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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
    • 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
  • 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