With schools being back in person five days per week for the first time since March of 2020, parents and other community members have questions, and the District has answers. On Tuesday, September 14, Dr. Don Haddad, Superintendent of St. Vrain Valley Schools, will be hosting a Community Town Hall Meeting at Frederick High School from 5:00-6:30 pm. The meeting is open to the public, and it will allow members of the community to talk to various district leaders about different topics relating to Frederick High and St. Vrain Valley Schools.

The series of Community Town Hall meetings that are occurring later this month will be the first community meetings to take place since March of 2020, but will be in a different format than previous meetings. The meeting will allow community members to discuss important topics with District Leadership, and to get answers to any questions that they may have.

“Superintendent Haddad will highlight many of the successes and challenges from the past year, share district priorities, and engage in dialogue regarding important topics such as student achievement and success for every student, school safety, district finances, and other significant topics of importance for our community,” says Kerri McDermid, Chief Communications and Global Impact Officer for St. Vrain Valley Schools.

The Community Town Hall meetings also provide important opportunities for community members and other important stakeholders to talk to and build connections with leaders and staff members at the school and district level.

“[Community members] like to know what’s going on, [and it is important that they] know that they can trust the people who are making decisions, and communication and transparency are really important with that,” says Doug Jackson, assistant principal at Frederick High. “If you don’t do meetings like these, [members of the school community would] just see the emails and they wouldn’t really know who is making the decisions and why. They can feel like [decisions are] just random and arbitrary and not well thought out,” he added.

“Engagement with our students, families, teachers, staff, and community members is of significant priority for St. Vrain Valley Schools, and plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our schools and programs,” added Kerri McDermid.

During the Q&A portion of the Town Hall, those in attendance will be able to ask questions regarding the main topics discussed during the meeting, along with questions about additional topics as well.

A topic that one community member would like to ask about at the Town Hall is the significant increase in growth that the schools in the district are experiencing. “I was wondering what the town or school district has planned for all the schools that are seeing high levels of new students? [Are] there [going to be changes to] transportation or expansions within the town and district to meet the needs of the growing community?” asked Laura Mikesell, a parent in the District.

Another community member, who wished to remain anonymous, would like to bring up a concern regarding employee pay at the Town Hall meeting. They ask, “Does the school district have a plan to reevaluate their pay structure based on the sharp increase in inflation and cost of living increases, specifically those positions close to the minimum wage level?”

If you would like to attend the Community Town Hall, it will be held at Frederick High School on Tuesday, September 14, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm in the auditorium. Everyone who attends the meeting is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing to comply with Coronavirus regulations. There will also be a link to a recording of one of the meetings posted to the District website on September 24 for those who are unable to attend on September 14.