The Board of Education held its regular meeting on Monday, September 28, at 6:00 p.m. in the District conference room, with all five directors present. The evening centered on how our students did last year, and every action item passed unanimously. A recording of the meeting is available here: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/61kQjhs-wprq3d74Ix_ntDuziOL7JDPgzA5JpM3w5x0w_OrG9P3bRTycdzLFGz8.pI7tMWwdbfR6GgvZ
Agendas and supporting documents are posted on lvk12.diligent.community/Portal/
How Our Students Did in 2025-26
The Board reviewed the first Student Performance Report under the ENDS it adopted in July. This report is our starting line; next year we will measure against it. It draws on state tests (CMAS, PSAT, SAT), the NWEA test every student in grades 3 through 11 takes each fall and spring, state attendance and graduate reports, and our student survey.
• Growth is the best news. Our students grew faster than the national average in every subject on NWEA. Elementary students grew faster than two thirds of the country.
• Attendance moved the right way. The share of students missing a tenth of the school year or more fell from 43 percent to 32 percent, the ninth-best improvement among Colorado districts. We are still above the state rate of 27.5 percent, so this work continues.
• Graduation is our strongest result. In the class of 2025, 94 percent graduated and no student dropped out. Within a year, 14 of 16 graduates were in college, a career program, or the military.
• Math is our greatest need. The gap with the state starts in grades 4 through 7. This year eighth graders can again take Algebra, a group of sixth graders is taking pre-algebra, and junior high math intervention now has a place in the daily schedule.
• Belonging dipped. Students still say they trust their teachers and know what is expected, but fewer said they feel connected to school this spring, most of all in the junior high. Our response starts with listening to students.
The full report is in the September 28 board packet on the Diligent Platform.
State Test Participation
Fewer than half of our students took a state test last spring, and almost all of the rest were excused by their parents, as Colorado law allows. Because the state needs at least 20 students with two years of scores to measure growth, it could not give La Veta a rating this year. The label is "Insufficient State Data," which reflects how many students tested, not how they scored. This year 21 of Colorado's districts received it, most of them small rural districts like ours.
The law is clear on a few points. Parents may excuse their children from state tests (CMAS, PSAT, and SAT) each year, and no student or family may be penalized for it. The district may not pressure families either way. District tests like NWEA are not covered by the excusal, which is why we can report on every student even when the state cannot. For years our practice has been to neither encourage nor discourage testing.
Directors shared a range of views. Some spoke to the community pride a state rating once brought; others noted that our local tests give teachers faster, more useful feedback. Ideas raised included sharing local assessment results on the district website and giving families clearer information about how long testing takes and what students do while others test. No decision was made. Directors will return to the question at an upcoming meeting.
Board Actions
Each of the following passed 5-0.
• Minutes and Accounts Payable. The Board approved the August 24 minutes and the August 2026 Accounts Payable. More detail on spending and revenue will come through quarterly financial reports.
• Student and Family Handbook. The revised 2026-27 handbook (publication date September 28, 2026) will be reposted to lvk12.org and the LV Schools App. More updates are expected this year as the Safe School Plan and related discipline policies are revised.
• District Accountability Committee. The Board approved the committee's role and its 2026-27 charge: Policy JS (student use of technology, AI, and devices), Policy KB (parent and family engagement), follow-through on chronic absenteeism, clarifying the committee's role, and input on the Safe School Plan and conduct code. Mr. Nelms will continue to provide administrative leadership, and the committee hopes to meet in October. Parents and community members interested in serving can contact the District Office at 719-742-6417.
• Adult meal prices. Adult lunch is $5.25 and adult breakfast is $3.25. Federal rules require adult meals to cover their full cost, since student meal funds cannot subsidize them.
• Qualified drivers. The Board approved the 2026-27 list of qualified drivers.
• Substitute teachers. The Board approved Mrs. Casey Huff and Ms. Kathleen "Kat" Moody as substitute teachers. We are always glad to hear from anyone interested in substitute teaching; the current rate is $160 per day.
• Policy AD, School District Mission. Adopted on second reading. Our mission is to graduate lifelong learners and productive citizens.
• Policy Governance. The Board approved retiring its current Section B policies, which will be replaced by the Governance Process and Board/Superintendent Relationship policies of its new Policy Governance manual. First reading of those policies is set for October 19 and second reading for November 9.
• Banking resolutions. Resolutions 27-1 and 27-2 update who may conduct financial transactions and sign checks for the district, adding Bookkeeper Carolyn Frazee.
Safe Routes to School
The sidewalk project connecting our campus to downtown La Veta is under way. Design firm Mead & Hunt kicked off the work on August 26 with CDOT, which oversees the $853,000 grant, and district staff. The project will build a paved, 8-foot-wide, ADA-compliant walking and biking path along the railroad, with a highway crossing and a concrete sidewalk to the school.
Preliminary plans are due in November, and the project is expected to go out for construction bids in spring 2027. Mead & Hunt hopes to involve our construction trades and STEM students along the way, and a community workshop is planned this fall to share the design and gather input.
Directors also raised safety concerns about drivers passing vehicles in the afternoon pickup line. Staff are looking at traffic flow options. In the meantime, please follow the posted signs and do not pass in the pickup line.
Looking Ahead
• Wednesday, October 7: Special board meeting, 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 19: Regular board meeting, 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 9: Regular board meeting, 6:00 p.m.
• December 3 to 5: CASB Annual Convention
• Monday, December 14: Regular board meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Meetings are held in the District conference room at 200 East Stadium Drive and are open to the public.
Thank you for reading, and Go Redhawks!
Dr. Bree Jones Superintendent, La Veta School District RE-2 719-742-6416 | bree.jones@lvk12.org