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Board approves three recognition resolutions; public commenters press for mill‑levy transparency and solar projects
Summary
The board unanimously approved resolutions honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, National Suicide Prevention Month and Attendance Awareness Month. In public comment, residents urged clearer mill‑levy messaging, better support for students with literacy gaps and asked the district to implement six solar projects identified in a 2023 feasibility study.
The Poudre School District Board of Education unanimously approved three resolutions on Sept. 10 recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15), National Suicide Prevention Month and Attendance Awareness Month.
Board member Jessica Zamora moved the Hispanic Heritage Month resolution and Connor Duffy seconded; the board approved the measure 5–0 after short remarks and introductions by Lopez Elementary students who spoke about the school’s namesake. "Thank you for recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month," said a fifth‑grader, who described the local legacy of William Lopez, an early Mexican‑American educator in the district.
The board also approved a resolution supporting National Suicide Prevention Month after presentations from Sarah Mauder Wilkins (mental‑health and prevention coordinator) and Christine Epling (PSD mental‑health specialist), who outlined district suicide‑prevention work, trainings (QPR), distribution of roughly 300 lockboxes for families, screenings and ties with the Alliance for Suicide Prevention. "You are not alone," Mauder Wilkins told the board while encouraging use of 988 for crisis help.
An Attendance Awareness Month resolution moved by Jim Brokish passed 5–0 after Assistant Superintendent Julie Chaplin discussed chronic absenteeism challenges and PSD’s "Attendance Counts" campaign.
Public comment preceding the presentations and votes covered wide ground. Several residents urged clearer mill‑levy materials and more transparent spending priorities. Joshua Riling said the current mill‑levy site requires too much time to navigate and urged clearer, concise messaging. Megan Molen — who administered an online straw poll of about 700 respondents — summarized community distrust about fiscal transparency and asked for an explicit list of spending priorities that would secure broader support for the levy.
Energy advocates and members of the nonprofit C‑Force and Community for Sustainable Energy urged the board to include six solar projects identified in PSD’s McKinstry feasibility study in the district’s five‑year plan; presenters said implementing the six projects could save roughly $270,000 per year and reduce CO2 emissions substantially. "These are projects that will bear these results every year for the next 30 years," a C‑Force speaker said. Commenters asked that the district include the projects before the mill‑levy campaign so advocates can help mobilize support.
Superintendent Brian Kingsley acknowledged the public feedback and said staff will publish clarifying information on the mill‑levy page and host informational sessions in the coming weeks.
The meeting later convened a closed session after a successful motion to enter executive session to discuss strategy for 2025–26 collective‑bargaining negotiations (motion passed 5–0).
