Public commenters urge district to preserve inclusivity, caution on CMAS analysis and simplify graduation competency reporting

During the public‑comment period at the Sept. 17 Thompson School District R-2J Board of Education meeting, several community members and staff raised matters for the board to consider.

A parent, Carrie Walters, described a personal family mental‑health crisis and credited the district’s inclusive practices and teachers for supporting her child through hospitalization and recovery; she said her child is now in college and thanked the district for its inclusivity and support.

Tara Hildebrandt, a parent, praised district policies that she said provide a ‘‘safe environment where women feel empowered to share their stories and where due process can take place’’; she urged clarity and unity in district policy application so families do not encounter conflicting rules across schools.

A district counselor at Berthoud High School (name redacted in the transcript) described a time‑consuming process counselors undertake each year to verify that seniors have met Colorado Department of Education ELA and math competency requirements for graduation. She said the capstone option is limited (for example, the district capstone must be completed in specific second‑semester courses in brick‑and‑mortar settings), which creates extra work for counselors and confusion for families. She proposed that students who pass four first‑time ELA credits and three first‑time math credits be considered to have met the district capstone requirement, noting that other districts (Denver Public Schools, St. Vrain, Poudre) assess capstones differently using district performance tasks aligned to curriculum.

Nate Donovan, speaking on his own behalf as a district employee, highlighted agenda items he supported — including contracts for food service and transportation — and called attention to the district’s use of legal services after settlements. He also praised the board’s delegation practices at the CASB conference.

A caller, Elizabeth Newton (identified as a district taxpayer), criticized an unnamed staff member (referenced as Nancy) for publishing raw CMAS test results and drawing conclusions without thorough data analysis. Newton argued that releasing raw data and concluding causes without context can harm students and teachers and urged the board to rely on expert analysis before making public claims.

Ending: Board members thanked speakers and noted that some matters raised (for example, the counselor’s requests about capstone reporting and the CMAS data concerns) may require follow up with district administration.