The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Correspondence from the audience, staff reports and action items made up a nearly three-hour meeting of the Frenchman Board of Education in Fleming last week. The Board met on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the school/community library.

The meeting opened with correspondence from the audience and reports from staff members Laurianna May, Principal Kortney Firme and Superintendent Steve McCracken.

Band and music teacher May talked with the Board about the possibility of starting an eSports program at Fleming. ESports is sanctioned through the Colorado High School Activities Association.

The CHSAA voted to implement eSports as a pilot activity in February 2019. In early 2020, Cherry Creek High School captured the first eSports championship through the pilot season. CHSAA later voted to introduce eSports as a fall sanctioned activity in 2022.

According to the CHSAA website, eSports, or competitive video gaming, is the fastest growing high school activity.

Later, in action items, members of the board of education moved to table the eSports idea.

“The decision to table the eSports item of business was so that the Board could gather more information and to determine what that might look like for the Fleming School,” McCracken said in later follow up.

Firme told board members the first quarter of the year was successful. She also discussed the Donor’s Choice program; noting that 11 teachers have received funding.

McCracken said Donors Choice funds come from a program sponsored by the State of Colorado. He said teachers from all over Colorado can apply for up to $900 in funding, and if approved, can use those funds for items they request.

In McCracken’s board report, the Superintendent said the official student count for 2023-24 is 221. He said that number is up two from the year before.

He concluded his report by giving an update on the Master Planning process for Fleming Schools.

“The facilities master planning process for Fleming continues to evaluate our systems such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc. We have also considered different options including building a new building or doing a major renovation on our current building,” he said. “The other decision that still needs made is if the District will be applying for a BEST grant this year or wait until next year.”

Before moving onto action items, board members approved the consent agenda and in doing so, accepted a resignation from Harry Harms, approved out-of-state and overnight travel for the National FFA Convention and regional and state volleyball and added Megan Rain to the substitute teaching list.

The BOE later voted, in action items, to approve Carmen Vandenbark as the Assistant Technology Coordinator, a motion that was approved and then reconsidered the month before.

In the September meeting, board members voted to approve Vandenbark, also a board member, to the assistant technology coordinator position. According to McCracken, she was the only applicant for the position after posting and advertising the opening. Last month, the motion to approve Vandenbark was approved, but the job description, salary amount and number of hours per week/month were still yet to be determined, therefore she asked to move to reconsider the motion until details could be worked out. Over the past month, those details have been ironed out and Vandenbark officially began her duties as Assistant Technology Coordinator at Fleming Schools in late October.

“She will be assisting our Technology Director with maintaining our technology, network, computers, Chromebooks, iPads, etc. in our building,” said McCracken.

In other business:

• A large number of people in the audience talked to the Board about the assistant junior high basketball coach recommendation. The coaching position decision will be made in November;

• Board members approved an invoice with EMS Linq for $8,328. The invoice is for the financial computer program used to track financial transactions;

• The Board approved a motion to pay an invoice for $13,957 to Northeastern Junior College for concurrent enrollment classes;

• Board members approved a boys’ golf team for fall 2024;

• The Board tabled a motion to purchase a bus. McCracken said the District is looking for a used bus with low miles and the quotes received were for buses with too many miles on them.