Jacqueline Hart Gibson, Gilpin County. The Gilpin County School District Board of Education was called to order at 7:04 p.m. on May 5, 2020. All board members, President Boulter, Cherokee Blake, Joe Marr, Terry Scharg, Tracy Krug, as well as Principal Donaldson, Andy Rothenberger, and Superintendent MacKenzie, were in attendance remotely due to stay at home orders active in Colorado. After the Pledge of Allegiance was observed and the mission statement recited, the agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting held April 21, 2020, were approved by the board, unanimously.

The meeting opened with a request for congratulations and celebrations. Tracy Krug, board secretary, praised GCS teachers, noting the timing of teacher appreciation week. She continued her congratulations for Gilpin teachers focusing on the current situation with remote learning and stating, “I feel like our teachers are doing a rock star job, and I’m really proud of them.” Krug also gave appreciation to Coach Ball for the senior yard signs, the parents who assisted in the project, and Steve and Lisa Boulter for hanging senior banners. 

The next order of business was to adopt the resolution of recognition and appreciation. The resolution, adopted unanimously, officially extended the gratitude of Gilpin County School District RE-1 Board of Education to “our students, parents, family and friends, and essential workers, and wishes to make this recognition and appreciation a matter of public record for posterity.” Additionally, the resolution states the Gilpin County Board of Education, “strongly encourages all citizens of our community to join with it in personally expressing recognition and appreciation for their dedication and devotion to our students.” 

The board moved on to the budget, approving the second reading of the 2020-2021 fee schedule as presented, unanimously. The budget for the 2020-2021 school year can be viewed on the school website in full. The first reading of the amended budget was also approved unanimously. 

Member Terry Scharg explained the budget as it is currently written is an estimate, given the current fluctuating circumstances. Scharg stated she should have more specific numbers to apply to the budget by the end of May, when the state releases more information, but in the meantime she has budgeted for an expected 50% decrease in funding from Black Hawk, and 10% from the State of Colorado. In total, 80% of the line items in the yearly budget have been reduced. The only increase in the proposed budget was a .5% increase in the contribution the district will be making to PERA, on behalf of GCS employees. 

Board President Boulter asked where future cuts may be applied and Scharg replied middle school sports. Boulter redirected to reserve funds, carried over from the last two years and totaling over one million dollars, as a possible source of funding to continue middle school sports as they currently are, and spoke to his support of GCS athletic programs in general, as an important tool for engaging students in academic life. Principal Donaldson spoke in agreement of Boulter’s assessment. The consensus of the board was to move forward cautiously regarding the budget, as numbers are estimated at this time, and there is not a solid date for the expected return of students to school on campus. The expectation of the board appeared to be that there may be hard choices to make in the future regarding cuts.

The 2020-2021 insurance contracts with Anthem Health, United Concordia Dental, Vision Service Plan, Lincoln Life and accidental death and dismemberment and long term disability was approved by the board unanimously. The second reading for the employee salaries was approved unanimously and will be revisited on May 19, when contracts sent to current employees are returned to the board. The board is free to amend salary step increases when there is more clarification on budget in the coming months. Employee salaries are scheduled for increase in August 2020. 

Superintendent MacKenzie took the floor at the end of the meeting to update the board regarding the generator project with United Power. This project is not funded with GCS funds, and will continue through the summer. Additionally, GCS is currently compliant with wastewater according to Colorado state guidelines, but continues efforts to remain in compliance given updated guidelines. As part of budget cuts, maintenance employees have been reduced through the summer, but cleaning will continue through the summer. 

The Gilpin County Food Bank continues to meet the nutritional needs of the community. The food bank is asking for donations so as to provide for the community through the summer. Donations can be made at the Gilpin County Courthouse at the side of the building.  

In accordance with state guidelines for Covid-19, anyone entering the school is expected to wear a mask and maintain a six foot distance from others. These guidelines apply as students return to campus to submit Chromebooks, athletic uniforms, etc. Governor Polis has announced remote learning is to continue to the end of the regular school year and school will not end early this year. It’s likely both remote and in-person learning will be in effect as students come back to school in the fall. 

The School Board meets bi-monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2020. Board meetings are held remotely and information can be found on-line at  http://gilpin.k12.co.us/our_district/board_of_education

(Originally published in the May 14, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)