Sex, drugs, weapons and more 

Parents object to BOE’s proposed student survey

Lynn Volkens

05/08/2008 - Gilpin School’s Board of Education met May 5^th with a full complement, once again. Members Scott Groginsky, Rusty Hardy, Craig Holmes, Bob Masslich and Jerry Yocom were present. Superintendent Ken Ladouceur represented administration. Yocom, as the newest Board member, appointed to the Board last month, was given his keys to the building. Hardy was appointed Board Secretary.

Not With My Kid

  A planned “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System” (YRBSS) survey of students from 4^th-12^th grades to determine risky behavior patterns, drew ire from District Accountability Committee Chair, Terrye Lovett and others in the gallery. The survey information had been provided by Gilpin County Director of Public and Environmental Health, Jennifer Lavely. It asks safety questions about helmet and seat belt use, then goes on to ask whether students have ridden with a driver who’d been drinking, whether they use alcohol, tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, chew, snuff, dip), drugs (marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, sniff glue, paint, etc., steroids), whether they carry weapons (knives, guns, clubs), if they’ve been hit, slapped or hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend, whether they are having sex, if they have been taught about AIDS/HIV and whether they have been suicidal. The questions about these subjects include when the child first began the activity, how often he/she engages in the activity, how he/she acquired the items needed for the activity, etc. The survey also asks what kinds of foods they eat, how much they exercise, how many hours they watch television or play video games and if they have asthma.

  Those in the gallery objected to the age-appropriateness of some questions and doubts that anonymity could be guaranteed. They also objected to the parental permission process used. Parents were required to sign a slip opting their child out of the survey. If no slip was returned to the school, the parent’s permission was tacitly assumed and the child would take the survey. Parents were not provided with a copy of the survey. Lovett said when she’d notified Superintendent Ladouceur and Elementary Principal Lisa Schell of her objections, she was told the survey had been adapted for younger students. However, they failed to produce the adapted survey at her request, and she was told it was “classified.” She asked the Board to “halt” the survey, originally planned to be given to students first thing on May 20^th. Lovett had contacted the Colorado Department of Education and the Center for Disease Control (where the survey originated) and said she was told by both agencies that the survey was not appropriate for children younger than sixth grade. The survey was not recommended for small schools, she said. Additionally, the survey is given in other schools only after a parent committee has reviewed it. Lovett offered the services of the DAC or proposed forming a special committee. Lovett and others asked how parents could approve something they had not seen, how could the Board approve something they had not seen and how could such a survey be deemed “classified” from parents by the administration. They, and Board members questioned the integrity of such a survey, once altered for elementary students.

  Board members had not seen the survey. They agreed to further investigate and make a decision at their May 19^th meeting. Lavely will be invited to that meeting, as well. The middle school and high school surveys can be viewed at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs. There is no elementary survey except that which Gilpin School is adapting.

Staff-Board Policies

  After several years of systematic review and revision, the Board has worked its way through all of the district’s policies. Occasionally, they must address an isolated policy and recent negotiations with teachers triggered the creation of new Board-Staff Communication and the Meet and Confer policies (BFGB and BFGB-R). The Board-Staff policy provides the formation of a committee at any time to “enhance board-staff communication.” Membership is stipulated as four employee representatives, the superintendent and two Board members. Discussions with this committee are to be held only in Executive Session with no information released to the public except by joint approval of all the parties. If no agreement is reached, the Board makes a final binding decision.

  Meet and Confer provides formation of a committee, annually, upon the request of staff, “to discuss and propose issues regarding staff salaries and economic benefits.” Membership in this committee is four representatives for the staff and four representatives of the Board, (two Board members, the superintendent and one other). This committee submits its recommendations in writing to the Board, who may, at its discretion, allow a hearing. The Board has final authority “to accept, modify or reject any recommendations.” The Board adopted both policies.

Elementary Calendar

  The above policies were tested in working out a calendar for the elementary teachers and students. Previous practice had been to count passing time as instruction time. When the Board ruled against the practice last year, they found all those minutes added up to six days of additional instructional time for teachers with no contract change. Elementary teachers have since asked that elementary students be released at the same time as secondary students on finals testing days, usually around 1:00 p.m. They also asked their work day end at 4:15 instead of 4:30, and that they have an extra five minutes at lunchtime. The Board agreed to these changes and also allowed an increase of one sick day per year for teachers under contract. This last change will cost the district $2,100 to $3,500 per year in substitute pay, depending on how many teachers use their extra day and whether they are absent or choose to “bank” the day. “Banked” days cost the district $60 versus the $100 daily cost of a substitute. 

Mandatory Fees

  The topic of charging mandatory fees for classroom materials has come up several times during the past five years. The Board was again approached by administration to consider charging parents fees for educational materials. They upheld their position that such fees go against the Constitution’s provision for free public education. Noting that Gilpin taxpayers are already funding education via taxes, the Board again decided against charging the additional fees. They do allow fees to cover materials for elective classes, field trips and extracurricular activities.

Community Engagement

  Originally the idea of former Board member, Ron Slinger, community engagement activities were meant to solicit input from parents and other community members and organizations about what the school does well and needs to improve. At this meeting, Board members discussed formulating their “message” utilizing Ladouceur’s input and that of the district’s in-house public relations coordinator, Jane Yerkman. Board members plan to meet with the Silver Dollar Metropolitan Business Improvement District, the Central City Business Improvement District, the Peak to Peak Rotary, the Dory Lakes and Chalet Park Homeowners’ Associations, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, and the City Councils of Black Hawk and Central City.

Mil Levy Attempt

  The Board has discussed putting a tax increase to the voters next November to fund technology and a full-day kindergarten program. They will determine specifics of a mil levy attempt at a future meeting, probably at the end of June. Ladouceur and Board members are considering hiring a professional consulting firm to help sell the mil levy to voters. Groginsky said the district will end the year with a balance of about $1.3 million. That includes approximately $380,000 required reserves for TABOR, contingency operations and retirement benefits.

Head’s Up

  On the next meeting’s agenda: Discussions of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, elementary calendar, advertising on school buses and athletic fields/gym, community engagement meetings, proposed budget and District Accountability Committee recommendations.

Executive Session

  The Board entered Executive Session with Superintendent Ladouceur to discuss a personnel issue at 9:32 p.m. They reconvened to public session at 9:59 p.m., taking no further action. The Board meets next on May 19^th.