Board Minutes May 14 2020
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF
Board of Horizons K-8 School
May 14th, 2020
6:03 pm – 8:45 pm
Meeting held virtually via Zoom
Facilitators: Paul Martin / Lucas Ketzer
Note Taker: Hope Nelson-Roohr (non-member)
Minutes: Geary Layne
Timekeeper: Peter Hegelbach
Process Observer: Alex Osias
Call to Order: 6:03pm
Present:
Alex Osias, Allison Akhnoukh, Beth Coleman, Julie Cohen, Karen Wolfer, Lucas Ketzer, Paul Martin, Paul Ramer, Peter Hegelbach, Teran Sittner, Tyler Currie
Absent:
Arrived late:
Geary Layne @ 6:19pm
Quorum established
Guests:
Elizabeth Parady, Sherry Davis, Rachel Buckley, Annie Blankenship, Joan Truesdale, Lynn Pence, Natalie Bauer, Hilary Merina, Emily Kurtz, Jim Freund, Fran Cohen, Christy Shoemaker, Traci Bushnell, Aubrey Demmon, Tali Shapiro, Nicola Gilbert, Erica Baruch, Lisa Leftakes, Vinaya Williams
Welcome & Invitation for public comments:
Jim Freund spoke
Approval of Agenda:
Motion – Tyler Currie
Second – Teran Sittner
Concorded
Approval of Minutes:
Motion – Allison Akhnoukh
With correction, change stated to started
Second – Alex Osias
Concorded
End of school year update:
- Presentation of BVSD’s Phased approach
- Phase 1: Remote learning for all, current phase
- Phase 2: Remote learning for most, in person for small prioritized groups
- Teachers are identifying the 4 students in each classroom that might be prioritized
- Possible reasons IEP, struggles with online learning, challenges with executive functioning
- Teachers are identifying the 4 students in each classroom that might be prioritized
- Phase 3: In person learning for 50% of students
- Possibly split schedules (morning/afternoon or M-W-F/T-TH)
- Phase 4: Combination of in person and home learning
- Phase 5: Majority at school, in building learning
- BVSD informed that we may move in and out of these phases
Finance Review Committee:
- Tyler Currie gave budget presentation, including funding sources and expenditures
- Changes at state level are such that we will not have exact budget numbers at this meeting
- Expect to learn funding formula in June
- By working with faculty, a first phase budget reduction of $236,864 is proposed
- Changes are only for FY21; includes dropping PE to .5 and .3, and fewer Paraprofessionals
- Will ask Council to reallocate money earmarked for Arts, Music, Experiential Learning, etc to the general fund
- Projected End of Year balance $1.275 M – not all available for discretionary spending
- Funds include ~ $600K in reserves required by current Board Policy, and ~$400K in unreserved surplus
- Board policy has been a controlled spend down of unreserved surplus
- Funds include ~ $600K in reserves required by current Board Policy, and ~$400K in unreserved surplus
- Additional considerations: loss of revenue from decrease property tax, change in mil levy distribution, impacts from contract negotiations, etc
- Current Proposed Budget through FY25
- Total fund allocation runs out in FY22
- State House majority leader – expect additional cuts in FY 22 which is not built in current proposed budget
- We do not want to make all cuts at once because future trajectory is unknown
Opened the floor for questions from public – none asked
- Two weeks ago, funding guidance suggest that the words case was 10% reduction in Per Pupil Funding
- Colorado is now predicting a 25% state shortfall, resulting is larger reduction in Per Pupil Funding (10%-25%)
Motion – Paul Ramer
Move to extend this discussion 30 minutes until to 8:00 pm
Second – Lucas Ketzer
Concorded
- Discussion lead to decision that proposed one year cuts (Phase 1) are needed and likely addition cuts will be needed based on funding guidance from BVSD
- Plan to develop further phase cuts
Motion – Tyler Currie
Moves to accept the recommended cuts described by FY21 flat budget scenario including Phase 1 cuts
Second – Alex Osias
Concorded, Faculty Board Members Abstained
Motion – Paul Ramer
Move to extend discussion to 8:15 pm
Second – Alex Osias
Concorded
- Discussion of how to form a committee and how to get faculty input
Motion – Paul Ramer
Move to extend discussion to 8:35 pm
Second – Tyler Currie
Concorded
- Faculty will determine how to provide input to budget considerations at meeting on May 15th
Motion – Paul Ramer
Move to create a committee of HoS and two parent board members whose task is to make recommendations on the budget to the board.
Second – Lucas Ketzer
Concorded
Process Observer:
- Well organized, structure well thought out
- Voting to extend as needed
- Communication was respectful
- Open time for public questions
- Respectful communication overall
Adjourned: 8:45pm