at Um I'm looking at we have three dates in August 11, 18 and 25. Is it moving the 18th to the evening? >> Yes, 18th to the evening, 25th to whenever the board decides we would want to have that work session. Uh >> where we are you're going to come back with the recommendations on enrollment. >> That's that's when we're going to make recommendations to the board. By whenever the board decides that mean like that date or is that are we deciding between an evening and a daytime there?

0:29:52>> I would say we could decide that today for the 25th evening or daytime. A meeting would be a typical time at 9:00 a.m. An evening meeting could start at 5. And so I I would I would defer to the board on which you feel like would be the best way to do that. >> Jason, since you raised it, do you have a preference on that one? Um, I don't actually I don't know what's best for for studying those recommendations. Maybe just maybe daytime allows us more time to do that maybe than an evening meeting, but I don't have a preference and I don't know what works best in terms of kind of public participation etc. Um, but yeah, thanks for clarifying the other things. >> Nicole, thought preference. I would say for the sake of consistency, our big work sessions have been in the morning and work sessions are designed specifically on days where we don't typic we don't have public comment. If it's in the evening, there's might be an expectation around it being a regular meeting with public comment.

0:30:58And the public is always welcome to attend, but because the structure is so different. I I would say on a topic as delicate as this one being as consistent as possible. So if it's a work session, we have it in the morning like our work sessions unless there is a work like employment related challenge for our board members that would prevent them from being able to attend. Does anyone feel differently? Okay. Any of our online friends indicate? Nope. Fantastic. So, sounds like work session during the day, Rob, for consistency. >> Sounds perfect. We've adjusted the board. The blue the numbers in blue are the meetings that are during the day. So, we've made that adjustment. I've also added district UIP study on August 18th. we that could become a work session. Let me just talk to the team to see how long that they would for that.

0:31:57Um and uh just with the with some of the transition with district leadership, we're just I just have to kind of solidify where that's going to be. Um, okay. So, the other thing that Nicole brought up was this idea of the final school plan adjustments, uh, study action 22nd 13, moving that from the to the 8th and the 22nd. Do I I think for me, I think the thing that that we want to be careful about is we could do either. I just want to be able to communicate to our community what we're doing and why. Uh if so, so we can wait till the 25th and give the direction after you've seen things on the 25th. Uh so you could move it up and you could say, "I don't know. We're going to probably need a little bit more time."

0:32:54Or we can leave it back and you could say, "Oh, I want you to move it up." Uh either way, letting our community know that this timeline could shift for a couple weeks just for the fact that we want to give our community more time to get their heads around what's happening prior to um prior to the open enrollment window. Uh so, but either either way I think we can make work. Um and we could leave it the way it is or we can move it now up to the up to the pleasure of the board. So, I will let you all discuss. >> Other board members have a thought. Nicole's suggestion was to move it up. Deianne, >> um, I would agree with Nicole that it needs to be moved up if we can >> and once again allowing ourselves the flexibility of if we realize we need more time.

0:33:46>> Sure. >> Um, we could move it back again. But the more time schools have that are now going to be re reconfigured for open enrollment, that's that will help the schools be able to respond to that. >> Okay. Other folks, >> this is Alex. Can you hear me? >> Oh, yeah. Hi, Alex. >> Hey. Um, sorry, I can't see the board. How long, if we moved it up, how long is the time that we would have between getting the plan and us acting on the plan? Alex, if we present on August 25th, your final vote would then be on September 22nd. So, you'd have a month, but you would study it on the 8th. So, you would you'd hear about the plan, you you would then two weeks later look at the plan in study form with the community opport with the opportunity to provide comment and then two weeks after that, you'd vote on it.

0:34:43>> That's the current standing plan. If if we backed it up a little faster than that, I'd be okay. I I kind of feel the same way that I once we reach closure, having more time is good because there's a lot of work to do once we reach closure, not just by the community, but by um uh staff and leadership as well. >> Rob, was the was the layout that you just provided, was that the if we move it up version? Yeah. >> Yeah, that's the way if we move it up. If we don't move it up, Alex, you we would present it on the 25th. a month later, you would study it on the 22nd and you'd approve two weeks after that on the 13th. So, what I'm hearing you say, >> Yeah, I'd like the earlier. I I think um uh I I think us acting over the course of a month is probably enough time for the board consideration and public input. And that and I say that not because I don't want more input, but because I recognize how much work there is once the decision is made. Okay, Jorge, did you want to say something?

0:35:44>> I was going to chime in with a similar thought. Just more time for parents on the back end, I think, prior to the showcase and prior to open enrollment is better. And that gives us a month. That seems like a as long as that works for the staff to kind of be able to kind of make any adjustments that are necessary. I think that that's that seems reasonable. >> I see Anna, you nodding as well. Anything you want to add? >> Nothing to add, just in agreement. Okay. >> Jason or Lenia, any concerns about this approach? I think earlier is better. >> Yeah, I agree. That sounds good to me. >> Fantastic. >> I I will say that then after the it gives us two weeks after presenting the plan, making any other adjustments that we might need to make to study and then any adjustments after that it gives us another two weeks. So, um I think that I think we can make that work. And if we can't on the 25th, I will suggest we move those back. But, uh I think that with all the feedback that we've been able to, you know, we we kind of set this timeline out before we did all the engagement and feedback, but that has really been super helpful. I think that

0:36:53it's going to help us land something on the 25th. And then Rob, for our for our uh virtual friends, when you say dates, could you also say months since they can't track as visually as we can? >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Okay. So, well, here's what we'll do then. We will put these on the although people may talk about the decision we made on the 13th, we won't reserve two hours for that. Can put that back over there. >> That was the 13th of October. uh October, right? So, so September 22nd now is public comment uh taking action on legislative priorities, the final plan, school adjustments. Um I'm going to move grading policy then to October 13th. October 22nd, we'll go do some school visits. Uh October 27th, we'll do a seabach update and then a student safety update.

0:37:50I think it's good uh be good for the board to to hear a full update on safety, security, and then for our community as well. Uh and then bringing back IG and IG. Uh November 10th, a gifted talented update as was prioritized and we'll talk about the charter school policy update LBD on November 10th. On November 17th, our strategic plan update. It's a day session and then we'll also weave in our AI road map and how that's going to compete how that's going to be integrated in our strategic plan. December 2nd through the 5th we'll at be at CASBY December 8th superintendent audit role honor role audit presentation enrollment update budget development process and budget update on December 8th. December 15th, do my midyear evaluation based on the goals that we set in August. On August 18th, we'll discuss uh and then we will redo our prioritization.

0:38:55>> Fantastic. Lilia, you got a question? >> Do we have a time we're meeting with legislators? >> We have that scheduled for February 9th right now. >> We have to get that from Heather. Yes. So, we typically do that early winter. Uh, but we'll set our legislative priorities in September. We'll discuss them for study on the 8th, bring them back to you on the 22nd, and we can talk about uh ballot language, ballot initiatives, uh, and, uh, any positions we want to take. And then the governor's budget comes out November 1st, so we'll be able to know and understand. Actually, I don't know. This will be the first time that we'll be switching governors. So, I'm not really sure how that works. If if it'll be Governor Polus with the budget and then the budget's taken over by the next governor. Just don't know how that works. But but by by by November, we should have a sense of of what's happening and then we'll prepare for that meeting in early February as session is starting. I think that the the breakfast we had this past uh February was very effective. I think we had a very successful uh legislative session. So I would recommend that we continue to do it that way.

0:40:15>> Okay, Nicole and then Alex. So ballots drop on September n like 18th 19th we're discussing we would pass any resolutions is that what on the 22nd so shortly thereafter but not before. I just think that board members I know some of us have been getting emails already on resolutions for different initiatives. Um well I don't I can't conceive of us moving that timeline earlier based on the other things. I just we need to be really prepared to make quick action because I wouldn't want to make any decisions later than the 22nd. So if there are things that come up, sending those to Rob or I in advance so we can keep a running roll. Maybe get some, you know, draft language because that's again going to be a tight turnaround with everything else that's on that ca on our calendar. Then two, I just want to like just call everybody's attention to the fact that that is going to be a really tight turnaround in a really busy time. If we wanted to have anything out, we wouldn't want anything out later because ballots drop before the 22nd.

0:41:34We could always on the 15th uh post that as a regular meeting to approve those if you want like so we could move it from September 22nd to September 15th. We could put it here and then just do a quick vote so we have action. So, we can do that. As long as we get real clear direction on the ETH, that shouldn't be an issue. I don't think >> I think it would that would be great. I think if getting something out before the ballots drop is is really the ideal window. Um, as long as staff can can accommodate that and as long as board members well in advance of September. So, like think be thinking about and sending us thoughts when we resume in August so we can be prepared and move pretty quickly through those.

0:42:22And we do have a very process a clear process on how we decide to take action or um have resolutions on certain ballot initiatives. But >> Alex, go ahead. Alex, >> can you hear me? Can you hear me? >> Oh, yeah. Now I got you. >> All right. Uh I think we should do it earlier. I agree. I think we'll get pressure from our friends on some of these that take positions sooner and they'll be some of them will be campaigns. So, we probably want our list our name on lists of endorses earlier if we're going to. >> And was that what your hand up was up for? Um earlier >> earlier my hand was up because I thought we'd decided earlier that waiting until February means that we have no ability to put anything forward proactively and we're trying to figure out some way to have maybe some other conversation with our legislative delegation earlier because at that point the only thing we'll be able to have any input into is what they're doing and there will be no chance to influence uh what the bills are if there's anything we actually proactively want. So I thought we decided that we needed earlier contact not waiting till February to talk to our delegation. Did we change something or

0:43:31am I just misremembering? >> I think that those are the discussions we have in early September. I I do I do think that we keep and we've tried this before. If you try to go too early, nobody shows up. I think that February is the final touch point between the board and our delegation before the session. Right? to the extent that there are bills that that we are hoping uh to sponsor or potentially run, um I think that uh that that the September 8th deadline gives you gives you some of that freedom. Uh, I just don't know if we tried to bring our delegation earlier unless I've got clear direction from the board on what it is you want us to do. Um, I I I don't know that folks would show up and I don't know that um that we would get the momentum that we want, but I do think in September we can have that discussion.

0:44:36>> Jason, you have a thought on that? >> Uh, maybe not. I mean, is is January too early? like just as session starts. I mean, I know December we probably wouldn't get anyone, but February kind of does seem late. If it's possible to move it earlier into the early weeks of session, I'd be in favor of that. >> We'll just need to work with policy matters. I can tell them if you all would prefer January rather than February, I could request that. It's early enough out that they should be able to to hopefully accommodate. I think in the past the earliest we've ever had it was the very last week of January. It's usually been first week or so of February, very last week of January. So I wouldn't go any sooner than the 26th if we were going to move it. But um I think yeah, finding out from policy matters seems reasonable. It's also like an election year there. It's going to feel a little bit wonky at the capital I presume also. So, >> historically, Nicole, when you've done it that late, um, you've still been able to sort of get anything any bills moved that you wanted to initiate?

0:45:47>> Well, if we actually wanted to initiate a bill, we would have to be having that conversation well before January because they they're d they are coming prepared at the opening of the session with bills already written. So, like that's kind of the bill themselves is like drafting is we want them it to be one of their first ones, it would have to be before January anyway. and that would might be just be one-on- ones with different legislators that we might not the whole not our whole delegation. So, I think um if that was an avenue we'd want to take, we could talk about that in September and then think of who might want to run a bill and that's a one-on-one conversation with a legislator versus a whole delegation meeting. In my experience, the earlier you do this, the more philosophical these conversations get versus if you let the session at least kick off a little bit, then you know what's coming at you and you can play more effective defense >> and not just say, "Here's the things that we believe." And folks say, "Yeah, that's nice." Versus, "Hey, this bill is coming out and you can't vote for it because this is what it does to us." Uh, I think that that that the February 9th

0:46:57date lent itself well to some of that. Remember the um what was it the special local option? No, the the sales the yeah the specific ownership tax and we were able to say you can't do that to our delegation and then we were able to give them some clear direction that I think they left understanding. But, uh, Nicole, to your point, uh, in early September, if there are things that we hear bubbling that we want to run, I think that for me that I have a few ideas that I'd be able to share with you all. Uh, then in September, then you try to find a bill sponsor. You would start doing the leg work on that. You'd have to have somebody help draft the bill you're looking for. Uh, and then we would have to get some support and some alliances from other school districts.

0:47:46uh if this was something that would help front range superintendents or or school districts or statewide, we would just do that work. >> Alex has a thought real quick. Go ahead. >> Yeah, I just want to say like if we're proactively doing something, yes, then I agree with that timeline, but I I disagree, Rob, based on my experience about how that it's good to wait until later. I think we follow up later when we find out that something comes in, but that if we want to give them our input um earlier rather than later in my experience of influencing the Colorado legislature and I'd uh hold a spot for us at least to be able to have contact with them sooner and have discussion amongst ourselves uh early enough to inform that. Um I know we won't be dealing with real bills, but the February for me is too late other than defense of existing bills, >> right? Okay. So, it sounds like on September 8th, you could have a conversation if you wanted to initiate anything and that would give you substantial or sufficient at least lead time um to do outreach to the delegation one-on-one and get something moving. Um but if it's just to react to things that other people have proposed, the February timeline might work out. Okay.

0:48:55>> What I'm hearing >> I disagree with that. >> Okay. >> Here's what I'm hearing you say, Alex, that uh and and and the rest of the board. let me know if this is is what you'd like to do. We'll reach out to policy I'll reach out to policy matters and say hey our board wants two touch points with our delegation like let's do one early fall >> late summer August Septemberish uh and we could um let me let me talk to them about what what they think is the best way to do that. Uh, and then after that, then the followup in February down at the Capitol. And I guess the question would be, do you want to meet first about your priorities and then talk to the delegation or do you want to talk to the delegation and let that shape your priorities? That's the direction I would need.

0:49:50>> You would need that today, Nicole. And then Elenia. >> So, I would Yeah, I think I would trust Policy Matters. They talk to these folks every single day when they're down at the capital. They know when they're available and when they're not. They know what they do when they're not in session, like what kind of jobs they have and what the constraints might be. So, I would I I like the approach of reaching out to them to see what is realistic because they have in the past told us you're not going to get anybody show up at this at certain points of time knowing what everybody is up to. So, I like that idea. on the ETH we talk about the resolutions consider a path forward in the before prior to then Rob is going to reach out to our lobbyists and say and see like what is the realistic expectation for meeting with our delegation before the session begins when might be the best time if we can get that in because I don't we have also hosted meetings and had nobody show up except for like what one time it was like Steve Fenberg was here and nobody else was here like my so we don't want to have meetings that nobody attends either so I would really trust their

0:50:55their realistic assessment of the situation. Um, and if that we can get them earlier, I think that is great. But I wouldn't want to I wouldn't want to say yes, we're going to meet with them in in a certain time and then that the honest truth is that nobody's going to show up at that time. >> Okay, let's hear from Melania and then Alex. Um, I would like to see it a little earlier than February. I feel like I while I agree with Rob about that, it is good to, you know, raise your hand and play defense here, which I'm certain we'll have to do again financially. Um, I I hesitate to wait too long. Um, so I I'm just in favor of more of a January time frame and and I also hear what you're saying, Nicole, about that.

0:51:52We want people to show up. I think policy matters will guide us on that some, but I would like to put out there that I'd like it a little bit sooner in the year. >> And Lennia, what are your thoughts on a fall conversation as well? >> You want to wait for No, absolutely. Fall conversations are important. There's there's going to be a lot going on this session. >> Copy. Alex, go ahead. >> Yeah, I guess I would offer one observation and one suggestion. Um, I do think after an election, uh, you do have a governor who wants to do things in their first session regardless. And you do have pressure on the incumbents who have been there a while to do their stuff early before and not have late stuff. And the new people are given the grace to have late late stuff. So for our existing delegation there'll be a chance uh to for them to want to act relatively quickly. Um I also think in terms of the suggestion that it's might be good depending on whatever our discussions are by then if there is anything we want to or we hear about to have like twoon two meetings rather than trying to do a full breakfast with a delegation or something just >> thanks Alex. How about the other friends

0:53:08in the room? Any thoughts, preferences? Anna, >> I'm going to take the recommendation of policy matters specifically on the fall meeting. Um, because yeah, a lot of them are taking that time to like make money before they have to go into the legislative session. Um, and just being realistic of having a new governor and a swath of new representatives coming in. And um I mean a lot of them are going to be in their first few weeks of their new job. Um and so they're not going to be like I guess fully emerged just yet. And so um just knowing what it looks like, what administration transitions look like um with having a new class of legislators um at the earliest January 26th, but I think February realistically is actually a comfortable date to have our meeting.

0:54:03Thanks, Anna. I hadn't factored in the also new legislators. Yeah, that's a great point. Yep. Rob, would you like to jump in? >> Always. Always. Um I I appreciate uh board members thoughts. I appreciate your thoughts, Alex, Anna, for sure. Um Nicole uh Lenia, I do think that early fall will be uh talks of recision, budget recision. Is it going to happen? Is it not going to happen? Uh and then these big ballot initiatives, the one being kind of run by um CA. And then there's another uh progressive sales tax that's the folks are trying to get signatures to get on the ballot as well. I think that's going to be the talk early fall. Uh let let me let me let me do this. Here's what I've done for virtual board members. I have uh we we've kept the September 8th. So we moved up the September the the action on priorities to September 15th. September 8th is when we'll study. Um I've changed the February date to JanuaryFFebruary.

0:55:18I will get some counsel from policy matters. And then on September 8th, I think that if we want to set up twoon- ons, if we want to set up try to get the whole delegation, um I'd have to look to see who's running uh within our delegation, like what seats are up. I haven't I have to I let me get let me get a whole landscape analysis. I'll get that to you all news and notes and um certainly in our check-ins in July and August, board members, you could share your thoughts with me on where you think things need to be. And uh I don't know, I think September 8th's the earliest we'd want to talk about this. I I will also remind the board that in August and September, we have this other thing going on that is uh declining enrollment uh and the UIP uh which I'm going to prioritize over this uh but not not to say that we can't give this some energy and and be thoughtful about it. Um but let me give some guidance from our folks that are the experts which is uh um Heather and Tanya over policy matters >> Nicole and then Alex.

0:56:27Laura just kindly informed me that CASBY resolutions are due July 24th. I think we need to pass a resolution to ask CASBY to not have resolutions due in the middle of the summer when school boards aren't actually in session. Um, first and foremost because that's ridiculous because we aren't going to be convening between now and then. And so I'm just throwing that out there. last year. The time early timeline also prevented us from having any resolutions. Um, if there are things board, it's not going to show up on this calendar, but if there are resolutions we think we might want to have for CASBY, anybody. Um, I'm just as I'm remembering it, maybe you email them to me and if we have to set like establish some virtual meeting just to vote on any of those over the summer, maybe we could. or we just say, "Casbby, you're really frustrating and you're not creating conditions for us to effectively participate." So, thank you, but no thank you. I just wanted to make sure everybody was aware of that because historically, we have had some resolutions that have been effective at CASBY when we put them forward. It's just we haven't in the last year or so been able to put any forward because of the new timeline. Great.

0:57:39>> So, that's fun. Thanks, Casby. Um, Alex and then Mellennia. >> Uh, yeah, I would just add I don't I don't know what to expect, but I know we also have ballot measures that would affect LGBTQ kids, and I assume the legislature will be trying to figure out some things to make a fix in the event that any of those pass. Um, and that'd be one to weigh in earlier, substantively with people who we know will be in office, like in the Senate, um, uh, and have our thoughts in the process. >> Thanks, Alex. Lenia and Nicole, I'm glad to do whatever you want to do on that CASBY time, you know, timeline and resolution because that does not is not helpful and despite that I'm our new representative. I know Jason will help guide me.

0:58:34>> Do board members would be helpful if we have if we reach out to CASBY and ask them what their strategy is >> in asking for these earlier. Is there a reason? Is it for administrative convenience? Is it to limit the number of resolutions that they have to consider? Because this is the earliest that is this the earliest that it's ever been. >> They have over the past several years changed the fall delegate conference earlier and earlier. last year. I think it was late, but um according to their website that I just looked because I haven't gotten a communication, the resolutions are due 50 days prior to the fall delegate conference, which I don't know if that's a statute thing or if that's just a CASBY rule thing. >> It's a CA it's a CASBY bylaw.

0:59:25I I'd make a recommendation here that I have um either Kathleen or I reach out and just ask what they're trying to do. And um you know, if you've got bad rules, you got to change your rules, right? If you want districts to participate, like legitimately participate, then you've got to create the conditions to allow that to happen. Uh so so why don't we Laura if you can put this down as a followup we'll just reach out to Jubel and um who's Casby president now. >> Is it a front range board member? >> Uh Littleton is outgoing. I can't remember who the new president is. I'll reach out to them too or I mean and and just you know we certainly want to be involved with CASBY and we want to be thoughtful and weighing in on things that we think could make a difference for students in Colorado but your process is not giving us the space or time to be able to have thoughtful conversations and so in what universe we want to rush to bring something to waste 170 plus school districts time on it just doesn't feel it feels like the process and system is broken. So maybe we can make some headway there.

1:00:33All right. >> Oh, go ahead. >> Uh, as I, you know, was the delegate last fall and I think we should ask about the, you know, trying to move things up. From my experience, you know, they were very kind of prochial concerns uh to rural districts that were the ones that were raised. Like there were very few resolutions that were kind of broader and impacted, you know, districts like ours. I don't mean that they wouldn't in the future, but it was a very kind of limited. It's like, you know, people's pet issues for the last few years um were the things that were raised through resolutions. But I do agree we should ask for, you know, why they do that and, you know, how we can make it so more um so more districts are able to participate.

1:01:25>> Thanks, Jason. All right. Any other board thoughts on legislative fund or CASBY scheduling? Cool. All right. Anything else on what's already on the board as Rob has walked through it. I just question the utility of having two DAC planning meetings when we have prioritized so little work and all of our energy is going to be on declining enrollment. >> I love our partners at the DAC, but based on our priorities, there's nothing that we're going to have them provide feedback on. They've already provided feedback on the UIP >> and we'll have we'll have our they don't convene until September. So, they aren't going to have any additional feedback on that before we see it. they always have to engage on budget. Um they're doing some work around community engagement, but I just the utility of having and I would could Yeah, I don't and even meeting before their meeting and I just we have it twice. I don't think there's a any utility to that.

1:02:36>> Does anyone feel differently? >> I will put it on the pending list. If there is a need to meet with DAC and do some planning, I think we do have some room that we could squeeze that in if needed, but no need to plan it if we don't feel like it's going to be beneficial. >> And the other sorry on DAC, I mean the reality is we're going to also have fewer DAC reps moving forward if we have fewer schools moving forward and there's going to be some interesting PTO and school accountability committee structures changing if we have schools shifting. They're I think their work for this year is also going to be impacted by declining enrollment in ways that we aren't really I mean predicting at this point and so letting some of that work its way through um and seeing how they're feeling before we convene might also be helpful.

1:03:28>> Agreed. >> Okay. Any other board thoughts? Okay. >> Yep. >> So just to be clear so just to be clear then there would be a sole meeting in January with DAC. Is that what we're proposing to allow them a chance to kind of see what happens from the changes, thinking about restructuring and move forward? And are there any policy things that have already been put into place for next fall that they'll be addressing that so they'll at least they'll have some kind of sense of where we're going and kind of what's happening. So they've already provided feedback on the two policies that are we still didn't wrap up this year. Again, like grading and they've already provided feedback on those. And so the rest of it, our policy calendar, and Kathleen can speak to this better, is we're going up on G G the rest of E, which is operations, and then we're going into G, which is employees, like policies related to employees. So all of that is really not within their purview so much as it is just part of neg like contracts and negotiate that kind of stuff and we haven't prioritized any other policies as a body ourselves. So I just foresee us working through ENG in the first semester at the very least before we get

1:04:44to is it I or J after that? I after that with the exception of LBD, LBDR, did that make it up on there, Rob? >> Yes. November 10th. >> So that might be a policy that we would ask them to weigh in because they have to if we ever get a charter application, DAC is required to look at it. So they through that lens, they could be helpful on that one policy. But that could be Rob tells Dak exact like, "Hey, this policy is scheduled." I don't know if it's a full board meeting discussion. Yeah, >> Alex, do you have a thought on that? >> It's not statutoily in your purview, but after we make the fall announcements and decisions on school closures, there really is a ton of work that goes on on the ground about how the schools operate um the populations uh that should be affected by considering the UIPs and the performance data that the DAXs are going to talk about. So, uh, it may be that some consultation with DAC leadership about how to advise the DAX and Sachs on talking about the implementation of the school consolidation or reconfiguration or closure would be in our interest in order to try to steer that constructively. I just see them being gathering the Sachs being gathering some

1:06:05people out the schools. For the elementary folks, it'll be intense and uh it'll probably be on on in their discussions and we might want to have some interaction with them about it before January or maybe January is the time to do it. Um I don't know. >> Rob, thoughts? >> I meet with DAC exec board every month for at least an hour. Um I do think that there will have to be some communication with DAX sachs PTO's communities um after we've made these these uh these decisions and announcements and so um to the extent that I will continue to stay connected with them and then also their involvement any run of shows that we develop between now and and August on how we're going to communicate how we're going continue to engage in support. We'll make sure that the board is made aware of that. Um I do think I do agree with Nicole this idea of sitting down for a planning meeting and saying these are the things that we need you to really work on. I think just broad direction around this next year is a year of where we have to come together as a community and to the extent that you can help through Sachs any mergers or any all those things is is a really

1:07:26important thing for them to to be considering and thinking about. And I will say that they have been DACK exec has been wonderful. Um our DAC has been wonderful all throughout the spring as we allow they they were our test group for our engagement session gave us great feedback that really helped us land those sessions well. Uh they they advocated for more inclusive opportunities and as we added a Spanish speaking session they they were right there with us. uh that leadership has wrote a great op-ed asking our community to engage in all the right ways and so they're they're going to be by our side um and I'll continue to communicate with them. Uh but again I have it on pending so if we feel like gosh we need to probably see Dak we can work them in but I'm not going to have it scheduled on September 8th that would be in the middle of us making the decision >> and so uh I don't know what we could have a conversation with about them at that point. Uh we could always move it uh into November if we wanted to or October.

1:08:29>> Thanks Rob. >> Okay, Rob, can you just We have on the screen um the board's priorization. Um so starting on the screen, bottom to the top is highest priority. Could are did all of those things find their way into that schedule that you just ran through? >> Everything except for the update on neurodiversity policy. I just think that's better served for the spring. Um, but everything else is on the board >> and better served for the spring for neurodiversity policy because >> just the the time to to to make progress. >> Got it. the the time that we would need to make progress. Um, you know, the the time to uh to just think through kind of how do we continue to to work through that? And and some of that could be impacted by um >> uh some of the decisions we make in August >> in terms of are there new needs, are there different needs? Um are needs being met through some of the things that we're doing. I think that uh I think that the um the uh spring of 27 I I would we'd keep we'd keep that on >> and rep prioritize that and uh and and hopefully be able to do an update then.

1:09:42>> Okay. Alex, question or comment? >> Yeah, I would just say um I'm I'm happy to delay the discussion and consideration of the topic until the spring. I'm not sure an update does I don't the last update we had on a cell phone for example was unsatisfying to me and I know everyone's going to be super busy in the fall and the winter and implementation. So I just want to make sure that the discussion when we have it about the neurodeiverse policy is actually really informed uh by everything that's going on in all our places and how how it's going. And so I would suggest that might be an excellent topic between now and that spring to delegate to somebody to review the implementation so that it isn't um sort of a one-dimensional look at how it's being implemented that uh doesn't really get into some of the details of it. So as long as we're taking the time, I would find somebody who would have the bandwidth to do a good deep dive into how it's going.

1:10:48>> Rob, any thoughts on that? But I suspect bandwidth is not a thing in great supply. But um >> I I appreciate Alex's comments on that and I think that in uh December I will be able to advise on whether or not we would be able to provide a substantial update at that point in time. Uh to again as a reminder we have a bunch of new leadership in a bunch of key positions, right? We've got to get folks with their legs under underneath them. Um we have uh most of our teams fully engaged on declining enrollment whether it's our assessment team uh whether it is our academics team our student support team uh so uh again you know I think that um we'll keep this on the prioritization topic um we can you know certainly have our team begin to review the policy look at strengths and weaknesses um and then also think about the expectations that we put on schools who by the way are going to be in a really um different place in the fall.

1:11:54Uh you know the work uh whether it's cell phones or neurodiversity um all the things that we ask schools to do compete with one another uh when there's limited bandwidth and so I just want to be mindful there as well. Uh, so I do appreciate the comments and um and and I think that that we can take that into consideration um as we think about prioritizing this for uh spring of 2017. >> Thanks. Alex, you have another thought and then I'd love to hear from Deianne and any other board members on this point. Go ahead, Alex. >> Yeah. Um, I just think that while I um we have to be careful about who we might rely on, this seems like the kind of topic that might be outsourced to someone outside your team to do some of the review and give us an independent third party sort of take on how it's going and then it doesn't have to be your team and we also get the advantage of the independence and we don't have the bandwidth issue especially when we're dealing with something so um nuanced and complicated in the first place.

1:12:52Deian, >> I think I was the one that put it on put this on the prioritization in the first place. And since that time, I did an RFI that was um pretty a pretty good update on on where u Michelle felt like the neurodeiversity policy is working and what needs to be worked on. And I've been meeting with Michelle to talk about it in different ways. And I think I think we won't get any useful information unless we give it a little more time to breathe. >> So I think that we we got an update. So I would take that RFI as your update and put it off until spring. >> And Rob, just remind me all board members get responses to those RFIs, right? Okay. Fantastic. Are there any other board member comments on this item with the information that you've had and heard so far today?

1:13:48Rob, any final thoughts on that one? >> Appreciate the board's engagement as always. These are always great discussions for us to kind of get on the same page on what we're going to be doing. It's going to be a busy fall, one that we're looking forward to. Uh and um and just really appreciate everybody's partnership and thoughts as we did planned out uh the fall semester. >> Super cool. So, um just quick sort of zoom out, right? We had five items or six items um on the prioritiz prioritization list of which five are on the work plan um for the next uh semester with one um we had an RFI and response on that and the other one sort of will tee back up again for the next list with staff doing some thinking um in December as time allows. Um Nicole going back to what you said right part of why this works you c you couldn't just plug and play this approach that we have here for your prioritization into any school district. Part of why it works, right, is you all have a great system of of identifying and tracking potential topics throughout the year.

1:14:50Laura tracks those, right? And so we have the we always have the ongoing list. But most importantly, what you have that I'm not sure every h every board has is an executive who is interested in finding a way to say yes to things as opposed to finding a reason to say no to things. And so just really appreciate that as someone who spends a lot of time with elected bodies and their executives being like, "No, but but okay." So you're just you're just trying to rule out all their ideas, which is a shocking thing that executives do. Yours doesn't. Um, and I really just want to name that that all of you being um open to Rob's feedback, to each other's ideas, and bringing them up as the year goes along, but particularly to Rob um just be like to trying to find a way to say yes as opposed to a way to say no. That's why it works. Um, yep. thought.

1:15:35>> And I just want to say board members, we spent this last semester talking a lot about how we knew next semester is going to be a lot of work dedicated to declining enrollment. And I I said several times, I know during board meetings, exercising restraint about what ended up on this prioritization list because the reality is our plate is is very full um with declining enrollment. And so I just want to say thank you because it is hard to exercise that restraint. It's not everything if if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. And so I just want to say I appreciate that the fact that we were all on the same page there with there's always things that we want to talk tackle. I that's I know Randy says I shouldn't use that word. I try hard not to use the word tackle. It's like an aggressive word, but it comes out so naturally. um things that we want to accomplish, areas that can be improved.

1:16:28In the cycles of continuous improvement, there's always something to be improved upon. And I just really appreciate our commitment to decline enrollment and the focus on the strategic plan because that is that's what's going to move the needle for our kiddos. And so, thank you to my colleagues for your commitment um and staying doggedly focused even when it's not natural to do so um and limit our ideas. So, thank you for that. Um, love to invite any final thoughts from other board members. Alex, go ahead. >> Yeah, Nicole, I totally agree. Um, and am in total support of our self-control and know that I sometimes am the one struggling with that. Um, I would suggest that my suggestion to think about third parties with whom you might be able to do a modest or small contract to help with things is intended as a way to sort of address that without, you know, putting too many things on too big too far a back burner that's too far back. uh for too long. And so I think um I've seen districts of our size incorporate work by outside contractors more often to help with things. So for example, on the cell phone policy, I know there's things we need to do to fix it, but I assume no one has the

1:17:37bandwidth to do a deep dive into it, and someone could come up with those suggestions. On the neurodeiversity policy, someone uh could write it up and do more than give us the data on a particular thing, but give us a little more insight into it with a bit of an investment. And that way it doesn't fall on Rob's executive team and our folks who are so busy with the other things, but we're still not putting everything else on an 18th month uh uh sloww walk. >> Thanks, Alex. Thought on that, Rob, before I hear from any other board members. >> Yep. No, I appreciate that, Alex. I think that you know and I've I've worked with contractors you know my whole career and uh there's things that you outsource and uh you know there's times when you know that you can outsource almost an audit of practice which is kind of what here sounds to me like what you're just you know you're talking about but at the end of the day the work has to be done by teachers by leaders by our executive team and if we don't manage like if you don't inspect what you expect right then to the extent that it's going to happen I haven't seen that over my career. And so, while you could

1:18:42we could certainly hire somebody and give them a a scope of work and we could set them out to kind of start looking at how this thing is going right now. Um, I do feel like that when we find the results, then we're going to be expected to do something with those results as well. And uh and that's where I think the challenge becomes. I will I will always, you know, take board feedback into consideration uh as we begin to get our new executive team up to speed uh on how and how we can begin to think about what are the ways in which uh we want to look at at this. I think special education which is a big part of the neurodiversity uh policy is uh has has done a really good job of of wrestling with a lot of really complicated uh challenges you know declining re resources increased needs increased numbers of students and I would I think that they are going to absolutely have their hands full come August when we're thinking about okay with the closures consolidations reconfigurations where do programs go and there's going to be a lot of time that needs to be spent with family saying I want my because if the school that a kid who is served on IP is

1:19:57changed and the teacher who's been serving that kid incredibly well changes because those are the things that happen when you do this. I just am it's not that I don't I don't want to I'm trying to kick the can on this or sloww walk anything. I'm just trying to understand that the burning platform that will be in front of us is how do we make sure all of those kids transition appropriately, which probably may or may not be part of the neurodiversity policy, but certainly is in the in the best interest of our neurodiverse kids. So, I'm just trying to be realistic on what the fall is going to entail. And um and uh even if I did an audit in the fall, I think if I were to do it in the spring, I would get a different result.

1:20:39if I do it next fall, I get a different result because all of their environments are going to be changing. And uh so I want to I want to acknowledge and appreciate Alex's suggestion. Um and and I've heard that and I would say that I do have uh I think major uh concerns around big picture declining enrollment and the impact on our neurodiverse kids, our kids with IEPs, our twice exceptional students, our like and and students on 504s, right? whose needs are being met today because we've spent a lot of time and energy with kids with adults and then you're going to have kids in new settings and I think this going to take a lot of work. >> Thanks Nicole and then any final thoughts from other board members? >> I appreciate that Rob and actually something that you said I felt was also worth noting that you kind of snuck in there when we have used outside consultants it has taken a significant amount of staff time still to do it well. I think of our strategic plan. Um, when we redid the strategic plan, we hired we h we got help for that. It took a lot of oversight. When we recently partnered and used Renee Crown to help solve some problems, we haven't we didn't have as much involvement and it

1:21:52didn't turn out the way we hoped because we weren't spending staff time to oversee and be involved in the ways that maybe if we had more time. So, I think it is the idea of hiring somebody from the outside. it can potentially be a benefit, but it doesn't mean it takes not it doesn't take staff time to help really get the product that you're looking for. Um, and I and also just that point on how disruptive next year is going to be for all of our for for some for certain students in particular like ch when change is hard um as it is. I so I I appreciate both of those points um and how yeah the data will look different no matter depending on the timeline of when you're looking at it. Sure. Um, love to hear other board thoughts and then I'll come back to Alex. Uh, uh, Jorge and then Deianne.

1:22:41>> Thank you. You know, we've been talking about I keep looking at this list of things for the fall and we've been talking about the fall focus of the fall, but it's really about the next two years, right? This is an endeavor. It's going to take a huge investment of time and energy over the next two years that's going to be real change for many of our students and for our families. Um, and to think about, you know, where we are right now and where our programs are right now is going to be look very different from where they'll be in two years time. And I think we have to be strategic about when we look at some of these issues and think about um what the meaning of these change will be and what that process will look like over the next two years because I think it's going to the next two years are going to be take a lot of energy from our from our staff and from this board.

1:23:24>> Thanks, Jorge. Deian, >> I think after spending so uh many hours thinking about this problem and you and I, Alex, would agree that there's some problems with how um neurodeiversity is being addressed in our schools. Um that the work that needs to be done is not something that somebody can come in and evaluate. I think it's internal work. It's work about attitudes. It's work about um scheduling of of who's who's in the room. Um it's it's not the kind of work that somebody could come in and just say you need to change this attitude because it's not going to change the attitude. It's going to be slow work to get the right attitude um in order to make this neurodeiversity policy real for all our students. and you and I both agree that it's not really working, but I don't think that we can speed this one up.

1:24:28>> Thanks, Ian. Alex, go ahead. >> Yeah. Uh, two things. Um, I agree that this is going to be super intense and for at least two years. I also find that this is an elementary change and we have kids in middle and high school who won't be participating in it except tangentally that for whom the next two years is not necessarily a time to not pursue board goals and district goals and give them the support they need as it interacts with it. So if if for the next two years our feedback on hey we need to look at this, we need to fix this is wait two years then I'm I'm going to respectfully disagree and say hey there's a lot of people here who aren't involved in our elementary school consolidation merger and closure. Um I'm also I' I'd point out that I know that we have much less central staff capacity than people think we have. That with the salaries we pay our teachers, we have a very lean central office. And so I I think that and I understand that contracting out with other people is hard to do and if you don't do it right, it doesn't work. But we don't have the capacity to do it right. So I think one of my priorities for the district is

1:25:36actually have the capacity to do things centrally that we don't have the capacity to do now. And I don't see over the next three or four years even having enough central capacity to do this. We'll be making further reductions in our central office as we as we manage the ongoing budget problems. So, I I think um one of the functions I'd like the district to get better at over the next few years is being able to work with outside parties that help us do the things we want to do. We're not going to have bandwidth. We're going to have a huge pressing concern for two years that affects about 40% of our students and schools and we'll still have other things that we want to work on. So I I I encourage us to think about all our kids the whole time and I'd encourage us to think about structurally is there a way for us to build capacity to work with outside partners better. Uh certainly the Renee Crown is an illustration not just that Renee Crown uh didn't deliver but that we don't necessarily have the internal capacity to get the kind of help from outsiders that districts of our size and complexity need.

1:26:42>> Thanks Alex. Laney or Jason, any thoughts on this one? >> I'm fine, thank you. >> Okay, Anna, anything you want to add? Okay. All right. Hearing nothing else from the board. Um, sounds like ongoing concern about long-term neurodiversity policy implementation. Sounds like a cultural question is how I interpreted DM what you were saying. um and um maybe a longer burn on how can we create some internal capacity to bring on to do additional work and bring on um consultants to support you. But in the meantime, the priorities um are as they are for this semester. Is that how you're interpreting things? Board chair and superintendent. Okay, Rob, any final thoughts on any of that? >> Appreciate you all as always. >> Such a great group. Um in that case, I will thank you again for including me in your conversation. It's always a joy to see you. um and to learn from you and really pleased to hear um um our new board members really finding your feet and feeling good about the work. That's super encouraging for me. Um Nicole, I hand the meeting back to you. Thank you, Heather. And thank you as always for helping us through this process. It really is a a value ad to have you here so Rob and I can participate more as

1:27:59participants. I'm not moderating. I can raise my hand when I want rather than waiting till the very end. It's great. and you do an excellent job of summarizing how things um shake out. So with that, board members, we will any members of the public who are observing this, we will move on to our action items for the evening. We have a couple. First of which is personnel items. And board members, these aren't consent action, they're just actions. So we're going to work through these like we would other items. Little unusual, but um that's how the agenda is written. So first action um is personal items. Is there a motion? Moved by Anna. Is there a second? Seconded by Jorge. Board members, any discussion? I just want to say since I feel like the last few board meetings, it's like my goodbye tour or saying thank you and good luck. Um, Bill Sutter, CFO is listed as uh as administrative retirement. he will be with us for a bit longer but is planning his exit. So board members at the beginning talked about um how wonderful it has been to work with Bill. I'm excited to work with him while he remains here and if you're a high quality CFO come knock on our door.

1:29:24Any other discussion on this item? Board members. >> Seeing as there are none, can you please call? >> Booker, >> yes. >> Chavez, >> yes. >> Medler, >> yes. >> Quinn Linua, >> yes. >> Raj Paul, >> yes. >> Tamuadi, >> yes. >> Anger, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Next item is approval of minutes May 19th, 2026. Is there a motion? Moved by Jorge, seconded by Anna. Board members, any discussion? Seeing as there are none, Laura, can you please call the vote on the motion? >> Booker, >> yes. >> Chavez, >> yes. >> Medler, >> yes. >> Quinn Linua, >> yes. >> Raj Paul, >> yes. >> Tamadi, >> yes. >> Anger, >> yes. >> Motion passes. Next, we have approval of minutes June 9th, 2026. Do is there a motion? Moved by Anna, seconded by Jorge. Board members, any discussion?

1:30:22Seeing as there are none, Laura, can you please call the vote on the motion? >> Booker, >> yes. >> Chavez, >> yes. >> Medler, >> yes. >> Uh, Quinn Linua, >> yes. >> Raj Paul, >> yes. >> Tamuading, >> yes. >> Anger, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Our final action item is the approval of the superintendent's contract for 2627. Is there a motion? >> Second by Deianne. Board members, any discussion on this item? I just want to say um we talked about Rob's eval Dr. Grannison's evaluation the meeting before um and as I started some of these conversation started the conversation around declining enrollment by saying at one point this is hard for superintendents and it's really hard for boards and superintendents um you know sometimes they lose their job around that and I am excited to extend a contract for another three years to Dr. Anderson to get us through this time and to say that while we know the the challenge is real, we have full faith in your ability to execute and um the need to make this decision is that not it should not come at a personal responsibility. So, thank you for all that you have done for this district and thank you for all that you continue to do and I hope that the

1:31:46public shares our feeling that however this shakes out, your leadership is is needed. So, Anything else board members? Seeing as there is no further discussion, Laura, can you please call the vote in the motion? >> Booker, >> yes. >> Chavez, >> yes. >> Medler, >> yes. >> Quinn Linua, >> yes. >> Raj Paul, >> yes. >> Teamading, >> yes. >> Anger, >> yes. >> Motion passes. Next item on today's agenda, board members, we have a policy study which is board policy K and it's associated regulation K-R which covers complaints. With that, I will turn it over to Kathleen Sullivan to present. >> Thank you. Um, we are bringing this policy forward although it was recently reviewed in 2019 by the board. Honestly, this is an area where AI is fundamentally changing the game. I want to be clear what this policy applies to.

1:32:50This is not the policy through which we investigate and consider any sort of complaint of discrimination or harassment. It's also not the policy that the board uh reviewed last summer that pertains to complaints around instruction or curriculum. Those two items will remain unchanged. This is the general grievance policy. This covers everything from my kid isn't getting enough playing time to I didn't like the way that individual interacted with me. And these complaints take a tremendous amount of time. So the red line that's presented is addressing a few things that came up that we discussed as an executive team this year. First of all, um we are tightening up the scope of the policy. So the proposal, as you'll see on K in the second paragraph, puts outside of the complaint process complaints around mandatory reporting.

1:33:59These are individual decisions that all of us, including board members, have to make in order to comply with criminal and civil legal obligations. They are also confidential under state law. So, the process of having a parent come forward and saying, "I've got a complaint about what this person did or didn't do," is really something that the complaint process is not able to address fully. And it's something that we've seen pick up this year. We've had at least four and it really delves into a world that the complaint policy is ill equipped to support. Our local law enforcement will certainly look at any issue around mandatory reporting. If there's a failure to report and if the concern is that there's been discrimination, harassment or retaliation in that space, there's still the availability of our board policy AC to look at that specific issue. We also are proposing a specific uh recognition that school district security decisions when we come down to something like a uh an order that someone has been uh has presented a safety concern that our team needs to regulate that that is the sort of uh decision that is not uh is not helpful or beneficial to review.

1:35:31Certainly something that the board could ask Dr. Anderson to look into and that we would have internal procedures for, but subjecting it to a multi-tier review process by individuals who aren't within the security team opens a Pandora's box of concerns. So, we're proposing to narrow the scope in that way. We are also proposing to limit the time period to we've had it within the same school year. When we are talking about a generalized complaint, this is something that the the individual knows is a concern immediately. When we allow it to delay months before it's brought forward, we really limit our ability to look at it carefully and to have a timely recollection of what occurred. So, we are seeking uh the board's review there to limit it from within the same school year to a 30-day period of time.

1:36:35The other two recommendations, I'll start with one that's in the regulation. So in the regulation, we're proposing a limit for written submissions to five pages. You can actually get a lot of words in a single spaced fivepage document. I personally am working on an appeal right now where we're at the third level of review and we have a new 21page document that is clearly generated by AI and the volume is a concern. We want our students to be effective at advocacy. We need our community to be thoughtful about the resources invested and so we're proposing a five-page written limit on what can be submitted. That's the argument. Obviously, if someone's got evidence, they've got emails or other things, those can also be submitted. But what we're talking about here is that here's what my concern is and why.

1:37:38Proposing to narrow that. The final uh proposal is to limit the tiers of review for generalized grievances and complaints to uh three. So every board in or every school district in Colorado has the same language that says we want uh this first to be presented at the level at which it occurred. So at the most direct level if the concerns with the teacher or a school district employee that you go to that employee to see if it can be resolved before it escalates into something more formal. Then we are proposing to retain the district administrator review and then to have the final tier of review to be at the superintendent level knowing that the board has a direct relationship with the superintendent and is really able to advise and provide feedback for the superintendent to make sure that the policy is being fulfilled.

1:38:44When we look at our neighboring districts, I can tell you that this is the move that districts are shifting to. When we look at Jeffco and DPS, they really have moved to an ombbudsman style of resolution around general complaints. Again, not our discrimination and harassment or curriculum and instruction, but just generalized grievances. And in those we really see two tiers of review. So the proposal here is still to have three levels of review but not to involve the board in these generalized complaints and grievances. And those are the red lines that we're bringing forward. The the timing here is we've had another full year of implementation and with AI really bringing the complaint process to a new place and with consideration of this policy now the board would be empowered to adopt that policy and have it in place for the opening of the new school year which I think would be beneficial in terms of timing.

1:39:59Thank you for that overview, Kathleen. Board members, questions, comments, discussion on these proposed red lines. Bian and then Alex, uh question. Uh you've used the language like a generalized complaint, but could you give me a specific example of what a generalized complaint might look like? um so that I know what kind what kinds of problems this would address because it is removing um it is removing maybe some of the power of the school board to make decisions. So I want to make sure it's at the right level. >> Sure. Absolutely. So, a complaint about how somebody interacted, say a coach interacted with a parent on the sidelines would be a generalized complaint. We still have human resources that evaluates personnel. So, it's not about performance, but it might be about a specific interaction. The complaint I'm reviewing now is is specific about playing time. The board will remember last year you did have discretionary appeals that the board denied around a parents concerns with a counselor and with a coach. So, um they really are those tone interaction and nondiscriminatory. I don't feel like it's on the basis of race or protected class, but my kid has not gotten an adequate opportunity in some area.

1:41:47>> Alex, >> yeah. Um, I would be curious. I don't know if that this is probably not the time for it, but I've recommended for a long time that we pursue an ombbudsmanlike strategy for some of these things. So, I think those two go together. So in the absence of the ombbudzman approach, uh not having the process to provide the feedback doesn't quite make as much sense as it does if you actually were implementing an ombbudsman approach to how to solve these problems. So I'm totally in favor of making the transition as you describe it in general terms and I think that should be part of establishing a larger ombbudsman type approach that actually like addresses these things on the ground humanto human compassionate person empathizing with someone who needs to get through a difficult spot.

1:42:34um uh and then it is really logical and makes sense to not have the formal process there to back it up because you've actually solved the problem. But if you don't have the ombbudsman um and you're still not responding or someone super busy far up food chain is responding in a way that isn't diffusing the situation, then I then I don't know that it works as well as the direction the other districts are going in. But generally, I mean, I'm supportive of this. I also want to make sure we understand on the timeline that like title nine violations, violence against women or other uh serious um considerations from our students are still addressed uh through the other mechanums besides the uh general grievance or general complaint policy. >> Yes. So, Title 9 and uh sexual violence is addressed in board policy AC and those implementing regulations. So, these revisions would have no impact on that process um which remains largely dictated by federal law. I I do hear that the um the ombbudzman sort of focus and I do think that there could be some language added to the regulation especially at those first two tier levels of review direct with the school or department and then the initial district interface.

1:44:04Um, we do have school districts that have entire departments. They have multiple FTE attached to do nothing except resolve complaints. Under our leadership structure, we do empower our building principles, our department heads, and then our executive directors who really do carry a significant amount of the the work that this policy imposes at that district level of review. So, I do think that there's a way that we can honor that value of resolution and empathetic listening and supporting of families without making any FTE commitments or starting a new department. And I think that that's a balance that we could strike in a revised red line. >> I mean, I would say part of our opening paragraph speaks to that already. you know, we want this to be constructive and handle appropriately handling the concerns of all people involved. And I agree, I wouldn't want to put any language in there that ties us in a direction we are not yet ready to move.

1:45:14Uh I also like the addition of I think it makes sense to say the school district employee again in our style of getting away from there are lots of employees, not just teachers. So, I think that's a great change. And sometimes if there is a grievance with that direct employee, maybe there's not a comfort level to go to them directly. And so, you would want to go to the building lead anyway. And so, that kind of makes both of those the first point of concern rather than having a family feel like they have to go have a tough conversation or with, you know, somebody that they feel like has agreed them directly. So, I think that makes sense. Um, there. And you know, I have a question. I even still feel like if I had to type a five pages is still a So I want to honor that. I don't feel like five pages is very restrictive at all.

1:46:06That's a lot of pages on a minor. Oh, not minor is something wrong. Not a protect a complaint that doesn't involve protected class or curriculum. So if it was less than five, I would be open to that as well. But if you feel like five is the right balance, I would support that. And I can't imagine why one would need if they were writing it themselves more than five pages. So I think that to me that that makes um a great deal of sense. And then I guess just out of curiosity, it seems like there's still some degree of redundancy between the reggg and the policy itself and we feel like the right balance is to have the associated regulation. Sometimes I just wonder like what else are we accomplishing that can't be for that second step and if we think it's a lot of districts still have a regulation. And so I if we want to go that route, I think it's fine. But um like you kind of have to particularly like what's the superintendent's role?

1:47:09You kind of jump back between the two to to clarify that. Um and otherwise I think the changes you made make sense. And I don't know that the board, I guess to Deian's opening question, I don't know that we need to be involved in every single type of concern brought to the school district, nor would we want to be. And so being thoughtful about what really does come to us, particularly in a time where it seems like more is coming to us, like where do we want to spend our time and our energy and how much do we trust our staff in making those decisions? uh I think is just I was originally like oh that's interesting to remove the board and then the more I thought about it the more I was like well maybe that maybe that is indeed the right call for the limited scope of this policy in particular any other thoughts from board members before we go back to Alex hearing none we'll go back to Yeah, I um I just want to follow up. I'm not suggesting the policy should be the place or this policy should be the place where we discuss what goes on with the ombbudsman role. But when I've talked to executive directors and I say, "Hey, tell me how much time you're spending on

1:48:36the complaints of families and then tell me how much time you're spending on the complaints of the most needy 10 families." They're like, "Oh, quarter, 25, 30% of my time." So we have a lot of time by very expert professional people whose job otherwise is like working on our strategic plan in school improvement who are dealing with a very small number of families with intense grievances. So if we spent some money on an ombudsman or two, I think we would have a lot more resources dedicated towards our most important goals around student performance and well-being and the strategic plan. So that's where I'm like I don't want to lose the idea that we're changing a policy to accommodate a more ombbudzman approach and then say but we wouldn't make any change to what people actually do as employees uh because uh we don't want to have anybody else have more work to do. But the ombbudsman function is something that is a function I think we need and that we would be better off if we had it. And not just because the experience that the families would have where they're where they feel responded to, but also because our people who are working on school improvement and supporting and coaching the principles or the principles coaching the staff would be protected

1:49:52from from having to spend disproportionate amount of time and effort on that. So that's that's part of where I'm interested in. Um uh and I don't have a line at it or anything, but I I just do think that the ombbudsman orientation is something that is in our interest in the long run to get there. And not because it'll add staff, but because it will protect staff, when as a as a board member, as a board president, when people come to me with complaints, I direct them to policy. I generally don't engage with them because our role has always been the final step. And so I've always said, "Thank you for elevating this. Here is board policy K. I encourage you like, have you talked to your building leader? Have you talked to the area superintendent? have you but I don't insert myself because our decision has always been the final one and because there can it can subject board members to have to remove themselves from any final decision. Um, and so I wonder how this change. Is there a way to to still to speak somewhere about what the board's role is in this? And is there a way for us as a board to have an understanding of about what our role is if it's not the final action and it

1:51:15removes that quasi judicial component? I have concerns about board members entertaining in complaints and then how does that then what happens? Yeah, I think that is an excellent point honestly and candidly when I think about let's say over the last five years the number of times that the board has had to consider a discretionary appeal I think it's one hand I don't think that we've had repeated board agenda items on that. And I do think it's protective in that way, the quasi judicial element. And I think that that more important than just anything else is it gives the board the ability to redirect that constituent to the the direct person or the lowest tier which I think is an important principle of any complaint process. So with that consideration and the board's discussion, I think that my recommendation would be maybe not to remove the board entirely, but to find language that is more specific about what that board role should be. I think the recommendation from staff came out because we do have a lot of complaints that just roll from one level of review to the next without really any new information or necessarily compelling reason. But by adding in the grounds for appeal and having some more nuance language around the board role, that may be a better

1:53:05balance than actually eliminating the possibility of board review. >> Yeah, I could go either way. Whether we have that board review at the final point or if there's somewhere earlier in the opening that speaks to what the board's role is and is not, I would leave that up to your discretion. and I just want to make sure that the community and our board members are exceedingly clear on what our role is and is not in complaints. Um, and I trust your ability to make sure that that is worked out. >> Yeah, I appreciate that point. I think that clarity I think would be really helpful about our role would be good, you know, in terms of like helping folks understand this process and transparency. you know, I think it's helpful to have say, you know, for discrimination harassment policy AC, for curriculum instruction policy, KEC, but for the other things, you know, is it possible to have links for that as well, like general personnel complaints and concerns? You're saying it's um the district evaluation, but where do how can we provide more guidance if if what fits like the ant's question, I was trying to wrap my head around, well, what fits here and what fits elsewhere and if it's elsewhere, where should it go? So a little more clarity on that I

1:54:18think would be helpful. >> Dr. Anderson, >> I appreciate the conversation on this. I will say the vast majority of challenges, issues are just um resolved through chain of command, right? Not the formal process, right? Like so if somebody calls, emails me, hey this happened at my school, I forward it on to the assistant superintendent of schools, the deputy superintendent who will forward on to executive director who then forward it on to principal to make sure that those things are handled. And so, um, just so folks know that there's not, uh, like if somebody comes with a complaint, I don't say, "Well, file a complaint. Go to the complaint department or go to like our our job is to try to build those relationships as folks are dealing through challenges." And when they reach out, it's because something isn't right.

1:55:17Yes. And the reason only a handful of these things come to the board and have come to the board in my tenure is our team really cares about getting them right and bringing folks together. We can't serve kids if our relationships with our parents aren't where they feel like they've been heard. So, I do support the adjustment that Kathleen has suggested because ultimately if it ends with me, if folks don't like that and there's no clear process, they're still going to come to you and then what would you do, right? Like as opposed to having like a a real messy public conversation on what the superintendent should do or not do, which then really starts to begin to blur the lines of your role and my role and process and systems. in my experience have prevented those types of things from happening. So I do think an appeal to the board and then the board's deciding whether to take that up or not provides a final action for folks who won't stop asking until they get the final action. Right? And regardless of how we were engaging through chain of command, if that didn't work, then they create a formal complaint, right? Then we go through that process, then they appeal that process, then they appeal that process, then they finally are

1:56:30like, I am appealing to the board of education. And with you know 27 to 30,000 students in my tenure here depending upon the year with all of the challenges that we've gone gone through again you know less than 10 have gone to the place where we're like we want the board to to to take this up or not. Um now uh and and I do think that it's important for the board to have that authority. Um, I do think that uh that that's a that's an okay thing. And and to Alex's point, we do spend a lot of time with our parents and with our kids trying to make things right. If things aren't working, if kids aren't getting what they need, if if there's a way if they don't feel like they've been treated with the level of respect and uh and we investigate a lot of those things and a lot of them are there's always two sides to the story and our employees have rights, our kids have rights, our families have rights, everybody has rights, you know. So students have rights. Um uh so I do think that that um that we do spend a lot of time there and uh so in any event I just just to to reinforce what Kathleen has shared that

1:57:38uh that yes I think that should happen and for the public who's watching the vast majority like if you have an issue right email your teacher you know email contact your principal contact your executive director contact me and I won't necessarily investigate right that's not my role per se. That's why the board has a clear policy on chain of command and this policy reinforces that that you know go to closest to where the issue was. Let's try to work it out, right? Um and you know, you don't have folks in the system, you know, pointing to a process. Well, I'm not going to you've got to follow this process, right? Because I think that gets gets away from the spirit of what we're trying to do, which is something's not going right in the kids' education.

1:58:21Uh our job is to try to fix that. Uh I also think that there's uh there's another level problem and the chain of command thing and I think our constituents who voted us in expect the board to have some power because we're the elected people and all of the other levels of people that are reviewing it are employees. And so I think there needs to be an honoring of the civic proposition that I'm going to elect you and you're going to make sure that the that the schools are running correctly even if it's um even if it's a burden. I definitely agree with the limiting it to five pages. I definitely agree in limiting it to the school year that it happened in. I agree to all those things. But I think there should be just this little safety net of if all of this other stuff fails, the elected officials get to um make the final decision.

1:59:38>> Last resort, last point of contact as the board, Alex. >> Yeah, I really appreciate this conversation and in complete agreement with everything people have said. I really I do appreciate the ability to say I'm not going to deal with any of your details of your grievance because I may be your court of last resort. Um and at the same time I do believe with the end that we need to be as elected officials responsive and responsible for things. I also know that we are dealing with like by the time something's gone really sideways for somebody's kid, it's a big deal to that family and probably two or three other families by the time you know they're they're that frustrated with things. So, I really really appreciate that we can reinforce getting to someone quickly closest to the issue who has enough independence from it to actually, you know, hear it and not be totally the person that they're complaining about. Um the other thing is I just want to be really clear and this is more for the public that like these are all almost always these things that are going on the people involved especially when it's about students and staff are entitled to privacy and confidentiality and that these are not things that can always be done in

2:00:49public. They're not things that should be um shared with other people um in order to protect young people who might have done something wrong and young people who might have experienced something wrong. And then when we deal with staff, they have protections under labor law and our collective bargaining agreements. So all of this stuff when it's being handled by smart professionals is going to be handled and and I think that's where like me as a board member my trust for the people within the district to make good calls and work this out is is high from everything I hear and I want people to know that that's we can't share this stuff and that's for good reason in order to protect for the most part to protect young people and also in order to honor our employees who are working really hard to try to solve these things. So this is one of those things where our board role is really important to be there and at the same time our primary goal has to be to protect the interests of our students.

2:01:51>> Bo members, any further discussion on policy K and K-R Alex, did you have one more thing to say on this topic? Sorry, that was No, I didn't mean to raise my hand. >> Okay. Um, we will Oh, Lenia, did you raise your hand? >> I wanted to echo I really appreciate what Deianne said that it is important as an elected official that you that you are still engaged in that process. Um, and the privacy concerns Alex mentions often come up as a complaint from public, but I think it's really um important to know that we're doing the right things. And while we can't always share the information, we are there to do those right things. So, I just appreciate the conversation. I've been listening carefully and I'm sorry I'm not there to um I'm sorry I'm not there in person for this one in particular. Thank you.

2:03:02>> Thanks Molenia. Well, that wraps up our policy discussion item or study item. I look forward to having this back on August 11th because I think it would be a big value ad to kick the year off with this in place. So, thanks um to the team and Kathleen for bringing that forward. As indicated on today's agenda, we do have one more We may not have one more order of business. We had an executive session scheduled um in the CA event we needed to discuss the topics indicated around our charter schools, but we do we indeed need that executive session today. Kathleen, >> I had hoped to have a more substantive update for the board following our prior executive session. I really don't at this time. So, I think that that executive session could be an email and that would be a more efficient use of the board's time.

2:03:57That sounds wonderful. In particular, I was wondering how we're going to juggle three remote attendees to this executive session. So, if you do not feel that there is any information, there's not a volume of information worthy of an executive session, we can not move forward with a motion for that. Which means board members, our business today and for this school year is adjourned. Enjoy your couple weeks off and I will look forward to seeing you guys back here in August. >> Bye everybody. Thanks. >> Thanks everyone. Take care.