The Board of Education Recap is a communication tool that is a summary of the information presented and actions taken at Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board of Education meetings. We hope you find it helpful for staying connected with School District 38!
The meeting included presenting Elevate 38 Awards to outstanding individuals who have helped make D38 great!
Students Receive Scholastic Art Awards—Students from PRHS earned awards in the Scholastic Art Awards statewide competition. More than 5,000 pieces of artwork were submitted; 13 winning pieces were created by PRHS students, and five of those will advance to compete at the national level.
Speech and Debate Club National Qualifiers—Students from LPHS and PRHS had an impressive showing at the Southern Colorado National Qualifying Tournament. Several advanced to the national competition this summer and will have the chance to showcase their speech, theatre and debate skills.
P.E. Teacher Earns Taekwondo Award—Bret Mischlich from Palmer Lake Elementary School won a gold medal at the Taekwondo U.S. Masters Cup and earned a spot to compete in the Masters World Games in Taiwan this May. Thank you, Mr. Mischlich, for integrating your passion for Taekwondo into classes at PLES.
Aiden Miller, sophomore, and Paige Ehresman, junior, attended the Board of Education meeting to represent the student body of Palmer Ridge High School.
The students shared information about the principal advisory committee at their school. Their group has covered topics like parking spots and what they like best about their teachers.
"Dr. Frank likes to get an inside look on everything that's happening, and it's good for us to pitch in and do what we can," Aiden said.
"In the principal advisory group, we get to step into Dr. Frank's shoes and see what it's like to run a school," added Paige. "It helps us see things the way he does, so I can talk to other people and explain our issues."
The agenda included the following discussion items:
Arts Education Task Force Update: Interim Superintendent, Amber Whetstine, and community member, Theresa Phillips, shared information regarding the work of the task force to support the arts in D38 and our Tri-Lakes Community. Highlights included the scheduling of a districtwide art show this April, and a district performing arts calendar that can be accessed from our website's homepage.
Priority 2 Update—Career & Innovation Center: Director of Innovative Programs, Jessica McAllister, presented an update on the status of the Career & Innovation Center, including marketing efforts for the new facility. She also shared a new promotional video to give a firsthand look at what's envisioned for the inside of the center.
Priority 5 Update—Fiscal Stewardship: Ron Sprinz, Director of Finance, offered an update regarding D38's strategic priority of fiscal stewardship. Action steps for the work include engaging the financial transparency committee, parents and staff, and improving overall financial results to include operating within the window of precise financial performance.
Home School Enrichment Academy/Transition Services Update: Melissa Andrews, Director of Planning, Facilities, and Grounds, provided an update regarding next steps to relocate the HSEA and Transition Services for next school year. Leadership has engaged with staff and families for feedback, and is exploring numerous options for a new facility.
First Reading/Review of D Policies: Ron Sprinz, Director of Finance, presented revisions for D policies regarding fiscal management. Those with recommended revisions include:
DB–Annual Budget
DH–Bonded Employees and Officers
DJ_DJA–Purchasing Authority
DJE–Bidding Procedures
DKC–Expense Authorization Reimbursement
Financial Planning & Analysis: Ron Sprinz, Director of Finance, shared information and facilitated conversation regarding the district monthly financial reports.
During the meeting, the following items were voted on by the Board of Education:
Amber Whetstine, Interim Superintendent, proposed a change to the current 2024-25 school year calendar as recommended by district administration to ensure compliance with state statutes regarding instructional time for students at all levels. The Board voted 4-0 to convert April 4, 2025 to a student contact day for all students to address recent weather closures. Previously, April 4 was scheduled as a parent-teacher conference day for middle school and as a Professional Learning Community Day for elementary grades.
The Board considered adding a meeting date to their 2024-25 meeting schedule to accommodate a retreat in March. The purpose of the retreat is to discuss next steps in the process to hire a new superintendent. The Board voted 4-0 to approve March 11 as the date for this retreat.
