HAYDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. RE-1
BOARD OF EDUCATION
MINUTES
March 18, 2015
President Hoza called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room. Roll call was taken and the
following Board members were present: Fralick, Frentress, Fulton, Hoza and Nereson. Administrative members
present were Linsacum, Parrott, Sweetser, Vader and Zabel.
The group recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
On a motion by Fralick, seconded by Nereson, it was resolved to approve the agenda as amended.
Action Item: Remove Approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement
Personnel: Add Approve Middle School Volunteer Track Coach
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
February 18, 2015 ~ Regular Meeting
On a motion by Nereson, seconded by Frentress, it was resolved to approve the minutes as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
APPROVAL OF BILLS
On a motion by Fulton, seconded by Fralick, it was resolved to approve the list of warrants dated March 18, 2015 as
presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
Student Council ~ There was none.
Teacher Input ~ Mr. Mark Clarke, activities director, recommended Jody Harvey for the assistant high school track
coach. He explained that they’re following the coach/player ratio that the board approved last fall with the
adjustments being made to football and track.
Public Input ~ There was none.
BOARD REQUESTED REPORTS
Mr. Hoza informed the board that the BOCES Board met on March 4th in South Routt. He said they are still in the
process of trying to secure matching funds for the i3 SEED Grant. Mr. Hoza commented that the Education Fund
Board has helped with some of the funding and that the BOCES also has some donors they are working with. He
also explained that the BOCES is asking that each district try to contribute by finding some support to help close the
monetary gap. Mr. Hoza asked that if anyone has any ideas to please let him know. Discussion ensued. Mr. Hoza
also informed the board that they are getting the Safety and Security Task Force geared up and will be getting some
things put together for the districts. He noted that they will continue to develop safety plans and make sure that
they’re collaborative amongst all of the districts so we can help each other out if need be. Mr. Hoza said the search
for an executive director is continuing and they have narrowed down the applicants to five finalists. Ms. Vader
asked if they felt good about the candidates. Mr. Hoza said they do and have a very nice pool to choose from.
Interviews for the position will be held on the 30th. Mr. Hoza shared additional information on the interview
process.
PRINCIPALS’ REPORTS
Mrs. Zabel, secondary principal, informed the board that spring fever has hit the secondary campus! She also
informed them that round one of the PARCC testing has one day left. She noted that makeup testing will be done
the week after spring break. Mrs. Zabel stated that the safety doors are in place at the secondary campus. She said it
has been a small adjustment and everyone seems to be making the transition. Middle school trips have been
solidified and the criteria for attendance on the trips have also been put into place. PLC updates were given. Sports
and activity updates were also given. Mrs. Zabel informed the board that the Academic Focus Team will meet after
break to discuss an articulation plan, early graduation requests and concurrent enrollment vs. dual enrollment. She
noted that they are really looking at concurrent enrollment as an option. Further details were shared. Mr. Frentress
commented that he’s heard some complaints about letting kids travel home with someone else after activities. Mrs.
Zabel explained the process and some of the possible reasons that procedure is in place.
Mrs. Sweetser, elementary principal, informed the board that the security doors have been well received by the
parents and the community with just a few minor growing pains. Mrs. Sweetser stated that the elementary is also
moving through the PARCC testing and will do a few make up tests tomorrow. Information on a literacy training
with Ellen Hunt was shared. Mrs. Sweetser also informed the board that the elementary Destination Imagination
team placed 7th in their division. She said she is hopeful that they will have more teams compete next year.
Information on upcoming activities was shared. PLC, RtI and PBIS updates were also given. Mrs. Nereson asked
about the status of the elementary gym floor. Mrs. Sweetser said it appears to be about the same and we just have to
wait until this summer to see if it lies down any more.
SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT
Ms. Vader informed the board that the DIT met on Monday and had discussions regarding the UIP. She shared
information that was discussed and the process of identifying root causes. She noted that one of the “Root Causes”
that has been brought up by the staff is the emotional and well-being of students as well as lack of student
motivation. She explained that per her training with CDE that isn’t a “Root Cause” you can identify. Ms. Vader
stated that you have to identify issues that you have control over. Discussion ensued. Ms. Vader shared information
on the School Counselor Corps Grant Program offered through CDE. She commented that she will be on top of this
grant and shared further details regarding the grant and the potential of receiving the grant. Mr. Fulton asked for
clarification on the amount of the grant. Ms. Vader explained that the district can request an amount they see fit and
justifiable. Further information and details of the grant were shared.
DISCUSSION
Intergovernmental Agreement ~ Ms. Vader explained that our attorney has looked at the Intergovernmental
Agreement that was revised by the town and was concerned that we were just using one template to cover all
instances. The attorney wants to do one agreement for our current situation with the town and then have an
agreement we could use for future purposes. The district’s attorney will be having further discussions with the
town’s attorney to discuss further details.
2015-2016 Budget ~ Ms. Vader shared some preliminary budget information with the board. She also noted that
Mr. Urman, with CEBT, informed us that our insurance will be going up 8.5% this year, resulting in about a $37,000
increase for health insurance benefits for the district. She further explained that the increase was due to a couple of
months of high usage. Ms. Vader also informed the board that we have lost about 20 students so far this year.
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March 18, 2015
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However, with averaging we will be down by approximately 10 students. Ms. Vader shared information on budget
increases and some possible savings. Mrs. Fralick commented that at the January meeting she spoke up and said the
board should be more involved in the budget process and that she would like to be involved in some of the budget
meetings. She said there are some things we need to take a good look at. One of the items is that we currently have
39 teachers and 383 students. In the 1990’s we had more students and less teachers. Mrs. Fralick stated that of
course the principals will advocate for their buildings. However, she feels it’s the board job to help make these
tough decisions. Ms. Vader agreed and said that’s why she’s bringing it up and that the board should be involved.
Mr. Kleckler, secondary teacher and vocational director, stated that we should have looked at this sooner. He said
he understood that we’ve lost students, but why are we talking about this in March. Mr. Hoza said we saw some of
the budget changes coming but more in-depth research is needed. Mr. Kleckler said speaking on behalf of HEA,
they would also like to be involved in the budget discussions. Ms. Vader stated that they started having discussions
in January and we need to continue to have these discussions and have everyone at the table. She said she felt we
need to have a work session to continue discussions on the budget. Mrs. Nereson asked about the mineral lease
money. Mrs. Linsacum, finance director, replied that we will be close to the $80,000 we budgeted for, but not
anymore. Mrs. Fralick asked if we should schedule a work session at this time. The board agreed to hold a Special
Meeting on April 7th at 4:00 p.m. The board said they would like a clear picture of how the Special Meeting would
go. Discussion ensued. Mrs. Fralick suggested that we compile the pertinent information and present to the staff
and HEA for input. Mr. Hoza noted that it’s imperative that everyone has all of the information. Mrs. Zabel and
Mrs. Sweetser said it’s a very difficult conversation for staff to be involved in regarding budget reductions. Mrs.
Sweetser suggested that she and Mrs. Zabel share budget information with their staff members to see what then can
come up with to make some of the necessary adjustments. The board agreed that we should start there. The board
members also discussed a possible work session before the April 15 th board meeting.
2015-2016 Calendar ~ Ms. Vader informed the board that she’s had conversations with the building administrators
regarding the calendar. She commented that we need to do what is best for students. She explained that the
calendar we currently have is working really well for the secondary school; however, it isn’t working quite as well
for the elementary school. Ms. Vader further explained that there are different hour requirements for the elementary
and the secondary schools. She stated that Mrs. Sweetser is very frustrated with the current calendar and that it just
isn’t working for the elementary. Ms. Vader said the elementary doesn’t want to change the parameters of the
calendar. She said the elementary will just use their time differently than the secondary schools during the academic
calendar year. Mrs. Sweetser commented that she agrees that it’s all about kids and what’s best for them. She stated
that she doesn’t want to go down the path they went down last year with the split, divisiveness within the district.
Mrs. Sweetser explained that they would like to add 10 minutes back into the school day. She noted that
instructional time would stay the same. Currently staff duty hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. With the
suggested changes staff duty hours would be from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and they would add five PLC days back
into the calendar for the elementary school. PLC days would be from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the PLC Fridays.
Mrs. Sweetser shared information on the benefits of adding the additional time and PLC days back in to the
calendar. She also shared some of the concerns of the changes. One of the concerns is daycare. She has spoken to
Carolyn Gregory with Totally Kids and she said they are willing to provide daycare on the PLC Fridays. Mrs.
Sweetser commented that the buses would already be running for the secondary school so they could also provide
transportation to Totally Kids. Lunches were another concern. However, Mrs. Sweetser said she hasn’t had a chance
to talk to Mr. Carlson yet. Mrs. Sweetser said she wanted to get input from the school board before she goes to the
staff and the parents. Mr. Hoza said he’s always been in favor of the separate calendars as long as it met the
required time. Mr. Frentress asked how many kids Totally Kids would need to have in attendance to make it
feasible for them. Mrs. Sweetser replied that wasn’t discussed in her conversation with Mrs. Gregory. However,
discussions were held on the expense of attending Totally Kids and the scholarships they offer. Mr. Hoza asked for
clarification on the start times and if that was dependent on the bus schedules. Mrs. Sweetser said it was. Mrs.
Zabel said she took the proposed calendar change to her staff today and the only feedback she got was that they
didn’t think we were talking calendar again. She said that one of the secondary teachers has an elementary student
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and had concerns about what to do about transportation as well as daycare issues. Mrs. Nereson said that Mrs.
Sweetser brought it up at the DIT meeting and it really is only five Fridays and that a lot of parents use those days to
take care of appointments. Mrs. Nereson commented that she’s ok with the calendar change and felt people would
eventually ease into it. Mr. Hoza said as long as minutes and times meet the requirements he was ok with it as well.
Mr. Frentress said he spoke to Mrs. Linsacum about going back to the four-day week and that we could save
approximately $40,000 per year. Mr. Hoza said that the last time we went to the four-day week the savings weren’t
quite as much as they had projected. He said conversations with other school districts indicated that they had found
the same thing. Mrs. Zabel stated that a four-day week would interfere with the block schedule as well as the
secondary schools PLC time. Mr. Hoza asked if he was hearing any objection to going forth with the process Mrs.
Sweetser suggested. The board agreed that Mrs. Sweetser should check the numbers out and make sure she has the
staff, parent and community support.
ACTION
Approve Northwest Colorado BOCES Operating Agreement Concerning Special Education Programs and
Processes ~ On a motion by Nereson, seconded by Fralick, it was resolved to approve the Northwest Colorado
BOCES Operating Agreement Concerning Special Education Programs and Processes as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Approve BOCES Agreement for Preschool Services for the 2015-2016 School Year ~ On a motion by Frentress,
seconded by Fulton, it was resolved to approve the BOCES Agreement for Preschool Services for the 2015-2016
School Year as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Approve Hayden School District Contractor Contracts ~ On a motion by Nereson, seconded by Frentress, it was
resolved to approve the Hayden School District Contractor Contracts as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
On motion by Nereson, seconded by Frentress, it was resolved that the Board of Education go into executive session
at 8:12 p.m. for the purpose of discussion of individual students where a public disclosure would adversely affect
that person or persons involved as authorized by C.R.S. 24-6-402 (4) (h). Discussions regarding personnel matters
as authorized by C.R.S. 24-6-402 (4) (f). Discussions determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to
negotiations; developing strategy for negotiations; and instructing negotiators as authorized by C.R. S. 24-6-402 (4)
(e). Those present at the outset of the executive session shall be members of the Board of Education and the
superintendent and that by this motion the Board announces that such is the purpose of the executive session.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
The Board returned from Executive Session at 12:20 a.m.
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Confirmation was made that discussions during the previous executive session did not stray from the matter(s)
stated at the onset of the executive session; or, did the board adopt any proposed policy, resolution, regulation, or
take any formal action.
PERSONNEL
Hire High School Assistant Track Coach ~ On a motion by Frentress, seconded by Nereson, it was resolved to
employ Jody Harvey as high school assistant track coach for the 2014-2015 school year per the appropriate salary
schedule as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Approve the Request for Participation in the Longevity Plan ~ On a motion by Nereson, seconded by Frentress, it
was resolved to approve the request from Jnl Linsacum to participate in the Longevity Plan as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, with regrets, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye, with regrets
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Consideration of Elementary Principal’s Contract ~ On a motion by Nereson, seconded by Fulton, it was resolved
to approve the contract of Rhonda Sweetser, elementary principal, for the 2015-2016 school year per the appropriate
salary schedule as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Consideration of Secondary School Principal’s Contract ~ On a motion by Fulton, seconded by Nereson, it was
resolved to approve the contract of Gina Zabel, secondary school principal, for the 2015-2016 school year per the
appropriate salary schedule as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Approve Middle School Volunteer Track Coach ~ On a motion by Fralick, seconded by Frentress, it was resolved
to approve Mike Crum as middle school volunteer track coach for the 2014-2015 school year as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
Accept Resignation of Superintendent ~ On a motion by Fralick, seconded by Fulton, it was resolved to accept the
resignation of Trudy Vader as superintendent of schools effective June 30, 2015 as presented.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
BOARD DEBRIEFING
Mr. Hoza thanked everyone for their attention to the matters at hand tonight.
ADJOURNMENT
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On motion by Frentress, seconded by Nereson, it was resolved to adjourn the regular meeting of the Board of
Education at 12:48 a.m. on March 19, 2015.
ROLL CALL: Fralick aye, Frentress aye, Fulton aye, Hoza aye, Nereson aye
Motion carried 5 to 0.
______________________________
Brian F. Hoza, President
Hayden School District
____________________________________
Sharon Nereson, Secretary
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