[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6576512,"mediaKeyId","3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4","parentId",3091082,"title","BVSD board opens review to codify academic calendar policy; members debate semester timing, partial weeks and professional development","audioSeconds",5601,"startMs",1479000,"endMs",7080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4&start=1479&end=7080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4/thumbnail_1479000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6576512/Colorado/BVSD-board-opens-review-to-codify-academic-calendar-policy-members-debate-semester-timing-partial-weeks-and-professional-development","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576512-b1f9baf90e58ca275813f4641783d0bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771022407&Signature=os6b0FVvFZVImyxvnb~mKlSdhqlI5HcDtZXAA208ufzMto3wKkhT25wLosWTw3hyoPSRCESHwCHavMGpZtA43KPK2Y23nrzG8f5Gt-C9m4ymzBkU~r8NsFdR7xN8-BkyuG-Sq3sXSXjlmM1FoovNEq7YnZL1hZ3rQpQ5HZuON~wets1VOKA-LUUd3ezoPA7Jgzp3jZHIuApUS81hMLrT3rwGDF22aobtQmZKbrwWd7zk4zQ2bWhJCt9S5Tf-5RDo0oOInEQujhFktxzXAywmPc2B4N-T9VXN-~lV3PAG3MlB1q~edM4T0JRi2sIAXR7tQXhfXJYT8Yf260pgiWdjIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder Valley School District","date","2025-04-23T02:29:27.823Z","article","The Boulder Valley School District Board of Education on April 22 held a study session to gather feedback on drafting a formal policy and regulation to govern how the district develops its academic calendars.

Superintendent Dr. Anderson and staff presenters Kathleen Sullivan and Robin Fernandez reviewed the current practice and legal framework, asked the board to prioritize guiding principles and sought direction on timeline and public input. \"To be clear for our public tonight, this is not about changing any of the calendars that are already approved,\" Dr. Anderson said, noting BVSD had already adopted calendars for 2025''26 and 2026''27. The goal, staff said, is to codify the process and make it more transparent.

Why it matters: Calendar policy determines instructional minutes, staff work days and professional-development schedules, and affects families, employees and coordination with neighboring districts and higher-education and employer calendars. Staff said the policy must reflect state instructional-time requirements and negotiate alignment with collective-bargaining agreements.

What staff presented: Kathleen Sullivan reviewed the legal and contractual constraints staff uses when building calendars. She told the board the current BVSD policy (IC/ICA) was last updated in February 2001 and said the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) model policy emphasizes the state's definition of instructional time, consultation with neighboring districts and a requirement to include dates for staff in-service programs. Sullivan read specifics from the district's negotiated agreements: the teachers' agreement identifies 186 total working days, 176 instructional days, 5.5 teacher work days and 4.5 professional-development days. She also noted longstanding practices such as four \"conference exchange days\" (used for parent-teacher conferences) are long-standing but are not explicitly in the policy or, in some cases, the negotiated agreements.

Robin Fernandez outlined the guiding principles that have been used informally for years and the task-force process staff uses to weigh community and stakeholder feedback. Fernandez said some calendar choices are outcomes of multi-year student and family discussions: \"Over time, we ground our calendar development primarily on what is best for students,\" she said, and described a past change driven by high school student requests to end first semester before winter break so students could use the break without finals in mid-vacation.

Board debate and key points of disagreement: Board members asked whether the new policy should be prescriptive or leave flexibility for staff; how often the policy should require public surveys or check-ins; whether to retain a November 30 calendar-adoption deadline; and whether the goal to end the first semester before winter break should be a primary guiding principle. Several members asked staff to aim for greater alignment with the University of Colorado Boulder and nearby districts (notably St. Vrain) because many BVSD employees live in neighboring districts and misalignment creates childcare and staffing challenges.

Board members raised other recurring issues:
- Partial weeks and exchange days: Several members said partial weeks (mid-week closures or shortened weeks) are difficult for working families and asked staff to minimize them; staff noted limits created by negotiated agreements and other constraints.
- Professional development: Multiple members said PD days should be well attended and considered essential; board members discussed trade-offs between front-loading PD at the start of the year versus spacing it across the year (which can create partial weeks).
- Climate and start date: Some members urged reconsideration of August start dates because of hotter early fall weather; others noted statewide sports and CHSAA practice schedules, and two community surveys (2022 and 2024) in which roughly two-thirds of respondents favored maintaining the current (earlier) start and end dates.
- Data, sampling and community input: Board members discussed survey methodology and whether to commission a statistically representative sample (Magellan was mentioned as a prior contractor) rather than rely on voluntary online surveys.

Staff process and next steps: Staff outlined the two-year calendar cycle staff follows (draft in January, stakeholder review in February, task-force revision and board action), and said they will draft a policy and regulation for further board review that captures guiding principles and a transparent stakeholder process. Staff emphasized the need to reconcile state law, negotiated agreements, CASB guidance and district priorities when drafting the policy.

No formal policy vote was taken at the April 22 study session; board members directed staff to return with a proposed policy and regulation that incorporates this input and clarifies the review process, who sits on the calendar task force and how public input will be gathered.

Ending: Staff will draft policy and regulation language based on the discussion and bring it back to the board for study and future action. The District Accountability Committee is scheduled to provide recommendations next month, staff said.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 22, 2025 Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Boulder Valley School District Board of Education on April 22 held a study session to gather feedback on drafting a formal policy and regulation to govern how the district develops its academic calendars.","taxTitle","Boulder Valley School District No. Re2, School Districts , Colorado","taxId",12898,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6576507,"Netherland mayor invites BVSD to town hall; parent asks BVSD to add girls flag football as varsity sport",233,4602000,4835000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4&start=4602&end=4835","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4/thumbnail_4602000.jpg","/articles/6576507/Colorado/Netherland-mayor-invites-BVSD-to-town-hall-parent-asks-BVSD-to-add-girls-flag-football-as-varsity-sport","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576507-1b7b2389d648b7afd25dedcbb5e36fed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771022407&Signature=l~uTlnEj7H3jDF2N9SZm3gOviOnRBszZbZDHrbPgBBG4VP-fUkbJ3CxOQ9jX~5fqgFgLPIWC2g3eTmKNktqeZatgVSXfMVu6q84G9qmjTwFJODNLckh-vyGyh1144aKuLdm9-Woaoxv5Owly5YckYGPRfYBnBP7X45CJkfq9TvETM5xJMRwpjG88mH2wvrDFbU8JrPLNh7LlLsZWUvh-FntIJdNjy7qifgRUbF7Osp1YTnf4-PzDyudm4hFbZBtEDe5qLU2Ouh74eSBqLbzC3iYXxH6VVIqiot9j5ybmBOYvp-Q4O-huvTPTU7xM91egkjg7iW3qs-Da-cVyifRywQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During public participation at the April 22 Boulder Valley School District Board of Education meeting, two speakers addressed the board.

Mayor Billy Giblin of Nederland (appearing virtually) invited board members to host a town hall in Nederland to facilitate discussion about recent community concerns and school leadership in that mountain community. \"We would host it and maybe facilitate it,\" Mayor Giblin said, noting local leaders would support the event and pressing that the meeting could help the community \"move forward and support the decision of the district.\" Mayor Giblin also expressed support for the candidate the district is considering for a school leadership post, saying the community could provide mentoring and support if the district wanted it.

A parent from Monarch High School, Emily Stites, asked the board to establish girls flag football as a varsity CIF/CHSAA sport in fall 2025 rather than leave it as a club sport. Stites said the sport's popularity has grown nationally and internationally and that 62 Colorado schools already list girls flag football as a CHSAA sport. She said organizers had identified roughly 15 interested athletes by word-of-mouth and cited an estimated $20,000 launch cost that could be offset by grants and fundraising. She urged the district to identify an internal \"champion\" to help turn club interest into a district varsity program.

No action was taken at the meeting on either request. District staff and board members said they would note the requests and that club-to-varsity changes typically involve coordination on Title IX compliance, field space, coaching and CHSAA scheduling.

Ending: Both requests were recorded during public comment; board members acknowledged receipt and the district indicated staff would follow up as appropriate.","During public participation at the April 22 BVSD board meeting, Nederland Mayor Billy Giblin invited the district to host a town hall in Nederland, and a Monarch High School parent urged BVSD to make girls flag football a varsity sport in fall 2025.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6576516,"BVSD spotlights newly expanded student cabinet to advise on mental health, Title IX and curriculum",747,739000,1486000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4&start=739&end=1486","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091082-d1e5ba4edc61f5234223dc2d54366ff4/thumbnail_739000.jpg","/articles/6576516/Colorado/BVSD-spotlights-newly-expanded-student-cabinet-to-advise-on-mental-health-Title-IX-and-curriculum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576516-59a7c40868bcaa83caefff806632c3f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771022407&Signature=k3K5Bpec7e0hqVee6~a-ZShhdgoN-BPW7~rHBS705VGMB252CjiqXDUvaT~es9gud3H-gxCiOyT6CJi27XH8Sujrj36solmb56RKA-r-GvBHoC~z3g-xStgJaTuGzfY~x6rEhQx1ugP6lLJGyTBdoCaFkBLNyDSMhGzw8UIYXwn2VyeNcHwUYwM3M42YcBEICamvWWtbNOqAFenJ4wewGy1PP-K6eywnyPx6XKatPF2LXiqms7Nms9mgCkdH2t6rzwG57a16cl86vmUTMe0cKNZkNa-1unwtzkWbniR5EyBMT8fxu1yFy0o1-BpTSlbzC23l9qE1rM7raVpZCco00Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Boulder Valley School District Board of Education on April 22 heard a presentation introducing the district'wide Student Cabinet, a 20-member advisory group that district leaders say will provide student perspectives on topics including mental health, safety and Title IX, curriculum and diverse curriculum.

District leaders said the Student Cabinet was created after staff, students and families raised the need for more student voice in district decision-making. Dr. Veil Cruz, who introduced the group to the board, described the cabinet's origins as a response to student advocacy and a district effort to expand representation: \"we reached out to her, Doctor Gallegos went to meet with her, and we invited her to co design what we wanted to do to launch this amazing group.\" The cabinet began from self- and staff-nominations and has grown to 20 members; several members and their family members attended the board meeting.

Why it matters: District leaders framed the cabinet as a formal channel for student feedback on policies and programs that affect classroom experience and student wellbeing. Robin Gallegos and others said the cabinet will work in two-month topic cycles so students can explore issues in depth and provide feedback loops to district staff.

Students who spoke brief remarks at the meeting described what leadership in the cabinet means to them. Gustavo Guillosa Castillo, a senior at Boulder High School, said, \"to me, leadership is taking initiative and not waiting.\" Anthony Reyes, a senior at Boulder High School, said, \"leadership is the ability to be dependable by those who need us.\" Student Anaya Currier said the cabinet's work extends beyond recognition: \"Leadership for me has never been about position, it's about responsibility. To truth, to equity, and to the role who too often go unseen and unheard in our schools because I believe that the most transformational change starts in community with listening, with learning, and with love.\" (Direct quotes are drawn from remarks recorded at the April 22 meeting.)

District staff described the cabinet's current topics as student-selected. Kathleen Sullivan and Dr. Gallegos said past topics have included mental health supports, safety and Title IX response, curriculum content and representation. The cabinet's process uses a mix of student self-nomination and school-level recommendations, staff said, and students also help co-facilitate some meetings.

No board action was required or taken on the Student Cabinet during the meeting. District staff said they will continue to meet with the cabinet and bring student feedback into curricular and policy discussions.

The board thanked the students and district staff for the presentation. Dr. Anderson and board members praised the group as a way to embed student voice in district decision-making.

Ending: The Student Cabinet presentation closed the 'student moment' portion of the April 22 meeting; staff indicated the group will continue its planned topic cycles and maintain direct communication with district leaders. The cabinet does not replace existing student advisory structures but supplements them with a district-wide, student-selected body.","At the April 22 Boulder Valley School District Board of Education meeting, district leaders introduced a 20-member student cabinet created to advise BVSD leadership on mental health, safety, Title IX and curriculum. Students described the group as a collective advisory body focused on elevating student voice.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

BVSD board opens review to codify academic calendar policy; members debate semester timing, partial weeks and professional development

Netherland mayor invites BVSD to town hall; parent asks BVSD to add girls flag football as varsity sport

BVSD spotlights newly expanded student cabinet to advise on mental health, Title IX and curriculum