During their September 12 meeting, the Buena Vista Board of Education appointed Olivia Bartlett to fill the open seat for District D, previously held by Nancy Best. After reviewing the four letters of interest they received, the board discussed the candidates briefly.
Buena Vista School District Sign (Photo by Taylor Sumners)
“She has a vested interest in helping BV students reach the peak of success,” read Board President Suzette Hachmann from Bartlett’s letter of interest.
“She has been an active member of the parent leadership team at Avery Parsons for four years and she was an active parent advisor for The Grove when her children were at that school,” added “…She’s an active community member with friends, relatives, and acquaintances in many different groups and for that, she believes she would represent diverse interests and concerns within the community.”
Other interested candidates included Doyle Nyberg, Paula Dylan, and Norm Nyberg. The board took time to thank Doyle Nyberg for his many years of service to the district, as he has previously served on the Board of Education, is a member of the BV athletic booster club and the BV PEAKS group, and serves as an announcer for several sports in town.
Both Hachmann and board member Brett Mitchell shared the importance of having a parent voice on the board, particularly one with younger children.
“Her experience shows that she understands the role of a board through service on other professional boards, and I agree with [Mitchell], having young children is a different perspective than we have right now,” Hachmann said. “Her voice is a new one and just what she said in her letter about knowing different segments of the community, I think that may be a voice we don’t have right now.”
Mitchell moved to appoint Bartlett, with the motion carrying four to one. Bartlett will be sworn in at the next meeting, held on September 26, 2022
CCHS attendance expectations adjusted for ‘the 22-‘23 school year
The board also discussed a resolution to adjust their definition of “actively engaged in the education process and attendance for Chaffee County High School for the 2022-23 school year.” The school is navigating ongoing changes with its new campus, as well as the upcoming departure of Principal Christine Bailey.
“This serves two purposes,” said Superintendent Lisa Yates. “With the change in leadership, the new leadership is needing some time to get their bearings…What seems best, since we have already switched to Edgenuity as a means for [students] to be able to access curriculum online, is to be able to continue that for a couple of weeks with not as much check-in as what the program will be so they have time to plan and then we can set up the learning space that they will have.”
The resolution will allow Chaffee County High School to have the flexibility to go remote, so students would not have to be physically in the building while they’re doing their online curriculum during approved times. Ark Valley Voice checked into the current structure of the physical location and curriculum in the past few weeks.
“There is nothing in there suggesting that this would be the best practice for CCHS, and it’s not their desire,” Yates clarified. “It’s not the students’ desire, the families, or the staff or mine. It just allows flexibility for us as we navigate the transition and any construction needs that we have.”
She added that, had they already lived through COVID-19 during the construction of the middle and high school building, they would have made a similar resolution to allow flexibility to keep instruction going. The students will also have designated days where they check in with staff to maintain support.
The motion to approve the resolution was carried unanimously. The board’s next meeting will be held on Monday, September 26, 2022. Meetings are held at the district administration building. Board agendas and packets can be found on the district website.
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