Sessions

Increasing Self and Social Awareness in the Workplace

Rising Interest Rate Environment

See Why Other School Business Officials Find the MBA so Valuable and Why Budget Monitoring is so Critical

Low Hanging Fruit - Saving Money through Best Maintenance Practices

Creating Wellness Spaces in Creative Ways

Colorado Early Childhood Education Update

Don't be Scared, be Prepared: ERP Implementation

Create a SOIL (Support Opportunity Inclusion Love) that will Allow Staff to Grow and be Nourished

The Importance of Benefits Education

Excel Level 2

Playground Inspection and Maintenance

Mill Levy Override Support Program - What You Need to Know

50 Year Facility Plan: Leaving a legacy for Future Generations

Title IX Pitfalls

Business/Finance Think Tank Round Table

Operations/Maintenance Think Tank Round Table

Food Service/Purchasing/Transportation think Tank Round Table

Budget 101

The Value of Appraisals in a Volatile Property Market

Sports Turf and Irrigation

DragonBoat Leadership: Unleash the Power of your Team

Building Trust One Story at a Time

CDE October Count

Energy Benchmarking and Lead Water Testing

Understanding the Safe School Accreditation Report

Ethical Challenges in Business Decisions - Creating an Environment of Ethical Awareness to Prevent Fraud

• Rising Interest Rate Environment - The presentation will include economic and institutional factors that drive the interest rate environment, priorities that apply to public funds investing, limitations and statutes that apply to public funds investing, and importance of diversification. (Dylana Gross, Colotrust)

• See Why Other School Business Officials Find the MBA so Valuable and why Budget Monitoring is so Critical - School districts that apply for the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) or the Pathway to the MBA understand the importance of presenting an accessible and accurate budget to build trust and clearly communicate with stakeholders. Having a place to start is half the battle. In this session you can produce the MDA report in a lot less hours than just sitting down for days or months creating it. You can also use your historical revenue and expense patterns to determine your budget variances with greater than 99% accuracy rate. In addition, learn how to ask the right questions and present the right data to determine if the “emergency purchase” is actually something that is affordable. (Scot Ecker, Frontline)

• Colorado Early Childhood Education Update - Join us for an update from Michael Cooke as she works through the UPK for the Department of Early Childhood. (Michael Cooke, Department of Early Childhood)

• Mill Levy Override Support Program - What You Need to Know - Mill Levy Overrides are a material part of school finance, but there are large disparities in which districts (i.e. students) are able to benefit from that local support. This session presents the arguments for MLO support, the legislation that validates it, and the processes created as a result. (Brett Ridgway, Lewis Palmer and Glenn Gustafson, CDE)

• Budget 101 - Join us for an overview of everything you need to know to understand the budget cycle applicable to all school districts in Colorado. (Aaron Oberg, Aurora Public Schools)

• CDE October Count - This session will review common reporting mistakes with the CDE October Count. (Tatyana Glushko, Westminster Public Schools and Rebecca McRee, Colorado Department of Education)

• Increasing Self and Social Awareness in the Workplace - Conflict in the workplace can often be traced back to situations in which a person’s intent was not aligned with impact they had on others. In this session, participants will (1) learn frequent roadblocks to positive communication in the workplace, and (2) specific strategies to overcoming those roadblocks. These include using proactive language, active listening, perspective-taking, and focusing on one’s circle of influence. Attendees will have an opportunity to self-reflect on their own interpersonal strengths and areas of growth, so that they can leave the session with a goal for contributing to a positive climate and culture in their own work environment. (Melisa Sandoval, Westminster Public Schools)

• Create a SOIL (Support Opportunity Inclusion Love) that will Allow Staff to Grow and be Nourished - This session will take you through three parts of creating a thriving environment for all to grow personally and professionally. Upon completion of this session, participants will takeaway relative knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion. (Shannon Solomon, Aurora Public Schools)

• 50 Year Facility Plan: Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations- Replacing aging schools is a monumental challenge for districts of all sizes. District leaders can successfully modify and implement Little Public Schools' timeline and process for gathering the right data, involving community members educating and appealing to voters, and confidently placing a bond on the ballot, regardless of district size. (Terry Davis, Diane Leiker, Diane Doney, Littleton Public Schools)

• DragonBoat Leadership: Unleash the Power of your Team - This is a dynamic, interactive session for anyone who leads or works on a team. Come see how small, intentional “habits” can turn your results into huge wins for everyone involved. (Mike Lynch)

• Ethical Challenges in Business Decisions – Creating an Environment of Ethical Awareness to Prevent Fraud - In this session we will discuss what ethics in the workplace are, why they're important to establish and what specific benefits all school districts and stakeholders may enjoy from initiating an ethical code of conduct. (Sam Hegwell)

• Creating Wellness Spaces in Creative Ways - Creating Wellness Spaces - Does the idea of a wellness space conjure terrycloth robes or an untenable budget that parents and administrators would frown upon? Worry not! Join us for a session to show you how easily within reach - and affordable - these spaces can be! (Dr. Sue Ann Highland, School Specialty)

• The Importance of Benefits Education - Employees feel better about their employment when they know their employer cares. Employee benefits can generate this goodwill, but only if employees know and understand their benefits. In the K-12 sector where employee benefits are generous and wide-ranging, benefits education is the key to keeping a satisfied employee. In this session we'll walk through how benefits education may be the answer to retaining your best talent. (Bruce Burget, American Fidelity)

• Title IX Pitfalls - Title IX compliance is an ever-changing landscape. Get up-to-date information on donation tracking and allowability along with additional updates on district compliance. (Megan Lonergan and Stephanie Davies)

• Excel Level 2 - Harness the real power behind the numbers: Bring your device to this interactive Intermediate Excel session and learn how to make Excel a powerful productivity tool. (Tatyana Glushko, Westminster Public Schools)

• The Value of Appraisals in a Volatile Property Market - Today's property insurance markets have become increasingly volatile with skyrocketing rates and rapidly escalating costs of construction. Implementing an appropriate appraisal plan for your property can assist in preparing for renewals and providing your underwriters with exactly what they need to remove potential penalties. (Mark Hessel, HCA Asset Management)

• Safe School Accreditation Report - The Safe School Accreditation Report is required to be completed by all school districts annually. This report goes through the Colorado Department of Education and can be very useful for Districts in their emergency preparedness. (Kathy Morris)

• Building Trust One Story at a Time - We know how important it is to keep your community updated when you pass a MLO/bond local election. It helps create a connection between how resources are deployed, as well as keeping your commitment to taxpayers. These opportunities build trust with your local community. Every district has a similar opportunity to build trust through sharing how your ESSER dollars were used with fidelity to their intended purposes and in dedication to the specific needs of your local community. The decision on how to spend federal pandemic recovery resources is inherently and intentionally local, as school communities are best equipped to identify and address their most urgent local needs. The Colorado School Finance Project is supporting these vital efforts by helping school districts communicate with students, families, and their communities about the opportunities available given ESSER funding. We will review those resources and the ready-made tools for you to use to tell your story. (Tracie Rainey and Susan Meek)

• Sports Turf and Irrigation - This is a presentation on growing and maintaining quality sports field and turf in the dry Colorado climate. Learn how you can utilize other resources and processes to maximize the effectiveness of irrigation and provide for safe and playable fields. (Josh Higgins, Eaton School District)

• Energy Benchmarking and Lead Water Testing - Join your fellow facilities/operations peers to understand the facts regarding the new Energy Performance for Buildings (HB21-1286) and the Clean Water in Schools (HB22-1358) statutes now affecting maintenance and facility operations in schools. (Panel Discussion)

• Don't be Scared, Be Prepared: ERP Implementation - This class provides attendees with an overview of best practices and steps to take as a school district during the planning, selection and implementation stages of a new ERP system. (Gina Lanier, Aurora Public Schools)

• Playground Inspection and Maintenance- This presentation will provide a guide to implementing a playground maintenance, inspection, and safety program. The session will provide an overview of the types of injuries most common on playgrounds, the types of equipment involved, and detail the responsibilities of the school district for ensuring that playgrounds are maintained in a safe condition. (Mary Lee Gibson, CSDSIP)

• Low Hanging Fruit: Saving Money Through Best Maintenance Practices - Join us to discuss the "small and easy" efforts in school operations that our panel members have been able to identify as savings for their districts. Areas of discussion will be grounds, custodial, HVAC, general maintenance, and other operational processes. (Panel Discussion)