Superintendent Godowsky told the Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board on Oct. 22 that the district signed an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Thornton to transfer parcels adjacent to Thornton High School so the district can build a redesigned Thornton High on the Bowman campus if Thornton approves the agreement on its side.

The superintendent said the agreement is expected to be finalized next week and thanked district and city staff for negotiating the transfer. "I was delighted to sign an intergovernmental agreement today with the city of Thornton that will, if they approve it on their side as well, which we expect to happen next week, result in the transfer of parcels of land adjacent to Thornton High School to the district so that we can build out our redesigned, new and improved Thornton High School on Bowman Campus as part of the bond project," the superintendent said.

Godowsky also warned board members and the public about potential disruptions from a federal shutdown that could affect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting Nov. 1. He said district staff and community partners — including district staff who will attend meetings the next day — are monitoring the situation and preparing to support families if benefit disruptions occur, especially around Thanksgiving week when students may be away from school for an entire week.

"If we have some gaps in terms of food availability and financial access to food, we will do our very best as a district to work with some of our partners to help support students and families in getting food," he said.

On special education, Godowsky said district leaders checked with the special-education director and the finance director and concluded that district funding for special-education services in Adams 12 is not in jeopardy at this time. He cautioned, however, that changes at the federal level could slow or complicate complaint investigations tied to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) compliance and that state-level complaint processes under the Exceptional Children Education Act may also be affected by staffing constraints.

"The good news is that the money that we're looking for to support students and to have our staff serve them and provide the necessary equipment should remain intact," Godowsky said. "But if somebody were in a place of feeling like they're not getting served in the way that the law requires, getting redressed to that could take a lot longer."

He closed his update by recognizing several district teams in a new "scrappy" theme for the year, thanking facilities maintenance for a cost-saving cleanup at VMAC, the plumbing team for responding to repeated after-hours sewer blockages, and the Shadow Ridge counseling team and educators for reshuffling schedules and staff to reduce sixth-grade class sizes after an unexpected enrollment shortfall. He also encouraged community turnout in the upcoming election, including two contested school board races and a mill ballot measure.

Speakers listed in the meeting materials described the special-education and finance offices as having reviewed the district's position and confirmed no current funding shortfall for services. Godowsky and board members framed SNAP uncertainty and holiday timing as the greatest immediate concern for students who rely on school meals for multiple weekday meals.

Board action tied to the superintendent update included routine approvals of the meeting agenda and subsequent agenda items; no policy changes were decided during the update portion of the meeting.

Ending: The superintendent closed his update by again urging community participation in the election and by repeating appreciation for staff who took steps to save money and maintain services during the summer and opening weeks of school.