The lockdown of the Yuma schools on April 30 was discussed during the Yuma-1 Board of Education’s regular monthly meeting, Monday night at the District Office.
All five board members were in attendance — President John Deering, Terri Frame, Lindsey Galles, Heath Roundtree and Tyson Brown.
It turned out to be a “swatting” prank in which someone from another state, this time New York, called W-Y Combined Communications talking about being suicidal and shooting up an unspecified school. Yuma-1 went into its lockdown protocol until the possible threat was assessed, and was lifted a little more than a hour later when it was determined to be a prank.
Yuma-1 had put out an announcement, in conjunction with law enforcement, about being on lockdown through its website and Facebook page.
Brown said some complaints had been shared with him from parents wanting more communication, such as messages being sent out through School Messenger.
Superintendent Dianna Chrisman said the first priority is to make sure students and staff are safe. Then it is determined if it is “active” or “precautionary”; if active, the phone calls are sent out.
School Resource Officer DJ Hass said there have been a total of three temporary lockouts this school year, for such things as a suspected wild dog running around the parking lot. He said the April 30 incident was put on the website and Facebook because the school was canceling afternoon preschool.
Chrisman said she was in the process of utilizing School Messenger when she got the word the lockout could be lifted.
Brown and Roundtree said there are no issues with the school district’s protocols, just the communication component. They said not everybody accesses the website or Facebook, so a School Messenger alert should be done also.
Ball field lights
Shane Galles, along with Lindsey, visited with the board about pursuing grants to update the lights at the high school sports fields.
The lights have been taken down at the baseball and softball fields, and the football field lights are about the dimmest ones in the region.
Shane said he is working the Marylu Smith-Dischner about pursuing grants from sources such as El Pomar, Daniels Fund and Major League Baseball
The Galles had a representative from a sports fields lights firm visit to survey the whole complex. He said half the number of poles could be used but would have better lighting. Some of the poles from the football field could be installed on the practice field. Since all the electrical is decades old, Shane also had new underground conduit considered, which would carry a 25-year warranty.
The total estimated price probably would be a little than $1 million total.
Board members were interested in upgrading the lights, and gave their blessing for Galles to continue pursuing grants.
More meeting
• The board approved a new preschool rate of $160 per month. It is only for students who do not qualify for Colorado’s Universal Preschool program. There are some spots open next school year at Yuma Preschool.
• With a new superintendent taking over on July 1, the board approved a resolution changing the authorized signatures for the district’s bank accounts.
• The classified staff notice of assignments for the 2025-26 school year was approved.
• The first reading of a policy dealign with professional staff salaries was approved. The change waives the years of experience requirement for teachers interested in filling “hard to fill” positions, which Chrisman said now is nearly all teaching positions. The first reading of a policy concerning Professional Staff Fringe Benefits also was approved. It allows for full benefits for half-time teachers.
• The Consent Agenda included current teacher Josh Rahe as the Yuma Middle School Principal in Training. Others were Kent Chrisman as a part-time teacher, Alisha Saylor as a fourth-grade teacher, Luis David Hernandez Carpio as after-school custodial help at YHS, Mariah Wagner as YHS Business teacher/FBLA sponsor; Keira Schaefer as YMS special education para, and Jennifer Carrillo as long-term sub as seventh-grade English teacher. Separations and resignations were from Jamie Robinson, YHS math teacher, and Mackenzie Baucke, third-grade teacher. Activity trip requests for YHS football, boys and girls basketball and girls wrestling to attend summer camps were part of the Consent Agenda. There was one donation, $2,590 for art programs at all the schools from the Cheryl Mekelburg Memorial Fund.