Council Notes December 19 2024
12/19/2024 Council Meeting Minutes
Horizons K-8 School
Meeting Agenda: Copy of Council Meeting Agenda (Detailed)-December 19, 2024.docx - Google Docs
Annual Cookie Exchange 5:00 - 5:30
Call to Order: 5:37 PM
- Quorum established
Facilitators: Jasmine GBC, Kristin Hauger, Travis Lockhart
Notetaker: Michelle Bargo
In-Person Attendance: Travis Lockhart, Jasmine GBC, Kristin Hauger, Julie, Teresa Joseph, Michael Joseph, Shoshana Kressler, Lauren Yedell, Allyson Desart, Suzanne Tadros, Sarah Wise, Elizabeth Parady, Michelle Bargo, Oliver Eliasson, Tracy Eliasson, Linnea O’Shea-Stone, Stephanie Landrum, Taylor Lockhart, Marybeth Lockhart
Virtual Attendance: Christian Bartels, Jeff van Goete, Gina Lee De Freitas
5:37 Mindfulness Meditation: Kristin Hauger
Communication Agreements/Procedure/Concordance/Minutes - Please review these agreements.
Quarterly SAC Meeting: GBC
- Horizons’ charter renewal is beginning next year. We are in communication with other charters who are currently in the renewal process, including Peak to Peak and Boulder Prep. We want to do our research regarding contracted services such as IT and special education.
- Current enrollment is 363 students with 1 student pending.
- Budget review through 10/24: Our fundraising amount is up to $65K, and we have incurred $9K in expenses for the spring auction.
- New policy: All requests for Council Funds over $300 will now need to go through FRC before being proposed and voted on in Council.
- Stock Donations: Christian Bartel: This is a new option for donations to Horizons! Horizons now has a Vanguard account for donations of any publicly traded stocks. This can have significant tax benefits for donors!
- Matching Donations: Many employers will match both cash donations and stock donations.
- DAC Report: GBC
- There is a new charter school up for approval in BVSD, Bel Swan, which is in Broomfield. There has not been a new charter school in the district for quite a long time so it’s encouraging that BVSD appears to be favorable towards Bel Swan.
- Next SAC Meetings: 2/20/25, 4/17/25
6:05 Hawks Happenings
- Middle School Special Education: Stephanie Landrum
- Kate Batchel and Stephanie Landrum are interested in facilitating a monthly gifted & talented/ special education support meeting for families. This is also a funding request because they are seeking reimbursement for their time.
- Next steps: survey interest among the community, approach FRC with this request for funds, bring the request back to Council
- Kate Batchel and Stephanie Landrum are interested in facilitating a monthly gifted & talented/ special education support meeting for families. This is also a funding request because they are seeking reimbursement for their time.
6:10 Committee Reports
- Development Committee: Kristin Hauger, Lauren Yedell, Allyson DeSart
- The Spring Auction theme is Prom Rewind. The committee is looking for donations for the auction. They are also seeking sponsorships. The Auction Committee is always looking for more volunteers who want to have lots of fun!
- Artastic was a huge success! The event earned $6000 for Horizons.
- Hawks Bucks and CO Gives: We’ve raised about $48K so far, and aim to raise $100K during the 24/25 school year.
- The Horizons Choir was a wonderful presence at the Boulder Parade of Lights. Special thanks to Holland and Nikki for their efforts.
- This has been a very successful open enrollment season! The open enrollment tours were very well-attended and there was an excellent middle school panel. The Horizons Marketing Video was also an amazing contribution to the OE push.
- Discussion of using entrance and exit surveys to help us gather data.
- EDB: Allyson Desart
- EDB has been testing new formats. This year EDB is hosting many events but meeting less frequently. Events include: A Banned Book Club, Be the Change, Share-A-Gift, and Taste of Horizons (Friday 2/28/25 from 6-8).
- HCG: Allyson Desart
- HCG organizes classroom liaisons, Coffee Connections, Knitting Club, Pancake Breakfast (1/24/25), Join Or Die viewing (1/30/25).
6:49 Budget Asks and New Business:
Vacuum Cleaners: Shoshana Kressler
- Shoshana prepared a spreadsheet to provide more information for this ongoing discussion. Vacuum Information - Sheet1.pdf - Google Drive
- There is approximately $900 remaining in a GoFundMe account that is available to be donated to this cause.
- Motion: To contribute $1550 of Council funds to purchase 12 new vacuum cleaners as outlined on the above spreadsheet.
- Second: Allyson Desart
- Concorded
New Business: Jeff van Goete
- Jeff asked to move the new business and voting issues to the start of Council meetings to facilitate increased community participation. Discussion about the technology used for virtual participants and the pros and cons of the sequence of topics on the agenda. Should this proposal be trialed at 1 upcoming Council meeting? When will the facilitation training process begin? Will the facilitation training accomplish some of these same goals? The stated goal of the proposal is to increase attendance. How would we measure data to know whether the proposed change improves attendance?
- Motion: To move new council business and known voting issues to the start of Council meetings to right after the HOS Updates for only the 1/2025 and 2/2025 meetings. -Travis Lockhart
- Seconded: Jasmine GBC
- Not concorded
Adjourned: 7:30 PM