The Gilpin RE-1 Board of Education took another step in starting one of the biggest capital improvement projects in school history when they unanimously approved a school district construction contract with ESCO Construction at their March 5, 2024, meeting. The approval means that the Wastewater Interconnect Project will be scheduled to start in either late April or early May.

In other significant business, the Board unanimously approved new salary schedules for the 2024/2025 school year and started the evaluation process for the superintendent.

Elementary and middle school students showed off their math skills during Celebrations, with presentations showing visual representations of numbers and math competitions.

The Board also congratulated students of the month: Hank Thompson, Middle School; Anthony Giuliano, Elementary School; and Annabelle Aloel and Lily Lintner for the High School.

Elementary School Principal Patrick Linnehan started the administrative reports section with the account that he, along with Superintendent David MacKenzie, had taken an educator effectiveness training course. It is part of Colorado Department of Education (CDE) requirements, providing him with solid information about producing excellent observations of students, as well as best ways to avoid bias and be as objective as possible.

Linnehan said that the staff is gearing up for the Colorado Measures for Academic Success (CMAS) testing starting April 8. Students are taking practice tests, and getting used to working on computers and through big multi-step problems.

STAR quarter benchmarks will be completed before spring break so that report cards can be issued. Kristen Goodlet asked about parent-teacher conferences after spring break. Linnehan said that they will continue to do second semester parent-teacher conferences as student-led conferences on April 4.

Joe Marr passed along a comment from a parent complimenting Linnehan on helping with a student issue.

In her remarks to the board, Secondary Principal Alexis Donaldson reported that they had started a career café program on Wednesdays. An anesthesiologist came to talk with students recently, and Victoria Edwards was scheduled to talk about a career in law.

The Professional Learning Community (PLC) group continues to meet. They recently discussed articles that emphasize different perspectives. They also discussed the cognitive differences between middle school and high school students and what is expected from them.

Donaldson congratulated the winter sports athletes on their fine seasons and wished good luck to the spring sports teams, track and field and soccer.

In his superintendent’s report, MacKenzie said that he had been working on the capital improvement projects. The financing and contracts for the sewer project are moving along with no problems. Closing for the Certificates of Participation funds is scheduled for March 13, and the money will be received shortly thereafter.

Tinucci, in the Business Office, has set up a separate bank account to manage the funds. The first repayment will be June 1, 2024.

The school district construction contract with ESCO Construction has been completed by school district lawyers and is being reviewed with ESCO. MacKenzie said the district will have a meeting sometime in April with the public about the project, which is expected to involve one-lane traffic between the school and Black Hawk over the next year and a half. Depending on ESCO obtaining permits from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), work on the project is slated to begin in late April or early May.

MacKenzie also reported that the final phase for making the bleachers and entrances ADA compatible is scheduled to start in April.

In new business, the Board unanimously approved a first reading of the salary schedules for the 2024/2025 school year , including dual schedules for licensed educators.

The Board also unanimously approved updating the superintendent’s performance evaluation from the CBI-R form to the CBI-E one. Each board member will fill out a form and give it to Board Member Tami Velasquez before the April 2 meeting.

The last item of discussion was a report by Goodlett on the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) legislative convention. She spoke of discussions about drug use in schools, gun violence, affordable housing, and potential funding problems for rural schools.

The next board meeting will be on April 2, after spring break. A second reading of the 2024/2025 salary schedules, the superintendent evaluation, the CDE application for a four-day school week, and discussion and adoption of the 2024/2025 budgets will be on the agenda.

A video of the March 5 meeting can be viewed at the RE-1 YouTube channel. The agenda, charts and documents for this meeting are on the RE-1 website (gilpin.k12.co.us) under the Board of Education Agendas. The next meeting of the Gilpin RE-1 School Board will be on April 2, at the school boardroom.