By Kevin Stearns in Thompson — May 25, 2025

Thompson School District Board of Education Regular Meeting 5/21/25

by Lisa Love Blankenship

Chief Financial Officer Bob Ebersole gave an update about the ongoing 2025-2026 District Budget development process.

Many classified staff and other members of the district community spoke in support of Thompson Education Support Professionals Association (TESPA), a union representing classified staff.

Board Vice-President Stu Boyd suggested that Board/Committee Reports be removed from the agenda, as the rest of the agenda was quite lengthy and the reports would be available online if community members were interested in them. The motion passed unanimously.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Marc Schaffer reported on Thompson School District (TSD) activities over the past month, beginning with National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9, a commemorative week created as an opportunity for students, families, and community members to recognize education professionals for their service and dedication. As part of the celebration, TSD spotlighted five teachers, Dan Lutz, Sarah Betsch, Matthew Vannice, Marianne Keith, and Jeremy Pett.

Other highlights

The 2025 Trailblazing Thompson Salute to Excellence event recognized outstanding staff and district retirees of 2025.
The 2025 Youth Make a Difference contest gave students an opportunity to submit ideas to create a positive impact in their schools.
Fourth and fifth graders from 15 TSD elementary schools competed in the third annual TSD Elementary Robotics Scrimmage League.
The three Student Advisory Groups met for the final time this school year. These elementary, middle school, and high school students meet with district leaders throughout the year to help provide perspective and ideas.
The Career and College Readiness Team hosted their annual Impact Awards event, celebrating students as well as businesses and community partners.
The 2025 Project SEARCH graduation ceremony celebrated six students who completed this one-year school-to-work program that empowers young adults with disabilities to build real-world job skills.
Students from across the district participated in the Second Annual Elementary Unified Sports Day at Patterson Stadium.
Colorado Athletics Directors Association (CADA) recognized Stu Boyd as CADA Outstanding Board Member, and Loveland High senior Kaitlyn Liddle as Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Mountain View High School senior Illyana Collins was selected as a 2025 Boettcher Scholar and received the Daniels Scholarship.
Colorado Department of Education Academic Achievement Awards were presented to Berthoud Elementary, Coyote Ridge Elementary, and Carrie Martin Elementary.
This month’s peer-nominated Top of Thompson/Community Champions were recognized.

Public Comment

A parent and a student spoke in support of the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program at Truscott Elementary, noting that the DLI program creates a global community in Loveland, expanding the horizons of the students.
Around a dozen classified staff and other members of the district community spoke in support of Thompson Education Support Professionals Association (TESPA), a union representing classified staff. Speakers noted district issues such as low pay, difficult working conditions, and high turnover. Jana Lewis of TESPA presented signatures of over 60% of the district’s classified staff, asking for the opportunity to work with the board and be recognized as the sole bargaining agent for classified employees.

Board Member Nancy Rumfelt requested that two items, Approval of Expenditures over $50,000 and Approval of Contract for EV Bus Charging Stations, be set aside for further discussion. The board agreed and those items are individually listed below under Discussion/Action Items.

The board then unanimously approved the remaining items on the Consent Agenda. See the Meeting Agenda for further details about these approved items.

Personnel/Extra Duty/Coaching Recommendations
2nd Reading Exhibit JQ-E Student Fees
Elementary English Language Arts Curriculum: Benchmark Advanced/Benchmark Adelante with the Associated Learning Costs
Head Start Community Assessment
Termination of YMCA Lease Agreement
2025 Director District Boundary
Revised Grant Contract with Larimer County and Thompson Career Center (TCC)
2nd Reading Policy DID Inventories (and Property Accounting)
Probationary Licensed Staff Contracts
The 2025-2026 Thompson School District Organization Chart
A Proclamation Recognizing National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9, 2025)

With the Consent Agenda approved, Stu Boyd read the Proclamation of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9.

Discussion/Action Items

Supporting documents are linked in the agenda.

Approval of Tentative Agreement for Negotiations
- At the previous board study session, board members heard an update about the negotiations process between Thompson School District and the teacher’s union, Thompson Education Association (TEA). Tonight, Thompson School District Director of Human Resources Tom Texeira and TEA President Sue Teumer responded to comments about the Memorandum of Understanding Tentative Agreement. Board members expressed appreciation that the agreement called for a task force to address discipline issues.
- President Barb Kruse called for a motion to approve the agreement, and the motion passed unanimously.
Approval of Incoming Superintendent Contract unanimously approved
Approval of Expenditures over $50,000 (from Consent Agenda)
- Board Member Nancy Rumfelt had requested removal of this item from the Consent Agenda to discuss the line item for $60,000 paid to Complete Digital LLC for TSD digital promotional advertising on HULU and other outlets. Chief Financial Officer Bob Ebersole explained that part of that line item is for other advertising communications totalling under $50,000, and that this particular ad campaign pushed the total over the $50,000 threshold requiring approval. The motion to approve expenditures over $50,000 passed in a five-to-one vote.
Approval of Contract for EV Bus Charging Stations (from Consent Agenda)
- Board member Nancy Rumfelt had requested removal of this item from the Consent Agenda to vote on it separately. She said this would be consistent in her voting on the issue of electric buses. The motion to approve the contract passed in a five-to-one vote.

Discussion Items

Supporting documents are linked in the agenda.

Middle School Bell Schedule
- Interim Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Sara Rasmussen gave introductory remarks, then stepped aside to allow Executive Director of Secondary Education Theo Robison and TEA President Sue Teumer to present an overview of the process to standardize the bell schedule across district middle schools.
- They noted that the middle schools currently have their own individual schedules, and this has resulted in variations in instructional time as well as inequitable teacher planning time across the schools. The goal of a common schedule will ensure that students have equal access to instructional time, and will create consistency for staff, especially those who may collaborate or support multiple schools.
- A previously appointed advisory committee surveyed students, parents, and teachers, and created four proposed schedules. Next year, the four middle schools will pilot three of the schedules. The presenters responded to board member questions including: the feasibility of extending the standard schedule to K-8 schools; whether there would be mid-year evaluations of the schedules; what might happen if a schedule is found to be unsatisfactory at that time; and whether the proposed passing period of four minutes is adequate.
2025-2026 Budget Development Update
- Chief Financial Officer Bob Ebersole gave an update about the ongoing 2025-2026 District Budget development process. A draft of the full budget will be available next week, online and with copies in the Berthoud and Loveland libraries. The full budget will be discussed at the June 4 board study session, and again at the June 18 regular meeting.
- Ebersole presented a slideshow with preliminary budget figures, including revenue, salaries and benefits, and non-FTE costs for the next fiscal year. He fielded comments and questions from board members about classified salaries and the goal of having all salaries be at least $19,000, the eventual need to perhaps reduce Administrative/Professional/Technical (APT) staff, projected per pupil revenue vs. the actual amount, how proposed cuts in each building were made, and the importance of highlighting information about rising costs.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be a Study Session on June 4, 2025, 6 p.m. in the boardroom at the Thompson School District Administration Building, 800 S. Taft Ave., Loveland.

The meeting will be broadcast live on (Loveland) Channel 14, and also livestreamed, linked from the Board Meetings web page.

This meeting will be preceded by an Executive Session regarding a student issue at 5 p.m.

Board Members

Present: Vice-President Stu Boyd, Denise Chapman, Dawn Kirk, President Barb Kruse, Alexandra Lessem, Nancy Rumfelt. Absent: Amy Doran

Links

*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.