Board approves consent items, proclaims Social Work Month and OKs study of future levy feasibility

The Rockwood School District Board of Education conducted several routine approvals and took two notable actions at its Feb. 20 meeting.

The board approved the meeting agenda and minutes for the Feb. 20 meeting and passed a consent agenda that included acknowledgements of PTO donations and personnel items. Board members then approved a proclamation designating March 2025 as Social Work Month and the week in March as Social Work Week in the Rockwood School District.

Jacqueline (a school social work department representative) summarized district social work data provided to the board. The district uses a time-use method to track social-worker activity: staff record work in 15-minute increments over sample periods. Jacqueline reported the department's most recent sampling shows roughly 74% of recorded social-work time is direct student services, about 18% goes to program development and 8% to school duties. Board members discussed how the district uses the data to allocate social-work time and to reduce reactive crisis work by increasing preventive interventions.

Later in the meeting the board voted to authorize the superintendent to explore the feasibility of placing a future operating-levy measure on the ballot to increase resources for staff salaries and benefits. Board members discussed the need for community polling or a third-party survey to determine an appropriate levy request and the timing considerations required to affect the tax cycle and the district budget (noting levy-setting timelines in late summer/early fall). The motion authorized staff to study feasibility and return with recommendations; the vote did not commit the district to a specific levy amount or election date.

The board also approved a motion to remove patrons' public comment and superintendent comments from the March 13 agenda to allow time for board award presentations.

Several personnel actions were announced in superintendent remarks: the board previously approved the hires of Michelle Fitzsimmons as principal of Babler Elementary School, Kristen Forth as administrative intern at Stanton Elementary, and Kenneth Peacock as administrative intern at Ridge Meadows Elementary, all effective July 1. Those approvals were reported in the superintendent's remarks rather than as new motions at this meeting.

All measures referenced above were adopted by voice vote during the meeting; where the transcript records the vote as "aye" with "hearing none" the board chair declared the motion passed.