School starts Aug. 22 and Woodland Park School District RE-2 is ready. That’s the word from everyone who reported progress to the Board of Education at the Aug. 10 regular meeting.

Woodland Park Education Association President Nate Owen said teachers are sharpening their skills and preparing to create a positive working environment of students.

“It’s so exciting the see the kindergartners walking into their schools with their oversized backpacks,” he said. “And seeing the seniors walk in for their last, first day of school.”

Merit Academy Chief Action Officer Gwynne Pekron said teachers have moved into their new spaces and students have registered for the new school year.

“We appreciate the space,” she said. “This has been a blessing and a joy for families and staff.”

Merit Academy has added ninth grade and Pekron said her ninth-grade daughter is excited to swim for Woodland Park High School.

“Sports help communities come together,” she said, adding that RE-2 and Merit will share sports the other doesn’t offer. “We’re looking at rugby.”

Afterschool clubs are being formed and students in the Civil Air Patrol program have made their first flights.

Merit Academy starts Aug. 24. Drop-off and pick-up times will be staggered to avoid traffic congestion.

WPSD Executive Director of Technology and Operations Miles Tuttle said most improvement, maintenance and school-sharing projects are completed or will be by the time school starts.

“Summer is when we do all our maintenance projects,” he said. “Stripping and rewaxing hard floors or installing new ones, shampooing or replacing carpets, painting, grounds work, cleaning windows and moving classrooms.”

A few projects are waiting for orders to arrive, Tuttle said, including equipment for the middle school’s new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) space, Columbine Elementary School playground equipment, and crash doors that will divide the middle school from the academy.

“We’re installing temporary doors that meet fire codes,” Tuttle said, assuring the board that any construction work taking place after Aug. 22 will be after school or on weekends.

Security cameras have been relocated and new cameras have been installed. Key-card entry systems are in place and there will be full-time school resource officers at the middle and high schools. Another SRO will rotate through the three elementary schools.

“Fire drills are being coordinated for the entire year,” Tuttle said. “Everything that needs to be in place is — we’re always open to improvements.”

Board President David Rusterholtz, via Zoom, said he is impressed by how much has been accomplished in such a short time. He thanked Tuttle and his team for their hard work.

New Curriculum and Assessment Supervisor Karen Hamlow went over the 2022-2023 high school curriculum. A complete syllabus is available on the district website, wpsdk12.org.

The district offers 425 courses, 140 of which are either teacher-coached and supervised online classes or online only classes. Online programs offer languages that aren’t available in the classroom — German, Latin, Chinese and American Sign Language, for example.

The district also offers Construction, Engineering and Technology career pathways that lead to full certification when completed and struggling students can enroll in Panther Academy.

Subjects have been dropped or added and those considered to be controversial are reserved for juniors and seniors, Hamlow said.

That was the cue for Chief Academic Officer/Co-Interim Superintendent Tina Cassens to give the “Teaching About Controversial Issues” policy update. The policy will also be posted on the website.

She explained the district is trying to foster an environment in which students feel safe expressing their opinions. Any documents not already approved must be preapproved by the principal, and parents are notified.

Teachers are being trained to deal with questions that come up in the classroom, usually without warning. “After teachers answer these questions to the best of their ability, they will tell the principal, who will notify parents,” Cassens said.

Parents must opt into some subjects and activities, such as sex education, athletics, field trips, some units, and certain books. There are also opt-out subjects. “Unless a parent opts out of these subjects, we assume they’ve given permission,” Cassens said.

Parents have the right to ask for alternative subjects that meet graduation requirements without the controversy. For example, Cassens said an alternative to Civics would include government basics without the current events.

Lastly, parents can ask for an exemption — excluding their student from a particular course when there is no alternative equivalent available.

Cassens and Co-Interim Superintendent Del Garrick updated succession when one or the other isn’t available as follows:

• If either Garrick or Cassens is unavailable, the other will assume full responsibility.

• If neither is available, Tuttle will assume responsibility.

• If all three are unavailable, high school Principal Kevin Burr will assume responsibility.

Garrick said fall sports have already started and about 181 students are participating — a few in multiple sports.

“For me, every year is like kindergarten,” he said. “There’s always something new and exciting.”

Cassens announced building open houses on Aug. 19 — grade schools, 4-6 p.m., middle school, 5-7 p.m., and high school, 6-8 p.m. She invited directors to attend but asked them to coordinate their visits so that no two directors are in the same school at the same time.

At the end of the meeting, with Secretary Chris Austin absent, Rusterholtz repeated his praise for staff, Director Cassie Kimbrell welcomed staff and kindergarten Class of 2035, Director Suzanne Patterson said she is overjoyed at how much has been accomplished, and Vice President David Illingworth welcomed Merit Academy to “The Adventure.”

Woodland Park School District will be sharing the middle school facility with Merit Academy Charter School beginning this month.

Jeff Kearney, Pikes Peak Courier file