At its October meeting, the Southwest Open School board adopted three policies and amended two in their third reading, as well as discussing student count and the budget.
The five policies were about professional development, compensatory time off, Colorado Bureau of Investigation fingerprinting, annual leaves and nonlegal name change.
The development policy will require “ongoing professional development” in SWOS’ mission to provide project-based learning, outdoor education, “holistic” student development and awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Teachers may also ask to participate in development activities with flexible work schedules if they are in good standing, work full-time and have funding.
The compensatory time off policy applies to exempt employees who work extra days. It was adopted Sept. 13, 2022.
Because SWOS emphasizes outdoor education, teachers often help facilitate trips and other work on noncontractual days. The policy makes up for extra time teachers provide to students.
Salaried employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements. According to the amended policy, all contract days must be utilized before compensatory days may be earned.
The second amendment says professional development events attended on the employee’s noncontract days “may or not count toward compensatory time off,” at the discretion of the executive director.
The CBI policy is applicable when any fingerprint-based check is made for reasons other than criminal justice, such as licensing and employment.
The SWOS annual leave policy, which was adopted April 11, 2016, and amended Oct. 18, 2021, and Sept. 29, 2022, makes time-off considerations for employees who wish to “focus their creative endeavors both personally and professionally so new ideas can be generated.”
Through this policy, the board hopes to lead the charge to provide alternative opportunities for education in Montezuma County.
The amended portions of the policy included personal/emergency leave and application of leave.
Now, personal/emergency leave will be used for employees who request leave with two or fewer days’ notice. The other has to do with absences without prior approval.
“Any employee absent from campus for more than one hour and 20 minutes and less than four hours on a contract day will be deducted .5 of the applicable type of leave. Any employee absent from campus for more than four hours on a contract day will be deducted one day of the applicable type of leave,” the amendment says.
The last to be adopted after the third reading is the Nonlegal Name Change policy, which allows students to pick the name they’d like to be called while they are at school.
To accomplish this, a student must submit a name change form to a school administrator, and the parents or guardians notified within two days.
The name will be put into the student information system, and staff will be notified of the change through both written and oral communication.
“All school employees, educators and contractors as defined in Section 22-1-143 shall address a student by the student’s chosen name and use the student’s chosen name in school and during extracurricular activities,” the policy said.
Employees who violate the policy will receive disciplinary action based on the level of the violation.
“Based on the seriousness of the offense, disciplinary action may include verbal or written corrective action, suspension or termination of employment,” the policy adds.
This month’s focus was the count report and impact on budget.
SWOS Director Casey Simpson said they predict an October count of 130 to 132 students.
“If the count is 130, the school will have a balanced budget, being a little over $16,000 in the black,” Simpson said.
The board also celebrated their fall festival. Simpson reported “great” attendance and music, pumpkins from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and food with beef purchased from Bell Beef.
