December Board Meeting Recap (Dec. 17, 2025)
TL;DR
Bell schedule proposal: Interim Director shared a proposed 8:15am–3:15pm day, primarily driven by teacher sustainability/collaboration needs; details on what time would shift are still developing, with an intention to maintain recess.
Board leadership: Julia is taking a temporary leave of absence; the Board unanimously approved Kiana as interim Board Chair.
Executive Director search: Hiring committee shared a timeline targeting completion by March, with near-term steps to finalize the job posting and Board feedback.
Facilities: FASD applied to takeover an existing DPS school building located near our current facility, DPS' response is expected by late January.
Finance: Enrollment is below budget, but monthly financials were described as still tracking to budget due to conservative assumptions and contingency planning.
Parent Recap
At the December 17 Board meeting, the major discussion focused on a proposed bell schedule change to 8:15am–3:15pm, along with updates on leadership, facilities planning, and school finances. Below is a neutral, parent-prepared summary intended to help families track key topics; it is not official Board minutes. The calendar proposal has FASD starting one week earlier than DPS.
Key discussion items
Bell schedule proposal
The Interim Director presented a proposed schedule of 8:15am–3:15pm, describing the primary driver as teacher demand for improved sustainability and collaboration time. Board questions focused on potential tradeoffs (instructional time, recess). The update shared in the meeting indicated an intent to maintain recess, with any reductions expected to come from improved transitions/efficiency; however, specific details on what would change were not fully defined during the meeting. Early release is not proposed for next year but remains on the table for future consideration.
Executive Director search
The Executive Hiring Committee provided a status update and described a process timeline with the goal of completing the search by March. Near-term next steps included finalizing the hiring profile / job description and incorporating Board feedback ahead of posting.
Facilities
The Board received an update on facilities work, including a recent application submitted to DPS related to potential school facilities options. The update indicated the school expects to hear back from DPS by the end of January. The facility FASD applied for is within a three mile radius of our current location.
Finance
The Board reviewed monthly financials. Notes indicated enrollment is currently below budget, but financials were described as tracking to budget due to conservative assumptions and contingency planning. There was also a brief update that aftercare revenue is performing well (with a note that timing/invoicing may be a factor), and the school is being cautious on near-term facilities spending to preserve savings.
SAC and governance
Updates referenced SAC committee staffing and a subgroup working on bylaws, with the next meeting expected in January. The Governance Committee also discussed relaunching a Marketing & Communications committee and encouraged community participation.
Board leadership
The Board shared that Julia is taking a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, and the Board unanimously approved Kiana as interim Board Chair.
Questions or feedback
If you have questions or input for the Board, the agenda listed the Board contact email as board@fasdenver.org
Prepared by a parent based on the posted agenda and live notes; any corrections are welcome.
The “Since You’re Here…” Section
Unofficial reflections — offered in good faith (and with a grain of salt)
A small relief (and a big exhale): Friday early release wasn’t proposed. That said, the shortened-day conversation still left me with questions—especially because details on what would be cut (and how) remain limited. We heard an intent to protect recess, but I’m skeptical we can “find” 30 minutes simply by trimming transitions without real tradeoffs.
I share the goal of happy, supported, and sustainable teaching teams. My main disappointment is that it doesn’t seem like we fully explored less disruptive options first—additional in-class support (paras), recess coverage, targeted planning support, retention bonuses, or other operational fixes—before moving toward a proposal that affects every family.
We also don’t yet have clarity on the financial and logistical ripple effects: before/after-care staffing needs, impacts to working families, and how 120 minutes of planning time per day aligns with best practice and existing expectations (including meetings). Hopefully the Board packet includes that analysis, and that it can be shared in a way the broader community can understand.
Two arguments didn’t land for me. First, the “92% of elementary schools have a shorter day” comparison feels like the wrong benchmark—my hope is that FASD aims to be better than average, not merely typical. Being intentionally different—and holding a high bar—has always been part of what makes the school special. Second, the notion that “parents don’t understand how schools work—trust us” can come across as dismissive. Trust is built through transparency and two-way dialogue, not just reassurance, and families are more likely to support change when they understand the tradeoffs. Parents are our kids’ most important teachers, and meaningful change works best when families feel heard.
The broader pattern I’m feeling is reduced warmth and reduced engagement. (I’d love to see the coffee chats happen.) That showed up for me in Colorado Gives Day, too: as of today we’re around 72% of goal and below last year’s total. Correlation isn’t causation—but it does reinforce a concern that community connection is weakening at the same time we’re debating changes that could be perceived as lowering standards.
Finally, a word of gratitude: thank you to Julia for the care and effort you pour into our school—it’s seen and appreciated.
Addendum: Greg’s Public Comment
I read the following statement during the public comment section of the meeting. I have asked that this statement and supporting materials be appended to the official Board minutes for the public to review. An email response from the Board indicated it was not within Board norms to include additional materials, and a follow-up email asking for clarification on Board policies went unanswered. As of the date of this addendum (January 10, 2026), official Board minutes for December have not been published.
You can access my full analysis here.
Now, the text of the public statement:
Good evening, my name is Greg, and I’m the parent of a first grader at FASD.
I want to share a few concrete data points with the Community and Board as we, consider changes to the bell schedule. Under our current schedule, FASD’s CMAS results have been strong –we’ve outperformed other immersion schools in the area. My child is thriving academically and socially in this structure. From our family’s vantage point, this does not look like a system in crisis.
Looking at my son’s daily schedule, his teacher currently has about 90 minutes of planning time per day – roughly 45 minutes for individual planning during English and 45 minutes of collaborative planning with the other first grade teacher during specials. Research shows that high-performing DLI programs target 80–90 minutes daily for planning, so FASD’s current schedule is right in line with best practice.
Based on simple math, the contemplated bell schedule changes—a 30 minute shorter day plus Friday early release—would reduce instructional time by about 88 hours per year, roughly 14 full school days of learning.
At the same time, the Board’s approved strategic plan emphasizes Academic Excellence and rigorous bilingual instruction. It’s hard to see how cutting that much instructional time, in a program that is already performing well and providing best-practice planning time, aligns with that pillar.
My ask is not that the Board micromanage the daily schedule, but that you insist on data, transparency, and clear alignment with the strategic plan before moving forward with a change of this magnitude—especially under interim leadership. Families deserve to understand exactly what would be reduced—instructional time, recess, or specials—and how that would improve student outcomes before survey results are treated as evidence of support of these changes.
Thank you for your time and for your service to our school.
