logo
D11 seeks community input on new Employee Handbook

D11 seeks community input on new Employee Handbook

Yahoo31-01-2025

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The District 11 (D11) Board of Education is holding listening sessions to gather ideas for the schools and to share its progress as it develops the new Employee Handbook.
In Dec. 2024, the board decided to end the Master Agreement it had with the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA) union. Now, the district has created an Employee Engagement Group to meet once a month for two hours to develop the handbook, which will replace the master agreement that only covers teachers. The group will also plan employee recognition and other engagement opportunities.
Anyone interested in sharing ideas or thoughts about D11 schools is invited to attend the listening sessions. They are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on:
Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Michell High School library
Monday, Feb. 10, at Palmer High School, lower library
Monday, Feb. 24 at Coronado High School library
Thursday, March 6 at Doherty High School, location is still to be determined
'We look forward to hearing from the community,' said Parth Melpakam, president of the board. 'Two board members will be at every session to hear concerns and answer questions. We also want to hear from the community about their ideas and concerns about D11 schools and student progress.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

North Dallas Bill Roth Voters Send Message: We're Watching City Hall
North Dallas Bill Roth Voters Send Message: We're Watching City Hall

Yahoo

time13 hours ago

  • Yahoo

North Dallas Bill Roth Voters Send Message: We're Watching City Hall

Voters in North Dallas' District 11 turned out in record numbers over the weekend, casting more ballots in the June 7 runoff election than in the district's general election just five weeks prior — an unusual feat in local municipal politics. Yet, despite this surge in civic engagement, the Dallas Morning News and other legacy outlets offered only cursory coverage, prompting residents to turn to social media for real-time updates and turnout data. The runoff featured commercial real estate broker Bill Roth, who led in the May 4 general election, and Jeff Kitner, chief operating officer of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. According to official from the Dallas County Elections Department, Roth secured 4,093 votes (53.8%) to Kitner's 3,517 (46.2%), for a total of 7,610 ballots cast. That total represents a 23% increase over the 6,178 ballots cast in the general election on May 4 — and marks the highest voter turnout of any 2025 Dallas City Council race to date. Mendelsohn included a photo showing energized Roth supporters under a canopy in a parking lot, holding signs and waving a Texas flag — a snapshot of the grassroots momentum behind the record turnout. The runoff was triggered after neither candidate crossed the 50% threshold in the general election. Roth earned 2,984 votes (48.3%) and Kitner 2,781 votes (45.0%) on May 4. The central flashpoint in the race was a proposed redevelopment of , a longtime North Dallas shopping center. Roth aligned himself with residents opposing the project, running as a neighborhood-first candidate and tapping into concerns about density, traffic, and zoning transparency. Kitner, by contrast, garnered endorsements from establishment figures and pro-growth advocates, but faced criticism for skipping key City Council debates on the issue — including one that directly addressed the Pepper Square rezoning. This kind of grassroots-versus-establishment dynamic is exactly the sort of contrast that fuels turnout. A 2023 study in the American Political Science Review found that competitive local races with sharp issue divides can significantly increase runoff participation, especially when policy decisions directly affect residents' quality of life. Despite the record-breaking turnout, local legacy media outlets offered minimal coverage. The Dallas Morning News reported Roth's victory and summarized the zoning context but failed to note the historic nature of the turnout spike. That omission sparked frustration among engaged residents. 'I can't even find the story anywhere on Dallas News at this point!' wrote Calvin Thomas on X the night of the election. Thomas wasn't alone. Dozens of residents turned to social media platforms like X to share images from the polls, document volunteer efforts, and critique traditional news outlets for downplaying what they saw as a significant moment for grassroots democracy in Dallas. District 11's runoff wasn't just a local election — it was a referendum on City Hall's priorities and the growing disconnect between voters and legacy institutions. In an era when political apathy is the norm, these residents defied expectations and sent a message: zoning decisions, transparency, and accountability still matter — and they're worth showing up for. Roth's win represents more than just a single council seat. It reflects the rising influence of neighborhood voices pushing back against top-down planning and media narratives that overlook their concerns. The real takeaway? Voters in North Dallas didn't wait for permission to care about local government — and they didn't wait for the media to validate their fight. They showed up, they spoke up, and they won.

New Utah Fits All administrator to rerun applications after finding inconsistencies
New Utah Fits All administrator to rerun applications after finding inconsistencies

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Yahoo

New Utah Fits All administrator to rerun applications after finding inconsistencies

Students work in a math class at Wasatch Junior High School in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The administration change of Utah Fits All, the state's school choice program has hit some road bumps. Days after the Utah State Board of Education switched managers to run the program and the application portal closed, families are learning that they may have to apply again. Odyssey, a New York-based technology company that won the bid in May to run the voucher program, announced Friday on its website that after reviewing the application data the outgoing administrator provided, it found that in many cases the information was incomplete, inconsistent, or lacked proper verification. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The company 'will need to take additional steps to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with the Utah Fits All law,' Odyssey officials wrote. They said those actions include re-running applications for families participating in the second year application cycle. 'We understand that this may be frustrating, but we believe this is the best path forward to determine eligibility accurately,' company officials said. The announcement comes after the Board of Education canceled early its multiyear contract with the program's previous third-party manager ACE Scholarships, citing 'convenience' reasons. The move was made possible by a 2025 bill that, among other changes to Utah Fits All, opened the door for a switch should the Board of Education need to change its current program administrator. Utah Board of Education ends contract early with Utah Fits All administrator Odyssey officials said ACE Scholarships' previous records make it impossible to determine students' eligibility since those records only show a small percentage of second year applicants successfully completed their income verification — a step on their application that's required by law. Those eligibility determinations will be delayed past the initial May 31 deadline, according to Odyssey. However, the company hasn't set a new timeline for the new process. Reconciling scholarship balances for current Utah Fits All participants is also underway, with 'a large population for whom Odyssey cannot determine their current balance because there are thousands of pending reimbursements, receipts, and transactions, many of which were received by Odyssey as recently as May 29th.' The company won't authorize any additional spending until pending purchases undergo further analysis, according to its website. As of Thursday, Utah Fits All's website listed June 30 as the last day to use 2024-2025 funds. Among the changes to Utah Fits All the Legislature approved this year is a 20% cap on extracurricular activities and physical education, in addition to tightened expense guidelines to explicitly prohibit the use of scholarship money to pay for ski passes, furniture, musical instruments, apparel, and other uses. While lawmakers approved more money to fund additional scholarships, bringing the total annual allocation for the program to $100 million, they also voted to reduce the amount some students could receive. This year, homeschooled children of ages 5 to 11 would have access to $4,000 a year, while those aged 12 to 18 years old could get up to $6,000. That's down from the $8,000 that was allowed during the program's first year. Private school students are still eligible for $8,000 a year to help cover their tuition or other expenses. Meanwhile, Utah Fits Alls is also facing other challenges that may threaten its existence. A 3rd District Court judge recently ruled the program to be unconstitutional, a win for the Utah Education Association, the state's largest teacher union. The union sued the state for diverting 'funds from already underfunded public schools,' union leaders said. They alleged the program violates the Utah Constitution, which explicitly says income tax revenue should be used to fund public education, among a few other limited uses. State leaders said they will appeal the decision to the Utah Supreme Court. While the case plays out in court, the program will continue to operate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

Longest-serving member of Poudre School District Board of Education announces resignation
Longest-serving member of Poudre School District Board of Education announces resignation

Yahoo

time22-05-2025

  • Yahoo

Longest-serving member of Poudre School District Board of Education announces resignation

Carolyn Reed, the longest-serving member of the Poudre School District Board of Education, is resigning May 27 after 11 years and with six months remaining in her current four-year term. Reed notified the school district of her resignation May 20 and confirmed it May 22 in an interview with the Coloradoan. The Board of Education scheduled a special meeting May 27, before it's regularly scheduled meeting that night, to formally accept the resignation. The school board can then begin accepting applications to fill the position on a temporary basis until the November 2025 election. 'I feel like the district is in good hands,' Reed told the Coloradoan. 'If I thought that things were going to go sideways, I would hang in there. Improvement in reading, mental health and on-time graduation rates, opening of a new (integrated learning services) center, a move toward the trades and (career and technical education) being better supported — those were all things that were important to me when I got on the board.' On May 20, 2024, the school board approved moving its integrated learning services Transition Pathways programs for adults ages 18 to 21 with special needs into a portion of the building at Prospect Road and Stover Street that houses Poudre Global Academy beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Reed, 65, said she wants to spend more time with her family, including some trips this summer. She and her husband, David Johnson, have five adult children and seven grandchildren. 'I think it's time to start focusing on my family,' Reed said. 'I lost a son two years ago, and I was sitting in a board meeting one year ago when a brother died. I have a sick sister now, too. The last two years, as far as loss goes in my family, has been hard.' The legal settlement the district reached May 13 with the victims of former bus attendant Tyler Zanella and their families, in which the district agreed to pay $16.2 million, also played a big role in her decision, Reed said. 'I've been thinking about this for a while,' Reed said. 'I thought that I needed to stay on the board until we settled the Zanella case, because I felt that started under my leadership, and I should stay until it was finished.' Reed was originally appointed to the District E seat on the Board of Education in May of 2014 to fill a vacancy created when another member, Nicholas Holian, resigned to accept a job in Florida. Reed was elected to a two-year term in November 2015 and to four-year terms in November 2017 and November 2021. Term limits would prevent her from running for reelection in November 2025, when her current term expires. One candidate, Andrew Spain, has already announced plans to run for the District E seat in the November 2025 election, and Reed expects others to come forward, as well, as news of her resignation spreads. PSD's seven board members must reside in the district they represent but are elected by a voters throughout the district. Reed grew up in Wellington, where she still lives, and graduated from Poudre High School. 'It feels strange to be leaving,' Reed said. "My finger hovered over the 'send' key for quite a while. I had tears coming to my eyes and had to walk outside afterward and had to really clear my head. After you've done something for 11 years and really poured yourself into it, it's difficult to leave. But like I said earlier, I know the district's in good hands.' Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@ and This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: PSD school board member announces resignation

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store