As the result of recent policy changes approved last month, Board of Education meetings beginning this week (Thursday, February 7) will have a somewhat different look and structure.

Meetings will no longer be designated "Staff Reports," "Public Hearing," or "Legislative." Instead, meetings will all be designated "Regular" but they will continue to contain components of all types of meetings.

Meetings will continue to be held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. The "Regular" meeting will always begin at 5:00 p.m. That meeting will be preceded by a work session, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Agenda items for the "Regular" meeting will be reviewed and discussed at that time.

The "Regular" meeting scheduled for the first Thursday of the month will include the monthly Public Hearing, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on the agenda.

Individuals wishing to address the Board of Education during the Public Hearing will need to sign up in advance, as has been the practice. Any interested parent, student, staff member or community member may bring information or an issue forward at Public Hearings. To sign up to speak, please call 720-423-3210 by 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

The Board of Education may take action on items at all "Regular" meetings.

One section of the agenda will be designated "Consent Agenda." Items requiring action that have previously been discussed by the Board of Education or are considered routine business matters will appear under this heading.

Staff presentations will be scheduled during "New Business" at each "Regular" meeting. At times these reports will be simply informational, and other times they may address topics requiring action by the Board of Education. The Board may take action at that time, or ask that the vote be scheduled for another meeting.

If there is a lengthy agenda, the Board will recess for dinner sometime between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

If needed, work sessions will continue following the "Regular" meeting.

At the meeting this week (February 7), agenda items scheduled for the Regular Meeting include:

• Recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day
  
• Approval of boundary changes for Lowry Elementary School, Gateway Elementary School, Parkfield Middle School, North Central Middle School, Grant Middle School and Stapleton Development.
  
• Pioneer Charter School Renewal
  
• Under "New Business," information will be given to the Board regarding:
  
1. Principles of budgeting for Denver Public Schools
   
2. Career Education Center – transition
   
3. Teacher Incentive Play Program (SB 98) – proposed guidelines

At the 7:00 p.m. public hearing, so far six speakers have signed up to address the board on two topics – the K-8 proposal for Park Hill Elementary School and the Colorado High School charter proposal.