Board Briefs—July 11, 2006 In This Issue... Highlights from Superintendent's Report Employee Salary and Benefit Schedules   Suggested Resolutions for CASB Delegate Assembly Consensus Items

Highlights from Superintendent's Report
Financial Advisory Committee—This committee has been meeting diligently every other week. As a result of their work, Dr. McCabe should have a recommendation for the Board at the August 15 meeting.
Strategic Planning Action Teams—All teams have been meeting. Meetings have been going well, but teams will need more time to complete their work. They will not be done in August. Dr. McCabe will continue to provide progress updates.
End of School Year—District employees have been very busy closing up the last school year and getting ready for next year.

Employee Salary and Benefit Schedules  
The Board approved the Employee Salary and Benefit Schedules for 2006-2007.

Suggested Resolutions for CASB Delegate Assembly    
The Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) is gathering information from local school boards regarding resolutions for the October CASB Delegate Assembly. Resolutions from the Delegate Assembly are official CASB positions used during bill deliberation at the legislative session. The first step in this process is to have school boards submit to CASB their high-priority issues and how these issues affect the District. The CASB Resolution Committee will consider these ideas when it develops the slate of resolutions for the Delegate Assembly.

After discussion, the Leadership Team and Board members listed the following as issues they would send to CASB:
- School Finance Bill
- Getting Local Control Back
- Restructuring CDE
- Changing CSAP to Provide Better, More Time Effective Results
- Full Funding for ECE and Kindergarten

Consensus Items
The Board approved the following consensus items:
a. Personnel Recommendations
b. Science, Social Studies, P.E. Curriculum—2nd Reading  Handout 1   Handout 2   Handout 3
e. Updated Policy 5111-Age & Residency Requirements—2nd Reading  Handout
f. Approval of Consolidated Grant

The Board pulled the following consensus items for further discussion:
c. Updated Policy 5690-Student Health and Wellness—2nd Reading  Handout 1  Handout 2
d. Updated Policy 3411-Flag Display—2nd Reading  Handout

c. New Policy 5690-Student Health and Wellness—2nd Reading
Mr. Gorsky had a question regarding wording under B.2.E, which reads: Where appropriate, schools are encouraged to provide a snack-free recess prior to lunch. Mr. Gorsky asked if this statement meant all schools would have recess before lunch. Ms. LaPlante noted the word "encouraged" and said that three elementary schools and one middle school will offer recess before lunch next year. A general discussion around the decline of recess time and the advantages of recess time followed. Dr. McCabe noted that recess time will be an agenda item at the August 1 meeting, where there will be further discussion on this issue.

The Board approved New Policy 5690, Student Health and Wellness, for the 2nd Reading.

d. Updated Policy 3411-Flag Display—2nd Reading
Ms. Thompson explained that she voted "No" at the first reading of this policy because of how the requested updates to this policy came into being, which was as a result of a political issue regarding holdup of the School Finance Bill. The approved School Finance Bill requires that schools adopt a policy by July 17, 2006, that ensures the right of school district employees and students to reasonably display the U.S. Flag will not be infringed. She asked what the implications would be if the Board did not pass this policy. Dr. McCabe explained that the added wording is as a result of a law and all District employees are obligated to follow the law. Ms. Diedrich noted that adoption of this policy is important as compliance with this policy requirement is a mandatory accreditation indicator. There was additional discussion around whether flags of other countries could be worn. The Board agreed to add the words "or any other country" to paragraph 7, so this paragraph now reads:
District Employees and students have the right to reasonably display the flag of the United States or any other country on their own person, personal property, and/or property under their temporary control, such as a desk or locker, as long as the display of the flag does not create a disruption of learning or create an unsafe situation for students or employees.

The Board approved Updated Policy 3411-Flag Display, for the 2nd Reading, with suggested changes.

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