Gilpin School students are heard: Gilpin RE-1 High School and Middle School “Students of the Month” Caden Knaus and Cody Sill are congratulated by the board of education. PHOTO BY CURT HALSTED[/caption]

On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the Gilpin County School District RE-1 Board of Education met at 7 p.m. for a special Meet and Confer Study/Dialogue work session with staff. All members of the board (Cherokee Blake, Kirsten Goodlet, Joe Marr, Joe Stranaly and Sarah Swanson) were present. Gilpin RE-1 Superintendent Dr. Dave MacKenzie presided over the meeting.

During the Congratulations and Celebrations section, Kai Silverman was recognized by his art teacher, Curt Halsted, as the Board of Education’s September Artist. Kai’s drawing will hang in the Board of Education Gallery in the board meeting room for the next 12 months. Cody Sill was nominated by his teachers to be the Outstanding Middle School Student of the month. Caden Knaus was the Outstanding High School Student of the month. Senior Caleb Hopkins was the ex-officio member of the board for the meeting and shared his views with the board on being a transfer student.

Seniors Joey Lintner, Jiselle Osteboe, Brianna Rice-Dietz and Skylar Webb received the National Rural and Small Town Award from the College Board National Recognition Program for their SAT scores. They earned academic honors for their exemplary accomplishment for college acceptance applications.

The students on the elementary student council got a chance to talk with the board about things that are going on at the elementary school. They spoke about their ClassDojo (classdojo.com) projects to earn points for positive behavior. From squish balls to hats, they were thinking of ways to earn dojo points that can be redeemed.

Both principals (Patrick Linnehan and Alexis Donaldson) submitted written reports to the board. These pdf’s can be viewed at the school district website (gilpin.k12.co.us). Click on the October 17 Agenda link. Donaldson also reported at the meeting that the Homecoming activities were a lot of fun with great energy by the students and staff. She also recognized the contributions of the Booster Club and the quality of the outdoor education programs.

MacKenzie in his superintendent report complimented Caleb Hopkins for being one of the moderators at the Candidate Forum on October 11, 2023. MacKenzie gave a brief update on the capital construction and the expenditures that the board has gone forward with on the ten-year plan from 2015 to 2025. The school district is wrapping up the initial ADA improvements to make the school more accessible to people with disabilities. The school has also purchased a new sound system for the auditorium that will be installed around the fall and holiday student programs.

The board unanimously approved the meeting minutes for the August 22, 2023, September 5, 2023, and September 19, 2023, meetings. They also approved the Human Resources Report on the new hire of Samantha Basdeo as a District Admin Assistant.

Under new business, the board reviewed and approved a bid proposal of $298,100 from Jim Noble Inc. to finish the outstanding ADA projects. The bid includes constructing two van parking spaces across from the Atrium Entrance, two van parking spaces at the Elementary entrance, and an accessibility path from the Elementary entrance to the playground. The board wanted the hardscaping for the elementary outdoor garden and nature area to be handled with a change order request.

Also under new business, the board discussed a bid proposal from JHL Constructors of $9,364,769.90 for construction of a sewage pipeline to connect the school with the Black Hawk sewage treatment system. A representative from JHL Constructors, Rober Wahl, was in attendance to answer questions on the proposal. JHL was the only company out of three to submit a bid on the proposal. JHL followed up their original proposal with changes like reducing the contingency percentage to get to a negotiated project of around $8,000,000.

In reviewing the wastewater pipeline proposal, MacKenzie brought up cash flow problems with a short 12–24-month construction schedule and the possibility of getting a low-interest loan of 1% or less from the Water and Power Authority. Swanson expressed concern over the cost and asked if the district should bid out an alternative solution to fix the current system and put in a sewer system that the district continues to manage. The current proposal of a wastewater interconnect with Black Hawk is considered a permanent solution whereas fixing the current system is of a short-term duration of twenty years.

MacKenzie referenced a study that the district did previously which projected a replacement cost of around $6,000,000. He and Board President Marr spoke about the problems that plague the current system including cold temperatures, high altitude, and infrequent use. Any new systems being purchased would be subject to the same conditions. There was also concern that the school is aging and will require capital expenditure in the next ten years. If the district uses all their reserves for this one project, they might not have enough to deal with these future needs.

The board unanimously decided to rebid the sewer line project and collect at least three bids from qualified contractors in addition to seeking estimated costs on replacing the wastewater treatment system.

The final topic of business was a report on the proceedings of the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) fall conference. CASB is a lobbying group that promotes school district proposals at the state legislature. After extensive discussion, Resolution 22 establishing a minimum wage of $45,000 for every teacher in Colorado was defeated. Those opposed were concerned that the minimum wage would bankrupt their districts. Those in favor spoke of being unable to attract teachers when their salaries weren’t enough to provide a livable wage.

The meeting ended at 8:38 p.m.

The next board meeting will be November 14, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the school board room.