[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6505563,"mediaKeyId","5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3","parentId",5611858,"title","Classified staff press board for bargaining recognition, cite staffing and inclusion concerns","audioSeconds",564,"startMs",3587000,"endMs",4151000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3&start=3587&end=4151","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3/thumbnail_3587000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6505563/Colorado/Classified-staff-press-board-for-bargaining-recognition-cite-staffing-and-inclusion-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505563-1f44760778dbe9c237a8ebfcf7d226e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770482379&Signature=dDL-q6FsSfyYmtR-4BUFAHapN-Ge5J3yw9AAli9bRxalc8ylC6-XXApcuwjFpbcCPovwGVM6CpI6VhUYj210ec52ZFXjR~dbw2lE2Z9Z3rlNuUxbccOVZ9~uIXQv~xGaXQMPzP4PE~SSjR4YzdfbSNFP~2izksdzO45Jj-uiYgdQJm0CFp6RKVPg6LzfRw2kClGsVxEQwLVHy1q-FmWgzDdALZ~yPbMmd6SoUZWo0BzqqDdsk96h43kdKWF30pg8DlZ7A9~dJ~Q5raogmAci55b2oJ0hT~UWJUvwBgKVMBNsl83Ed1Pn8UOoLi3F~OFG95ohj4xGGItY0~nwhrUzJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Thompson School District R-2J","date","2025-08-21T01:27:44.64Z","article","During public comment on Aug. 20, classified staff and paraprofessionals urged the Thompson School District board to support recognition of TESPA as a bargaining agent for classified employees and described staffing and workplace concerns.

\"We are not only employees; we're also your neighbors, community members, and parents,\" Jana Lewis, who identified herself as a classified employee and president of TESPA, said. Lewis told the board that custodians, paraprofessionals, secretaries, bus drivers and nutrition-services staff are asking for \"the opportunity to have a seat at the table\" to discuss their future and working conditions.

Paraprofessional Daniel Strader described more than a decade working in education and said he chose Thompson School District for its people. He said classified staff have not consistently been included in district decision-making and cited examples from other Colorado districts where collaboration with unions improved supports for students and staff.

Other public comments during the meeting raised related operational concerns about class sizes and school resources. A caller from Johnstown, Shauna Lemons, said she is a first-grade parent at High Plains School and asked the board to address a reported 31-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio in her child's classroom.

Board members thanked speakers and acknowledged their remarks but did not take immediate action to recognize a bargaining unit at the meeting. Several board members said they value classified staff and asked staff to continue conversations about the issues raised.

Clarifying details from comments

- TESPA is the local organization seeking recognition as a bargaining agent for classified staff in Thompson School District.
- Call-in speaker Shauna Lemons requested board attention to class-size concerns, citing a reported 31:1 student-to-teacher ratio at High Plains School.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Regular Meeting: 8.20.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of TESPA and classified staff asked the board to allow recognition of TESPA as a bargaining agent for classified employees. Speakers described classified staff as the district’s \"backbone\" and said they seek a seat at the table to discuss pay, staffing and working conditions.","taxTitle","Thompson School District R-2J, School Districts , Colorado","taxId",14275,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6505568,"Community speakers urge Thompson School District to maintain and strengthen protections for transgender students",323,3190000,3513000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3&start=3190&end=3513","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3/thumbnail_3190000.jpg","/articles/6505568/Colorado/Community-speakers-urge-Thompson-School-District-to-maintain-and-strengthen-protections-for-transgender-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505568-cc06002bac77525ffea0107ca97eeea2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770482379&Signature=GIW8gFK60B9yM3myTGUs-bWzK66SGtVqO0jHeFcNdT1kHWDS2z2dSye2hSW1DqV2YyFFUCOb1HX-g4ghHB7R4hMo48E3DlAcbl20ph8q--2OO3g0iWSiGTkKmaa9s7HXDOsSxPhE5FC1NqJLMkMrO7niE9x-wtLGpqHyXhNMV2xtqF0I08zgtsgDxlGdJqM1S432qiejHj3p5W71TN7mEdsMgoHlUMDS1bf2kqJzqSiNR6HQYl4aHrtrCmAiuXUBFdIX7Bqs5~CWcamzWzyu3VJuPvGOQ9FbxbXF7R-k0xRXeb6qEoml-S-z4eVhUgJK2Hyyb-56dlWotXa~HsWrUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple community members addressed the Thompson School District board on Aug. 20 urging continued and explicit protections for transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

\"I want our schools to be welcoming to all students, especially LGBTQ plus youth,\" Deborah Sprague, who identified herself as a licensed professional counselor and a grandmother, told the board. Sprague said she consulted her 17-year-old granddaughter about school supports and relayed three items she said schools should provide: privacy and safety in restrooms and changing areas; use of students' preferred names; and access to counseling or partnerships to meet mental-health needs.

Angie Van Heel, who said she and her children are longtime residents and alumni of Thompson School District schools, thanked the district for policies that protect LGBTQ students and urged the board to preserve them. Van Heel cited national surveys showing higher rates of bullying, absenteeism and attempted suicide among transgender youth and referenced research linking affirming school policies to improved mental-health and academic outcomes.

Speakers asked the board to maintain nondiscrimination protections, respect for pronouns and preferred names, safe facilities and affirming adults and curricula. The public comments did not prompt a board motion; board members listened and did not vote on policy changes during the meeting.

Speakers and citations mentioned during public comment

- Deborah Sprague, licensed professional counselor and community member, urged privacy, name-use and counseling access for transgender students.
- Angie Van Heel, parent and district resident, cited 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey statistics and Trevor Project and Society for Research in Child Development findings linking affirming policies to improved outcomes for LGBTQ youth.

Board members did not take formal action during the public-comment period but acknowledged the remarks and thanked speakers for participating.","During public comment the board heard multiple community members urge maintenance and enforcement of policies that affirm transgender and gender-nonconforming students, citing national data on bullying and mental health and local examples of supportive school practices.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6505573,"Thompson superintendent orders early release amid heat; district cites $140 million for full air-conditioning upgrades",307,1618000,1925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3&start=1618&end=1925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3/thumbnail_1618000.jpg","/articles/6505573/Colorado/Thompson-superintendent-orders-early-release-amid-heat-district-cites-140-million-for-full-air-conditioning-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505573-0c4823005b8a860ac9974f203e19fec9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770482379&Signature=BGslOK0tIYouzYBYq1umj8ye4Sj0azoNkPIRPXc5j-w0spUaMibGBSneqRe0thDC6ZH6aT4OD71Qk2jTmJU897cAOyA1bCsLeb6tJWEcZlBAhQwPv0nQJ95MafA9GK~f9lD7KBd1EEyXzqHweT0p77jMiFZsnVPibGZ7VwElx-B-p54HlbmDJxgPj20Ljws1JXKUbPBWqr-9ApnzN~qmx9og3ETEMluDgoCS31mEmcVZy7rgnytYPo8nTEAQZ-Fa1JvarN8rjKOl1GpbxQ-lBjRpV7qOxziBKr0GUFNl3P7J5KjXbx9T9MGljXevlEGPkzvki3jLaHH7rztyWopajw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Thompson School District R-2J Superintendent Doctor Heller told the school board on Aug. 20 that the district moved to early release for students on Wednesday and Thursday of the week because of extreme heat and inadequate cooling in many buildings.

\"Half of our schools have air conditioning while half do not,\" Doctor Heller said. He estimated it would cost approximately $140,000,000 to equip all district schools with full, adequate air conditioning. He described that figure as one portion of a broader projected need of about $700,000,000 for critical infrastructure and facilities across the district.

Heller said district staff observed classrooms averaging above 86 degrees, with some into the 90s, and that prolonged exposure to such temperatures was affecting learning and could become unsafe in parts of some buildings. The operations team worked nightly to cool buildings, he said, but those efforts were not sufficient during the heat wave.

The superintendent told the board that the district could not selectively keep students in session only at air-conditioned schools because the current bus-transportation staffing and routing do not allow separate early-release schedules for subsets of schools. \"That's not an option that we currently have within our staffing of our busing,\" he said.

Doctor Heller also explained why simply starting the school year after Labor Day was not an immediate solution: Colorado's state testing windows and other nationally scheduled tests such as AP, PSAT and SAT are fixed, and starting after Labor Day would reduce the instructional time students have before those assessments. He said he has contacted the Colorado Department of Education to ask whether a second window for schools that open later might be considered.

Heller said the district will try to give families earlier notice in future situations requiring schedule changes. He also flagged that the district will continue assessing long-term facility investments and start an ADA audit and remediation work to address infrastructure and accessibility gaps.

The board took no formal vote on the early-release decision; the superintendent described it as an administrative action taken by his cabinet earlier in the week.

Clarifying details from the superintendent's remarks

- Estimated cost to fully air-condition all district schools: approximately $140,000,000.
- District's broader reported facility need: approximately $700,000,000.
- Classroom temperatures observed in affected schools: averaging above 86 degrees, with some rooms reaching the 90s.
- Esports-related portion of a separate network bandwidth expenditure: about $22,000 (staff clarification during consent discussion).","Superintendent Doctor Heller announced the district moved to early release for two days because many school buildings lack air conditioning. He said equipping all schools would cost about $140 million and that districtwide facility needs total about $700 million. Bus staffing and state testing windows limited other options, he said.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6505577,"Board approves settlement in Johnson ADA case; board members call for lessons learned",634,4719000,5353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3&start=4719&end=5353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611858-f2c2f28837ddba13cf61523b1f497ec3/thumbnail_4719000.jpg","/articles/6505577/Colorado/Board-approves-settlement-in-Johnson-ADA-case-board-members-call-for-lessons-learned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505577-1f5bc5491d6aa15a586da11d00dd163e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770482379&Signature=hpOENA3rIJQ9GR3AQTS12WriunTzlpwZ-Pl8rszsp0szTYuYXfodrtXZJEf8py14dDMjxJ8fb1G~lk7KgvFyBO-dxQNNJM1gK-InPtoaP-3cHjnAr11mDOLZHGEMiPIWj5A8kGAVCfV87vjC9jYecps6sX6C1fTvfAMGN0Sy0nGAS4BdMuKlt12YjBWETsenrRwCb3Q8p-Z2~lupNTY1e6~dTzYrnqscwPcgGd5sgdMe0qwfULv9Z2McF1gDcX3872f0M7RvZKyLE4HySdgPsvky99ly-9l2lvJjXLVeoTxUZ3bs0eTpr5ARhZH3V0To1HPWX3Q2A479nMAWUuGLbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Thompson School District R-2J Board of Education on Aug. 20 voted unanimously to approve a proposed settlement in Joanna Johnson v. Thompson School District, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, case number 24CV1267.

The settlement vote came after board members questioned why the item had appeared on a June consent agenda before the settlement was finalized and urged clearer procedures for executive-session briefings and timing of settlement paperwork. \"We really need to figure out how to make ADA compliance a priority,\" Board Member Nancy Rumpel said, adding that legal expenditures for settlements take money from classrooms and support staff.

Board members and staff described the June consent authorization as a budgeting step taken to allow warranty and remediation work to occur over the summer. Superintendent Doctor Heller told the board that staff and the district's law firm had discussed timing and that the district had budgeted projected costs in June because of the summer schedule and the board's July recess. He said the administration would return to the board if actual costs exceeded the previously board-approved amounts.

Board members voiced a mixture of regret about how the matter had been handled and a commitment to corrective steps. One board member said the settlement and the related ADA work are \"an important learning experience\" and urged continuing the district's ADA audit and remediation work to prevent similar problems.

The motion to approve the settlement passed on a roll call vote with all seven board members recorded as voting \"aye.\" The board also asked staff to ensure the final signed settlement document reflected small changes discussed during the board's executive session.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt agenda (Aug. 20): adopted on roll call, ayes recorded from all present board members.
- Approval of minutes (multiple dates in June and August 2025): approved on roll calls with unanimous ayes.
- Consent items (personnel extra duty coaching recommendations; expenditures over $50,000; gifts and donations; OCR certified athletic trainer agreement): approved after one item (a separate Johnson settlement listing) was pulled for discussion. The board later moved the settlement to discussion/action and approved it separately.
- Board calendar amendment: moved October study-session date to Oct. 6 and approved unanimously.
- Approval of proposed settlement in Joanna Johnson v. Thompson School District (U.S. District Court, case no. 24CV1267): approved unanimously.

Board members said they want clearer internal procedures so that settlements and related remedial work come before the board with consistent executive-session briefings and timely documentation. Several members reiterated that accessibility and special-education compliance should be prioritized so funds go to classrooms and student supports rather than repeated legal costs.

The board adjourned after completing the agenda and asking staff for follow-up material, including a request for a written accounting of proceeds from the sale of Monroe Elementary and how those proceeds affect planned allocations.","Thompson School District R-2J Board of Education unanimously approved a proposed settlement in Joanna Johnson v. Thompson School District, U.S. District Court, Colorado, after debate about transparency, timing and district ADA work. Board members said they want improved processes to avoid future lawsuits and to prioritize facility accessibility.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Classified staff press board for bargaining recognition, cite staffing and inclusion concerns

Community speakers urge Thompson School District to maintain and strengthen protections for transgender students

Thompson superintendent orders early release amid heat; district cites $140 million for full air-conditioning upgrades

Board approves settlement in Johnson ADA case; board members call for lessons learned