Horizons Council Meeting — September 18, 2025

"Chili Cook-Off Council"

Mindfulness

Led by Kristin.

Agenda

• Mindfulness
• Introductions and Chili Cook-Off Voting
• Update on Enrollment
• Administrative Transfers
• #BigKidsPlayToo
• Hawk Happenings and Celebrations
• Committee Updates
• Items for Discussion — Charter Renewal Committee Interest

Introductions

Attendees shared their name, their student's grade/homeroom, and how long they've been part of Horizons.

Enrollment Needs

• Kindergarten – 2 students
• 1st grade – 8 students
• 2nd grade – 3 students
• 4th grade – 2 students
• 5th grade – 1 student
• 6th grade – 2 students
• 7th grade – 6 students
• 8th grade – 1 student

#BigKidsPlayToo

See the Canva design.

Hawk Happenings & Celebrations

• Tia — new 5th/6th grade team member and a Horizons alum
• Emmy — from the 3rd/4th grade team
• A Neurodiversity Support Group Workshop was shared

Committee Updates

• Development Committee
  • BVSD is the Place to Be
  • Auction Leaders
• Equity, Diversity, & Belonging
• Horizons Community Group
  • Steering Committee meeting held the following day

Items for Discussion — Bylaw & Charter Review Committee

The Bylaws are the school's internal rules governing the Board, board elections, and school-based decision-making.

The Charter is Horizons' contract with its authorizer (Boulder Valley School District), which secures the school's autonomy and flexibility as a charter school.

Parents, we need you!

• Charter renewal is next with BVSD.
• Anticipating increased costs for SPED and other services.
• How can the community organize to get a fair price for purchased services through BVSD?
• How can the district be shown how much the Charter School means to families?

Committee makeup being sought: a diverse group of up to 12 members —

• 1–3 community members with political, civic, philanthropic, legal, or educational expertise
• 2–3 parents from the Horizons community bringing helpful expertise
• 2–3 faculty or staff members with deep knowledge of Horizons' day-to-day practices and culture

There are no restrictions on how long you've been at Horizons or what grade levels your family is in — all voices are welcome.

Closing

Thank you for coming!

Horizons Council/SAC Meeting — October 16, 2025

Agenda

Item	Notes	Who	Time
Welcome	Mindfulness	Kristin / Travis L	5:30 (5 min)
SAC Meeting	Update on current enrollment; FY26 Fund 11 Budget through 8/31; FY26 Council Budget through 8/31; School Performance Framework (SPF); review of Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) and budget implications; how the UIP can be advanced with the current budget. Next SAC meetings: Jan. 16, March 26, May 14.	JGBC / Becky Goddard	5:35 (30 min)
Hawks Happenings	Kim, Lisa, Megan (1/2); Caley (7/8)	Faculty	6:05 (40 min)
Committee Updates	HCG (5 min); EDB (5 min); Development (5 min)	Committees	7:10 (15 min)
On the Horizons	BVSD Showcase; 1st Lockdown Drill of the Year; Fall Dance, October 24; #BigKidsPlayToo Ribbon Cutting and Jane Goodall Memorial Dedication in Gombe Grove	—	7:25

SAC Meeting

• School Performance Framework (SPF)
• Unified Improvement Plan (UIP)
• Budget FY26 Fund 11 and Council Review (influences from UIP)
• How could the budget support the UIP better?
• Feedback to the district on budget

Next SAC: Jan. 16, March 26, May 14

SY 24–25 Horizons School Performance Framework

The performance framework evaluates district and school performance on Academic Achievement and Academic Growth. The percentage of points earned across all indicators determines the final accreditation rating for a school. Failure to meet test participation, safety, and finance assurances may result in a rating being lowered by one level.

SY 24–26 Unified Improvement Plan

Focus: Improving Elementary Math Growth Scores

Targets:

• Year 1: Horizons will improve elementary math growth achievement to 60%.
• Year 2: Horizons will improve elementary math growth achievement to 75%.

Why: 45% of 3rd–5th grade students are realizing math growth on CMAS, compared to 74% of middle school students.

Path to Reaching Our Targets

Curriculum: Purchased Bridges intervention curriculum and provided focused professional development so that all teachers and paraprofessionals in elementary grades became interventionists.

Strategy: Teach targeted intervention groups three times per week.

Why Bridges: Students who received instruction including Bridges significantly outperformed (18.5% growth increase) students who received instruction without Bridges (15% growth increase). Horizons teachers researched different math intervention curriculums and found Bridges aligned with their pedagogy.

How Did We Do in Year 1 of the Unified Improvement Plan?

Target: Year 1 — improve elementary math growth achievement to 60%.

Results: Median growth percentage for elementary math was 47%, compared to a median growth percentage of 67.5% for middle school.

Implications of UIP on Budget

The school spent $7,531.45 on Bridges intervention training and materials. The school requested that the funds come from the Council, since the expenditure could not be covered in Fund 11.

Hawks Happenings & Celebrations

• Kim P., Lisa L., and Megan
• Caley

Committee Updates

• Development
• Equity, Diversity, & Belonging
• Horizons Community Group

What's on the Horizons…

• BVSD Showcase
• 1st Lockdown Drill of the Year
• Fall Dance, October 24
• #BigKidsPlayToo Ribbon Cutting and Jane Goodall Memorial Dedication in Gombe Grove

Closing

Thank you for coming!

Horizons Council Meeting — November 20, 2025

"Thankful Thursday Council"

Mindfulness

Led by Kristin.

Head of School Update

• Final count for funding on 10/1: 368
• Charter Renewal:
  • Complete charter application submitted
  • Charter renewal site visit on December 9th
  • Awaiting recommendations/feedback from the district after the site visit
  • Needed changes and negotiations should begin by mid-to-late January

Requested Contract Modifications

1. Special Education FTE Allocation

• Special education teacher FTE to be adjusted annually based on caseload and service minutes, not strictly on districtwide formulas
• Equity between consultative-service staffing increases and direct-service staffing increases, ensuring staff delivering the bulk of direct instruction, progress monitoring, and IEP compliance are adequately supported

2. ESL (English as a Second Language) Purchased Services Adjustment

• Opt-out of ESL Purchased Services when EL populations remain below defined thresholds
• Reallocation of these funds toward direct student services, including special education teachers and interventionists

3. Parity in District Charges (Transportation, Facilities, and Labor Costs)
Horizons K–8 requests that all charges billed to the school — particularly those related to transportation, facilities, custodial labor, warehouse delivery fees, and other district-managed costs — be aligned with the rates charged to non-charter BVSD schools.

• Transparent, itemized rate structures for all district services
• Confirmation that charters are charged identical rates and fees as non-charter district schools
• Annual review of district service charges to ensure equity and consistency

4. Affirmation of Teacher-Led Governance and Autonomy in Curriculum and Instruction
Requesting charter language affirming:

• Continued autonomy in curriculum and instructional decision-making
• Recognition of the teacher-led governance model as integral to the charter
• Protection of faculty decision-making in alignment with state standards and mandated instructional requirements

5. Flexibility in Purchased Services
As a small K–8 school with limited in-house staffing redundancy, Horizons must be able to tailor Purchased Services to align with current student needs and budget constraints. Requesting:

• Greater annual flexibility in selecting district services and service levels
• Authority to decline or reduce services that don't align with student demographics or current needs
• Ability to reallocate funds toward direct services that support student learning and well-being

Choice Enrollment Events

• Well attended — 60–70 people per event
• Thanks extended to parent volunteers and teachers for providing tours and answering questions; potential parents have been impressed
• Three more events scheduled:
  • Dec. 3rd, PM (middle school focus)
  • Dec. 10th, 9–10am (middle school focus)
  • Dec. 17th, 9:30–10:30am (K–8)

Committee Updates

• Development Committee
• Equity, Diversity, & Belonging
• Horizons Community Group

HR Discovery Update

Takeaways:

• School is operating within charter and statutory waivers
• No evidence of misconduct or ethical violations was identified
• Document management, HR process, communication, and role clarity were recommended for future growth
• Other concerns were rooted in perception or cultural expectations rather than policy violations

Closing

Thank you for coming!

Horizons Council/SAC Meeting — January 15, 2026

Agenda

Item	Notes	Who	Time
Welcome	Mindfulness	Kristin / Travis L	5:30 (5 min)
SAC Meeting	Principal's Report; update on current enrollment; Fund 11 Budget (Revised Adopted); Council Budget; Charter Renewal; DAC Report — updates from the DAC meeting, questions/feedback to the SAC from the DAC, and questions/feedback for the DAC from the SAC. Next SAC: March 26, May 14.	Kristin / Becky Goddard	5:35 (30 min)
Hawks Happenings	Erin (5/6)	Faculty	6:05 (15 min)
Committee Updates	Horizons Community Group (5 min); Equity, Diversity, & Belonging (5 min); Development (5 min)	Committees	6:20 (15 min)
On the Horizons	Winter Sports Trips; Pancake Breakfast, 1/30/26	—	6:35 (5 min)
Adjourn	—	—	6:40

SAC Meeting

Enrollment

• 52 first-choice Kindergarten offers
• January 20th: expected to know how many students are moving to other schools and begin pulling from the waitlist
• Intent to Return poll launching in Skyward the following week (once offers have gone out)

Budget: FY26 Fund 11 and Council Review — Adopted Revised Budget

No DAC updates pertinent to Horizons this cycle.

Charter Renewal update follows below.

Next SAC: March 26, May 14

Revised Adopted Budget

See the FY26 Fund 11 and Council Review budget (Adopted Revised).

Charter Renewal

Site Visit — Conclusion:
Horizons K–8 is a deeply mission-driven school with a clear identity rooted in self-direction, community, and whole-child development. The learning environments and school culture strongly reflect these values, and the commitment of staff, students, and families is evident. At the same time, important challenges — particularly in governance, new staff onboarding, and growth metrics — represent critical opportunities for improvement as the school moves forward in the renewal process. Overall, the site visit demonstrates a school with a powerful model, strong community, and high potential, now poised to refine the structures and systems that will sustain the model into the future.

Next Step: Possible presentation to the BVSD Board, date to be determined.

Hawks Happenings & Celebrations

• Erin — 5th and 6th grade

Committee Updates

• Development
• Equity, Diversity, & Belonging
• Horizons Community Group

What's on the Horizons…

• Pancake Breakfast, 1/30/26
• Winter Sports Trips
  • Especially 3rd/4th grade trips — parent chaperones ("moms") needed

Closing

Thank you for coming!

Horizons K-8 School
Board Meeting Minutes

February 23, 2026

Call to Order: 4:10pm
Facilitator/Chair:Travis Lockhart
Secretary: Jordan Logan
 

Attendance:
Jessica Slatus, Travis Lockhart, Adam Brink, Michael Joseph, Fran Cohen, Kate Bachtel, Jordan Logan,  Kristin Hauger, Rob Horansky, Rachel Clionsky, Jim Freund, Joel Gratz

Public Comment: None offered.

Executive session - Board Chair Travis Lockhart moved to enter executive session pursuant to C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)(f) for the purpose of discussing the performance evaluation of the Head of School. The board voted by concordance to enter executive session at 4:12 p.m. By concordance, the board agreed to permit Melissa Rossback and Brad Miller to be present during the executive session.

Executive session ended at 5:50pm

Quorum was met, motion was made, seconded, concordance was not met and motion was passed by super majority to assign Michael Joseph and Travis Lockhart  to communicate with legal counsel about issues discussed in executive session.  

Meeting adjourned at 6pm.

 

Horizons K-8 Council & SAC Meeting Minutes

April 16, 2026  

 

Facilitators: Travis Lockhart, Kristin Hauger

Minutes: Jordan Logan

Attendees: In person and on Google Meet

1. Welcome & Community Norms

Kristin Hauger opened the meeting and welcomed attendees. She noted the excitement of recent listening, connecting, and bridge-building work underway at Horizons. Kristin shared that in working with Teacher-Powered Schools (TPS) consultants, the team discovered that Horizons already has well-developed community norms, created 35 years ago, that had not been actively maintained in recent years. She read the existing norms aloud:

• Build relationships through honesty and empathy.

• Work to find win outcomes.

• Keep disagreements problem-based.

• Keep the well-being of children at the center.

• Support and uphold the goals and philosophies of Horizons and aim to create shared solutions.

Kristin noted these norms hold up well today, with a minor suggested refinement: framing the “win” norm to emphasize shared outcomes rather than a win/loss dynamic. She expressed a desire to keep the norms visible and active in all community communications going forward.

2. SAC Meeting

DAC Report — Becky Goddard

Becky Goddard, Horizons’ District Accountability Committee (DAC) representative, provided an update from her monthly district liaison work. She noted that DAC meetings occur once monthly on the first Tuesday of each month, with representatives required from all BVSD schools. The superintendent presents briefly, and school representatives can raise issues and concerns.

The primary district focus at this time is attendance at BVSD’s listening sessions for the declining enrollment process. BVSD has acknowledged that prior engagement efforts on this topic were adversarial and unproductive. The new sessions are designed to be solution-focused, with participants broken into small groups to work through tradeoffs and priorities collaboratively. Becky encouraged all community members to attend; dates and times are prominently featured on the BVSD website. She noted this is the community’s best opportunity to provide meaningful feedback.

Becky also offered to carry any community concerns back to the superintendent at her monthly meetings. Community members were invited to share issues they want elevated to the district level.

Questions from the community included a question about the SAC budget for FY27. Lori Paterson, Director of Finance, introduced herself and noted she would be looking into this as budget finalization is underway.

Principal’s Report — Kristin Hauger

CMAS Testing: Kristin reported strong community participation in CMAS testing. ELA testing was completed the prior week, math was in progress, and science and social studies testing was scheduled for the following week. Horizons was selected as a social studies test school this year. Kristin thanked families for supporting student participation and acknowledged testing coordinator Cindy Yos for stepping into that role. She noted that while high-stakes test preparation is not part of the Horizons philosophy, CMAS participation and scores are a metric BVSD uses to evaluate the school and are relevant to charter renewal. Families can access CMAS scores through Infinite Campus and the Colorado Department of Education website using their student’s state ID.

A community question was raised regarding school safety accountability at the district level. Kristin acknowledged the concern and offered to carry specific feedback to BVSD. Sarah Wise noted that a BVSD community meeting on school safety had been held recently and is available on YouTube; she requested that parent concerns from Horizons be communicated to the district.

 

Charter Renewal Update — Kristin Hauger

Kristin provided an update on charter renewal negotiations. The renewal team consists of Michael Joseph, Travis Lockhart, Mia (3/4 team), attorney Brad Miller, and parent Natalie Erlick, who has contract law experience. A contract draft was received from BVSD shortly before the scheduled meeting date, preventing the team from reviewing it in advance; a new meeting was set for the following Friday at 8:00 AM.

Kristin outlined three planned negotiation meetings with BVSD. The first will focus on securing a five-year charter term rather than the three years BVSD may propose, which Kristin argued is insufficient given the volume of work required. The second meeting will address purchased services — specifically the amounts Horizons pays BVSD for special education and other services, where costs lack transparency and are difficult to anticipate. Horizons is coordinating with Summit Charter and Peak to Peak, which are undergoing simultaneous renewals, to present a unified charter coalition position. The third meeting will finalize contract language, with a target of board approval at the June 9th board meeting.

Kristin emphasized that Horizons is a high-performing charter that offers a valuable alternative within BVSD, and that the school seeks a fair and reciprocal partnership with the district — not an adversarial one.

Community questions addressed: the nature of purchased services (special education staff including school psychologist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, and social worker are billed through BVSD at rates that are difficult to verify or predict); whether per-pupil funding includes a bump for students with IEPs (a small supplemental amount exists within the per-pupil formula but Lori noted she had not yet finalized the details for the current year’s negotiation); and whether BVSD may impose enrollment geographic restrictions (not currently proposed, though the issue of diversity was noted as relevant context).

 

3. Budget Review — Joel Gratz, Treasurer / Lori Paterson, Director of Finance

Overview

Joel Gratz provided a comprehensive budget overview. He framed the school’s finances using a checking/savings analogy: Fund 11 functions as the operating “checking account,” funded by per-pupil revenue from the state and district and used to pay salaries, benefits, and other operating expenses. The council fund functions as a “savings account,” built from fundraising over many years, held at COLOTRUST (a Colorado government investment pool), and earning interest. Transfers from the savings account to the checking account are made only as needed to offset operating deficits.

Fund 11 (Operating Budget)

FY25 (last year): Opening balance of approximately $870,000. Revenue of approximately $5.5 million against expenses of approximately $5.5 million, producing a near-breakeven result with a closing balance of approximately $860,000.

FY26 (current year, revised): Adopted budget projected revenue of approximately $6 million against expenses of approximately $6.3 million, for a deficit of approximately $250,000. The revision reduced revenue to approximately $5.89 million due to lower-than-projected enrollment — 384 students were anticipated at this time last year; the October 1 count came in at 368. After accounting for a council transfer of approximately $186,000 for playground equipment, the projected net deficit for FY26 is approximately $171,000, leaving an estimated closing balance of approximately $670,000–$700,000. Joel noted that BVSD reimbursement adjustments often cause the final number to come in better than projected.

FY27 (preliminary): Enrollment of 373 students used for planning purposes (current enrollment commitments stand at 384, consistent with last year at this time). Per-pupil funding is expected to increase modestly. Salary and benefit increases are being held flat consistent with BVSD and other charter schools pending greater certainty on revenue. Preliminary projection shows a deficit of approximately $150,000, which would be offset by an anticipated council transfer roughly equal to annual fundraising of $150,000–$200,000, resulting in an approximate break-even. Joel noted the budget is highly sensitive to final student count; a variance of 10 students equates to approximately $60,000 in net revenue (approximately $11,000 revenue per student minus approximately $5,000 paid back to BVSD in purchased services). Per-pupil funding is expected to remain stable in FY27 but may decline in FY28.

Joel suggested the board consider delaying salary increase decisions until after the October 1 count, when actual revenue is known. He encouraged families to ensure students attend on October 1.

Council Fund (Savings Account)

The council fund currently holds approximately $1.5 million. This balance was built through years of fundraising, was drawn down during the pandemic for an MTSS coordinator and vice principal position (approximately $200,000 per year for three years), and was partially replenished by a forgiven PPP loan of approximately $600,000. Current annual fundraising adds approximately $150,000–$200,000 per year. Joel noted that on a per-student normalized basis, Horizons’ council reserve compares favorably to other BVSD charter schools.

Current FY26 fundraising highlights: Colorado Gives and HotSpots have raised over $66,000 combined; charitable donations have raised approximately $26,000; the Spring Gallery is targeted at $65,000 with $10,000 in ticket sales already secured; pizza fundraiser has raised approximately $7,000. Community participation in Colorado Gives and HotSpots was noted as below the 50% threshold, and community members were encouraged to participate. The importance of fundraising to sustaining current programs — small class sizes, paras, outdoor education — was emphasized. Questions were raised about equity in fee collection and the need for clearer communication about what fees cover and what happens if families cannot pay. Kristin affirmed the school’s commitment to inclusion and equity in these decisions and noted these conversations would continue at future council meetings.

4. Interim Leadership Model — Faculty Presentation

Context & Process

A faculty representative from the Big Picture Team (BPT) presented an overview of the work underway to design an interim leadership model for the 2026–27 school year. Faculty have met multiple times, working with Teacher-Powered Schools (TPS) coaches Amy Junge (Education Evolving) and Deyonne Jackson (TPS coach and K–8 teacher-led school teacher from Casper, Wyoming) to develop options. Both coaches visited Horizons in person and have been attending leadership and BPT meetings regularly.

The faculty noted two outcomes from recent meetings: (1) strong faculty support for Kristin Hauger continuing as Interim Head of School for 2026–27; and (2) development of three candidate interim leadership models for community input.

Three Candidate Models

Model 1: Traditional Head of School / Assistant Principal model — two licensed administrators dividing leadership responsibilities.

Model 2: Co-leadership model — two leaders dividing administrative duties equitably based on strengths and sustainability.

Model 3: Interim Head of School with one or more Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) — a licensed head supported by teachers stepping into expanded administrative roles.

The faculty clarified that this decision covers next year only, as a bridge to a longer-term model to be developed during 2026–27. The school’s goal is stabilization.

Three-Phase Governance Timeline

Phase 1 (remainder of this year): Finalize and decide the interim leadership model; outline roles and responsibilities.

Phase 2 (fall 2026–27): Implement and refine the interim model; conduct deep learning with TPS on long-term governance options.

Phase 3 (winter 2026–27): Finalize long-term leadership structure; post for hiring if needed in advance of the BVSD hiring window.

A public-facing timeline will be posted in Skyline for community transparency.

Community Input

Community members completed note cards with their families’ leadership needs for next year. Themes from in-person and online participants included: availability of leadership at school at all times; oversight of special education; clear communication and transparency on major issues; administrative capacity to handle operational and district-facing tasks without overburdening teachers; and preservation of the core Horizons philosophy and culture through the transition. Concerns were raised about the risk of over-correction in response to recent challenges and the importance of not losing what makes Horizons distinctive. The role of teachers on the board and the potential conflict-of-interest concerns around that structure were noted as an area requiring further community discussion.

5. Board Elections Update — Travis Lockhart

Travis announced that board elections will be held at the May council meeting, tentatively scheduled for the second Wednesday of May (moved up one week from the standard date due to an 8th grade graduation conflict). Candidate applications will be accepted through the Tuesday before the May council meeting; details to be published in Skyline.

Shoshana Kressler introduced herself as a candidate for a parent board seat. She has two children at Horizons (1st and 3rd grade), has been involved as a classroom volunteer, classroom liaison, and co-chair of the Classroom Leads Committee. Professionally, she works on accounts and strategy at a social mission-focused marketing and communications agency. She expressed interest in deepening her understanding of school governance and bringing a community volunteer perspective to board decision-making. Three board seats are open; Travis Lockhart also confirmed he is running for re-election.

 6. Community Celebrations & Upcoming Events

The following upcoming events and community highlights were shared:

• Spring Gallery fundraiser at Relish; silent auction opens Monday at 11:00 AM. Staff and parent offerings are live. A sourdough-making class hosted by Lisa Ton is among the auction items.

• Pickleball fundraiser: April 25th; 96 tickets sold.

• Kindergarten welcome visits: future kindergartners visiting the following day in three 30-minute sessions.

• Oregon Trail integrated project (grades 3/4): students engaged in cross-curricular project combining math, writing, mapping, and historical research. Culminating event with student “entrepreneurs” the following day.

• 7th/8th grade Washington, DC trip upcoming.

• 900 tomato seedlings growing in the school basement.

• Aperture Night (8th grade showcase): Wednesday, May 13th — all community members encouraged to attend.

• All-School Celebration of Learning: Friday, May 18th — grades 3–8 hosting learning museums throughout the day; families encouraged to attend.

• End-of-year events for 8th graders: spring dance, 7/8 retreat, and graduation approaching.

 Adjournment

Meeting adjourned. Next council meeting: tentatively the second Wednesday of May.

 

Horizons K-8 Council & SAC Meeting Minutes

May 14, 2026  |  5:43 PM – 8:48 PM  |  Google Meet

 

Facilitator: Travis Lockhart, Kristin Hauger

Minutes: Jordan Logan

Attendees in person and on Google Meet

1. Welcome & Mindfulness

Meeting opened at 5:43 PM. Kristin Hauger led the opening mindfulness practice.

 

2. SAC Meeting

DAC Report — Becky Bethards

Becky Bethards reported on her liaison meeting with the district. BVSD has launched a new Strategic Plan Dashboard, a data-driven tool intended to track progress across the four key objectives of the district’s “All Together for All Students” Strategic Plan. The dashboard is designed to serve as a common reference for all schools, staff, and community over the next five years as BVSD sets targets and tracks improved outcomes for students. The dashboard is publicly accessible at bvsd.org.

Head of School’s Report — Open Roles & New Hires

A new special education teacher has been hired. The current health para will be leaving her position; Kristin will begin interviewing for a replacement next week. The current night custodian is retiring, with interviews for that position also beginning next week. Two paras who have been completing student teaching will be leaving Horizons for new positions; Kristin will work on replacing them, though no interviews are yet scheduled.

Principal’s Report — Charter Renewal Update

Kristin is actively negotiating with BVSD on charter renewal. BVSD has put forward several contract change requests that Kristin is working through item by item. Key areas of BVSD’s concerns include: (1) documentation that faculty are meeting state-mandated minimum contact hours; (2) clear written policies and procedures for parent, faculty, and administration grievances — faculty and administration are currently drafting these with support from Teacher-Powered Schools consultants; and (3) additional data demonstrating how marginalized student groups are being identified and supported in their academic growth. On the data question, BVSD is relying primarily on CMAS testing results, while Kristin contends that the school is using stronger alternative data collection methods and is advocating that BVSD review those alongside CMAS data. Faculty and administration are also working through updates to the school’s governance model and practices.

The BVSD Board meeting on May 26 was noted; community members were encouraged to sign up for public comment to support Horizons’ charter renewal.

3. Vote on Council Budget

Budget Recap — Joel Gratz, Treasurer / Lori Paterson, Director of Finance

Joel Gratz presented a recap and update on the council budget. The school raises approximately $150,000–$200,000 per year through fundraising, averaged over the last five years. These council funds are held separately from the school’s operating budget and can be drawn on to offset annual operating deficits, moving from the council’s savings account into the school’s operating budget as needed. The council budget currently holds $1.5 million in savings, which is actively accruing interest.

The operating budget deficit is difficult to determine precisely until after the close of the fiscal year, as BVSD’s reimbursement structure is not fully transparent and can appear inconsistent from year to year. Joel, the finance review committee, and school administration are actively working with BVSD to bring greater clarity to this reimbursement process.

For context on the school’s overall finances: Fund 11, which comprises state and district funding, amounts to approximately $6 million per year. The $1.5 million council budget is entirely separate and derived from school fundraising.  

Special Education Funding Model — Discussion

Kristin and Joel presented a policy question for council input regarding the school’s special education funding arrangement with BVSD. Currently, Horizons pays BVSD for management of the school’s special education program under a school-based purchased services model, functioning similarly to an insurance arrangement.

Kristin asked the council how they would like her to proceed on two possible paths. The first option is to continue the current arrangement. The second is to seek to exit the purchased services agreement with BVSD — an ask BVSD is currently resisting — which would require Horizons to manage its special education services directly, including hiring additional staff as needed. The potential upside is estimated savings of approximately $200,000 annually, which could be redirected toward hiring special education teachers or other staff. The risk is that actual special education costs in a given year could exceed the $200,000 currently paid to BVSD under the existing model.

Kate Bachtel expressed the view that the school would likely come out ahead financially by managing services directly. The group noted that BVSD’s position is unlikely to change without direct community pressure, and encouraged Horizons community members to attend BVSD board meetings and communicate with board members in person. Kristin noted that she is not yet certain whether pursuing an exit from the purchased services agreement is the right priority, and is still weighing whether this is a battle worth taking on at this time.

 

Council Budget Use — Discussion

A council member raised the question of whether the council budget should continue to be used to cover operational budget shortfalls. It was noted that the council fund has been drawn on for deficit line items for many years without any structural changes to address the underlying gap.

A community member requested that administration communicate more proactively and regularly with the broader community regarding progress on major issues the school is navigating.

Motions

Motion 1: Joel Gratz moved that the council authorize up to $300,000 from the council budget to fund teacher and staff pay increases for fiscal year 2026–27, equivalent to BVSD-wide pay raises. The motion was seconded and thirded. Discussion noted that Fund 11 may be sufficient to cover these increases without requiring a transfer from the council budget. Concerns were raised that guaranteeing the pay increase could create budget risk in future years if funding levels change. Concordance was not reached.

Motion 2: A motion was made to authorize the council to fund up to $10,000 per specials program for equipment upgrades, to be drawn from the council budget only if Fund 11 cannot cover the cost without incurring a deficit. Concordance was not reached.

As concordance was not reached on either motion, both will be referred to the board chair and head of school for consideration. The board may ultimately decide these matters.

 4. Board Elections

Three parent candidates for the Horizons K-8 Board of Directors were introduced: Michael Joseph, Eric Altman, and Shoshana Kressler. Each candidate spoke. Voting was conducted online via Google Forms.

Result: Michael, Shoshana and Eric were elected to the Board by the council. 

 

5. Interim Leadership & Governance Update

Interim Leadership Model 2026–27

Faculty, Kristin, and Travis Lockhart described the school’s interim leadership model for the 2026–27 school year. The leadership team will consist of Kristin Hauger continuing as Interim Head of School, a 0.5 FTE Dean, and a 0.5 FTE TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment). This structure is intended as an interim model for the coming school year only, with the expectation that a longer-term leadership model will be determined subsequently.

 Governance & Structure Updates — Travis Lockhart

Travis Lockhart presented three proposed bylaw amendments for board consideration.

First, he proposed the permanent establishment of a Governance and Policy Review Committee through a bylaw amendment. This committee would conduct an ongoing review of the school’s bylaws, policies, and procedures, and would be composed of both parent board members and faculty board members.

Second, he proposed amending the meeting notification rules, reducing the required advance notice from 72 hours to 24 hours, consistent with state expectations.

Third, he proposed adding a definition of membership under Article III of the bylaws, clarifying who constitutes the members of council meetings.

No vote was taken on any of the three proposed amendments. All will be referred to the board for consideration.

Board Composition Discussion — Kristin Hauger

Kristin provided an update on ongoing discussions regarding the composition of the voting board. Currently the board is split evenly between parent members and faculty members. Faculty are actively considering whether to remove themselves as voting board members, but have expressed concern that doing so could diminish their ability to influence curriculum decisions, given that the board has authority over curriculum matters. Faculty will continue internal discussions about their role on the board and how to preserve meaningful input on curriculum as governance structures evolve.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 8:48 PM.