The following questions were those that were provided during the in-person Town Hall on Thursday, July 31, and were unable to be answered due to time constraints. The questions were transcribed as provided.
Why wait until 7 weeks before school starts to announce this change when the construction of new schools and transportation have been underway for over 2 years and a known issue?
We recognize that the timing of this announcement was not ideal. We had anticipated work to begin on this effort earlier, however, there was a shift in the Transportation Department’s leadership that delayed the project. Our goal was to be thoughtful and thorough with this implementation, while balancing the timeliness for our staff and families to adjust their schedules.
Why do we not have an active long-range planning committee with town planners, parents, staff / teachers, citizens? Currently 1166 units under proposal in Windsor, with another est. 2000 in Severance. We need to be planning as a community NOW. Mitigating issues now instead of triaging when issues come up. COO should be involved but not lead as his plate is already full.
Our Long Range Planning Committee last met in March 2022. Subsequent meetings have been on pause until all named projects in the 2022 Bond were substantially complete. We will meet this goal as of fall 2025, and look to resume Long Range Planning Committee meetings during the 2025 - 2026 school year.
The transportation budget for 2023-24 and 2024-25 remained flat despite increasing services for an additional 525 students, 4 extra routes, 4 employees. Why? How do we plan / prepare for the future?
The budget amounts provided for the Transportation Department were actual expenditure amounts. Transportation Department spending varies year to year due to repair and maintenance expense variances and fuel costs, as well as the purchase of vehicles that may vary between years. The repairs and maintenance budget does need to increase as we add routes. We have been funding some of these variances with one-time dollars, but will continue to look into how to add recurring dollars into this department's budget. The Task Force will also be charged with exploring options and making recommendations.
With all of the financial constraints that have been mentioned, do you currently have a plan in place to address potential negative impacts of the new start times such as declines in year over year test scores, attendance, or other key datapoints that the district tracks? If a plan does exist, could you please outline it? And, if not, do you intend to put one together to ensure we’re proactively safeguarding student outcomes?
We regularly monitor key data points at the school and district level to ensure positive outcomes for our students, providing resources and supports as early as possible. We also look to regularly evaluate any systemic impacts this may have and adjust course, if needed.
It seems that the district struggled to adequately plan for the significant community growth we’ve experienced over the past several years. Given that this growth is very likely to continue, what specific steps are you taking to ensure this issue does not become a recurring problem?
We regularly meet with the Towns of Severance and Windsor, as well as the City of Greeley to engage in thoughtful discussions around growth and future development. We also look to resume Long Range Planning Committee meetings during the 2025 - 2026 school year. A significant charge of this group will be to update the district’s Long Range Plan to capture our new facilities and future needs based on anticipated growth.
Is the district working with the city for improved crossings (specifically lighting) for walking elementary students?
We regularly collaborate with town staff on improvement projects that would benefit our schools and students. We will continue to partner with the town to address low light areas, if possible, and continually look for areas to improve safe walking routes for our students. We also participate in the regional Safe Routes to School committee.
The Colorado statutes are clear about the Board being responsible to approve instructional time. Do the statutes allow for changes after Board approval? Middle school instructional time was changed with the new bell schedule.
Yes, according to CRS 22-32-109n(II)(B), “Any change in the calendar, excluding changes resulting from emergency closings or other unforeseen circumstances, shall be preceded by adequate and timely notice from the board, district administration, or school administration of not less than thirty days.”
A broader growth question: do city planners or officials from Windsor and Severance ever engage the district regarding population growth and planned new communities?
We regularly meet with the Towns of Severance and Windsor, as well as the City of Greeley to engage in thoughtful discussions around growth and future development. Additionally, as part of the planning process, the school district engages in the development review process with the Town of Severance, Town of Windsor, and the City of Greeley. The Chief Operating Officer is on the Development Review Committee for the Town of Severance and Town of Windsor, and receives advanced notice of any development activity within our boundary.
Already an issue to be aware of - may cause extra issue with SHS later winter swimmers from Severance have to get out of that hell parking lot to WHS at 4 pm - this is horrible for parents and young divers - solutions? Possible solutions, early dismissal, teacher lot parking, don’t have any great ideas (besides SHS pool - I know I know) 🙂
The traffic flow patterns have been adjusted through new parking lot striping. This should help alleviate bottlenecks. If we observe this is not alleviating the issue, we will work with the coach and SHS administration on alternative solutions.
Keep on radar - HS kids do not get less and less instruction - and prep for adulting is not 9am start.
High school students’ total length of the school day remains unaffected. The level is simply shifting its start and end times by 15 minutes.
Those that have time why don’t you start a ride share program?
For those that do not qualify for transportation services, we encourage families to engage with opportunities that best meet their needs, such as ride shares, family transportation, walking, biking, etc.
Why aren’t we thanking and appreciating our leadership for trying to do whats best for our kiddos?
We appreciate the feedback we’ve received from both sides of this issue. Each family’s circumstances are unique. We understand that this change may be ideal for some and challenging for others. We believe that the change in bell schedule is the best scenario for our students and our district given the constraints we are working within.
Can we just cut buses off except for sped and parents can parent and spend time with their kids in the car then that money saved can go to teachers?
Transportation services are an optional service in the state of Colorado, outside of transportation for students with an identified need in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). While that scenario is in the realm of possibilities, it is not something we look to pursue at this point in time, but may be a scenario discussed by the Task Force.
If you feel so strongly, what have you done to find a solution such as becoming a bus driver?
We are currently hiring bus drivers. If you’re interested in applying, please apply online.
How many of you are willing to drive a bus?
We are unaware of the exact number of individuals willing to drive a bus. We have found the bus driver position a difficult one to fill with a limited number of applicants. If you’re interested in applying, please apply online.
With the increase in time for bus drivers driving (6 hrs) will they become benefitted staff?
We evaluate positions to be benefitted based on the expected hours (30 or above is benefitted). We often post benefitted positions internally only initially so that our part-time drivers can first seek an opportunity for these benefitted jobs. However, there are times when part-time drivers want to stay part-time, so we would then post externally for benefitted drivers. Some of our retired part-time drivers ask to be limited on their wages due to potential Social Security earning limits. Drivers also need to commit to weekend and afterhour activity trips to be eligible for benefits in order to ensure they are working the required 30 hours or more. The Task Force will explore our legal obligations and potential opportunities surrounding staff benefits and pay.
Looking forward in our growing district, how do we accommodate more growth with minimal growing pains? Additional buses? Increase driver pay? How can we proactively adjust?
This topic is one we look to explore in more detail with the upcoming Task Force, as well as with the Long Range Planning Committee. Ultimately, without a change in recurring revenue through the School Finance Act or local funding overrides, there is little we can do to proactively manage growth, increase pay, or increase expenses. The district completes a revised budget annually and any prior year budget savings are reviewed for potential one-time purchases, such as buses and other capital projects. Due to the district averaging around 82-86% of the budget in salary and benefits on an annual basis, there are few opportunities for cost reductions without impacting staffing ratios.
If we knew this was a problem before March why not address it then? How will this affect bus pick-up / drop-off times compared to last year?
We recognize that the timing of this announcement was not ideal. We had anticipated work to begin on this effort earlier, however, there was a shift in the Transportation Department’s leadership that delayed the project. Our goal was to be thoughtful and thorough with this implementation, while balancing the timeliness for our staff and families to adjust their schedules. We will maintain 6:30 a.m. as the earliest pick-up time in keeping with last year. The latest bus drop-off time is 5:20 p.m., and was 5:15 p.m. last year. Pick-up and drop-off times are subject to change based on final ridership.
What other options do we have for morning care for those elementary students so that we could swap and have high school first, then middle, then elem.?
AlphaBEST is the district’s preferred provider for before and after-school care. Families can work directly with AlphaBEST to secure care at all elementary schools except Mountain View from 6 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. and 2:20 - 6 p.m. AlphaBEST is willing to expand to Mountain View if demand exists. Mountain View students are currently served at Tozer Primary. There are various other providers in our community that families can engage with.
How do we solve the bus driver problem?
School districts across the state and nation experience similar staffing challenges with the bus driver position. We have worked over the last five years to increase pay, increase the number of benefitted positions, and market the openings in a variety of ways. While our staffing fill rate is healthier than other districts, we still have openings. If you’re interested in applying, please apply online. We will explore additional options with the Task Force this fall.
Why did not anyone know until July if you started looking at things in April / May?
The announcement was sent to families on June 26. We recognize that the timing of this announcement was not ideal. The Office of Operations initiated work on this project with the Transportation Department in February. We had anticipated work to begin on this effort earlier, however, there was a shift in the Transportation Department’s leadership that delayed the project. Our goal was to be thoughtful and thorough with this implementation, while balancing the timeliness for our staff and families to adjust their schedules.
Can you explain how this will help student athletes get to their activities - like, specifically?
Switching from a two-tier system in the morning to a three-tier system in the afternoon will potentially provide more flexibility for combining routes, as needed. Combining routes, as we’re able, may allow drivers to be assigned to activities / athletics routes, reducing the amount of time students are out-of-class to avoid afternoon route conflicts. However, other factors may affect the ability to do so, including student ridership, full staffing, staff sick calls, and more.
Instead of making your own assumptions: who did you survey and gain research from to consider childcare and school start time preferences?
There was no formal survey or reference point regarding childcare in this process. Scenarios were crafted through professional experience and historical reference. Childcare was one of many considerations, including instructional calendar, budget, activities / athletics, length of routes, and route start and end times.
Who will oversee this new task force and how will members of it be chosen?
We will request that the new Task Force will be chaired by a community member. Chief Operating Officer Michael McCullar will be the assigned staff liaison. Applications will be solicited online in August. The Superintendent will form a committee to review and interview selected candidates that represent a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the Weld RE-4 community.
Though buses are expensive funding isn’t getting easier, we do have the money, our district is marked for continued fast growth, and it takes 1 - 1.5 years to obtain buses after purchase. If we don’t buy more buses and work on our recruiting and retaining of drivers, what future consequences do you foresee and what are the districts plans as this problem only gets worse? How do we make sure we don’t wait months before a new school year to make big changes in the future?
This topic is one we look to explore in more detail with the upcoming Task Force, as well as with the Long Range Planning Committee. Ultimately, without a change in recurring revenue through the School Finance Act or local funding overrides, there is little we can do to proactively manage the challenges our district is facing. Each year, the district analyzes fund balance and prioritizes the allocation of funds to one-time purchases, like buses.
The new district office also wasn’t written in the initial bond, but we still have no problem bringing that change to the Bond Oversight Committee. Why did we not ask BOC about our bus shortage?
While the District Office was not a named project, it was approved by the Bond Oversight as a facility improvement project, as identified in the ballot question, funded through contingency funds. Staff did not bring forward a request to the Bond Oversight Committee to fund the purchase of new buses, because fulfilling the purchase of buses only solves half of the equation. If bell schedules were not changed, we would need to add 26 drivers, estimated at $780,000 in salary and benefits, as well as additional fleet maintenance costs of fuel, mechanical maintenance, and mechanic labor. Our budget cannot support these additional costs, nor are we optimistic we could fill 26 additional driver positions.
The bell schedule change was specifically implemented to ensure transportation for students could be provided. With that in mind, what percentage of students utilize district transportation? Additionally has the district evaluated whether this change has had a greater impact on students who do not utilize district transportation?
In 2024 - 2025, 2,931 of 6,261 students utilized transportation services, approximately 47% of our student body. After analyzing a variety of scenarios, constraints, and factors, we determined the bell schedule change was the best scenario for all of our students and the district. However, we recognize each family’s circumstances are unique. We understand that this change may be ideal for some and challenging for others.