The Woodland Park School District Board of Education values open communication with our community. From regular updates to letters addressing important topics and conversations impacting our schools, this space provides a place for the Board to share information, perspectives, and updates directly with our community.

Over the past several months, many members of our community have followed the public discussions between Woodland Park School District and Merit Academy. We know there are questions about how we arrived at this point, what the District has done to address the concerns that have been raised, and what happens next.

Because these discussions involve public schools, taxpayer dollars, and the education of children in our community, we believe it is important to share a factual update.

From the beginning, the District's goals have remained the same:

• Provide excellent educational opportunities for every public school student.

• Be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources.

• Work collaboratively with Merit Academy whenever possible to find solutions.

Why the District Changed the Funding Schedule

Like many school districts across Colorado, Woodland Park School District has experienced significant financial challenges over the past several years. Declining reserves and increasing operational costs have required the District to carefully evaluate every financial decision.

As part of that effort, the District determined it could no longer continue advancing months of funding before those revenues had actually been received from the State.

This was not a reduction in funding to Merit Academy. It was a change in the timing of payments to better align with when the District receives state revenue while continuing to meet its own financial obligations.

The District communicated that change to Merit Academy months before the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

What Has Happened Since Then

March 11

The District's Chief Financial Officer and Merit Academy's Chief Financial Officer held their regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

During that meeting, the District informed Merit Academy that funding for the upcoming school year would be distributed as revenues were received rather than through equal monthly advances.

During that discussion, Merit Academy's CFO acknowledged that the Charter Contract requires twelve monthly payments but does not state that those payments must be equal.

The District also began requesting Merit Academy's projected cash-flow needs so both organizations could better understand whether a funding gap existed and explore possible solutions.

March 12

WPSD Superintendent finalists were interviewed. An invitation to the Merit Academy Board was extended to participate. No response was received and no board member signed up for the interview.

April 1

The District invited Merit Academy to the work session with the Colorado Association of School Charter Authorizers (CACSA) regarding charter partnerships and best practices.

May 28

The Merit Academy Board was invited to attend a Woodland Park School District Board of Education work session where community members presented ideas for sustainable funding that could benefit public education throughout Woodland Park.

The invitation specifically recognized Merit Academy's ability to participate in any future efforts should those ideas move forward.

June

District staff continued discussions with Merit Academy regarding transportation, facilities, purchased services, and other operational matters.

June 7

The District initiated Board-to-Board 2x2 meetings to improve communication and create an opportunity for productive dialogue.

July 9

District Board members attended Merit's board meeting and expressed the desire to move forward in a collaborative way during public comment. Merit BOE voted to pursue legal action against the District.

July 11

District and Merit Academy representatives met again to discuss cash flow, ETRAN, funding models, and potential solutions.

Following that meeting, the District completed every action item requested, including:

• Sharing District cash-flow models.

• Providing prior-year funding examples.

• Sharing the March CFO meeting transcript.

• Seeking clarification from the Colorado Department of Education and the ETRAN administrator.

• Coordinating a proposed joint meeting regarding ETRAN.

• Updating the District's partnership webpage based on Merit Academy's requested revisions.

• Proposing that, if a funding gap remained after reviewing current financial information, both organizations jointly approach the State to identify a solution.

July 23

The District invited Merit Academy to participate in the proposed ETRAN discussion.

Merit Academy declined.

July 27

WPSD signed a contract with CACSA to provide a dedicated Charter School Authorizer Liaison. Hiring a third party to work with Merit Academy would allow the Superintendent to focus on the district run schools and would add expertise in charter school authorizer responsibilities benefiting both the District and Merit Academy.

July 30

Merit Academy voted to pursue formal action before the Colorado State Board of Education.

While we respect Merit Academy's right to pursue the remedies available under Colorado law, we are disappointed that we were unable to fully explore collaborative solutions before moving into a formal dispute process. Every dollar and every hour spent resolving disagreements is a dollar and an hour that cannot be invested directly in serving students.

A Few Questions We've Heard

Is the District trying to close Merit Academy?

No.

Merit Academy is a public charter school authorized by Woodland Park School District, and we remain committed to fulfilling our responsibilities under the Charter Contract while supporting the students and families who have chosen Merit Academy.

The Charter Contract gives Merit Academy options should it ever decide another authorizer is a better fit for its future. Under Section 11.5, Merit Academy may terminate the Charter Contract before the end of its term. Under Section 11.8, Merit Academy may seek authorization from another charter authorizer in accordance with Colorado law.

Those decisions belong to Merit Academy.

Our responsibility is different. Our responsibility is to serve as authorizer, honor our contractual obligations, and ensure the financial stability of Woodland Park School District for every student we serve.

Looking Ahead

The Woodland Park School District Board of Education remains committed to finding solutions.

Our Board will consider an official request related to the District's participation in the State's ETRAN program on August 12. One reason we requested additional financial information from Merit Academy was to better understand its current needs before making that decision.

We remain hopeful that future conversations can focus less on disagreement and more on the shared goal that brought both organizations together in the first place: providing outstanding educational opportunities for children in Woodland Park.

The door to collaboration remains open.

-Keegan Barkley

Each quarter, the Woodland Park School District Board of Education shares a Community Letter to keep families, staff, and the community informed about district priorities, Board actions, and key initiatives. Below you'll find the current letter and an archive of previous editions.

Woodland Park School District RE-2 Board of Education 

Restoring Confidence Through Progress, Transparency, and Accountability 

Summer 2026 

This quarter has been one of meaningful progress for Woodland Park School District. While challenges remain, the Board of Education continues to focus on what matters most: strengthening our schools, supporting students and staff, responsibly stewarding taxpayer resources, and restoring confidence in our district through transparency and thoughtful leadership. 

Our Strategic Plan continues to provide the roadmap for where we're headed. Rather than reacting to challenges, we are intentionally building a district focused on academic excellence, responsible operations, strong leadership, and long-term sustainability. During our recent State of the District presentation, we shared both the progress we've made and the work that still lies ahead. I believe that kind of honest assessment is essential to building trust with our community. 

Financial stewardship continues to be one of the Board's highest responsibilities. This quarter we reviewed the FY25 audit, continued development of the FY27 budget, and established a Fiscal Advisory Committee to provide greater community involvement throughout the budgeting process. I also want to reassure our community that the district remains on stable financial footing within its required reserves, and that the difficult budget decisions the Board has made are already strengthening our long-term outlook. 

As your elected Board, we understand that every tax dollar represents trust. Our responsibility is not simply to balance a budget. It is to ensure those resources are invested wisely in the education of our students while protecting the long-term financial health of the district. 

We've also continued investing in our schools through facility improvements and community partnerships. Our partnership with NoFloCo and our recent Community Service Day brought together staff, students, parents, volunteers, and community members to improve our campuses. Together, volunteers contributed more than $12,000 in donated labor, mitigated four acres of forest, removed approximately 2,200 hazardous tree stems, produced nearly seven cords of firewood, and completed work valued at an estimated $26,000. Beyond the numbers, these efforts made our campuses safer, more resilient, and better prepared for the future. These projects demonstrate something I've seen time and again in Woodland Park: when our community comes together, great things happen for our kids.

This quarter we welcomed new principals at Woodland Park Junior Senior High School and Summit Elementary. Strong schools begin with strong leaders, and I'm excited to see the impact these individuals will have as they support students, staff, and families. 

We're also seeing encouraging signs through enrollment growth, we’re excited to share that we’re expecting nearly 100 new students in the coming school year. Every family that chooses Woodland Park School District is placing their trust in our schools, and that confidence matters. It tells us we're moving in the right direction while reminding us that we must continue earning that trust every single day. 

One of my favorite moments in our BOE meetings is when we recognize those who quietly make our schools stronger without expecting anything in return. Through our On Wings of Eagles recognition program, we've had the privilege of honoring community members whose generosity and service make a lasting impact on our students, staff, and schools. Public education has always been a partnership with the community, and these individuals embody that spirit. 

We are also excited to launch our new Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in partnership with the United States Air Force. We look forward to working together to hire instructors and bring this outstanding leadership opportunity to life. The program is open to eligible district students, and homeschool families are encouraged to participate. We also continue expanding opportunities through our Home School Enrichment Academy, strengthening connections with families across our community. We look forward to seeing this program grow and the positive impact it will have on students and our community. 

Innovation remains another important priority. Our Home School Enrichment Academy continues expanding educational opportunities for families while strengthening connections between homeschool students and our district. At the same time, our ongoing curriculum review ensures our instructional materials remain academically rigorous, aligned with Colorado standards, and focused on preparing students for success. 

Facilities and Long-Term Planning 

Responsible stewardship also means planning ahead. This year the district will be addressing its comprehensive facilities use plan to guide how we maintain, use, and invest in our buildings for years to come. Rather than reacting to short-term pressures, this plan will give our community a clear, data-informed picture of what our facilities need and how well they serve students today. Many of the difficult decisions before us stem from financial challenges that existed before this Board took office. Our responsibility is to address those challenges honestly and make thoughtful decisions that protect the district's long-term financial stability while keeping resources focused on students and classrooms. 

Part of that work is recognizing how much our schools have grown. Today's classrooms do far more than they did a generation ago—programs like special education, JROTC, Career and Technical Education, early childhood and preschool education all require dedicated,

purpose-built space, and research consistently links appropriately sized classes to better student outcomes. Sound facilities decisions must reflect how our buildings are actually used now, not simply how many students filled them decades ago. 

Transparency 

One of the things I've heard most often from community members is a desire for more information and better communication. 

We agree. 

That's why we've expanded the information available on the district website. Community members can now find dedicated pages covering Board actions, priorities, and initiatives, along with a District-Merit partnership page where correspondence, public documents, and updates are available to the public. 

To further promote transparency, we are planning a public work session where an expert will explain the ETRAN program, an interest-free loan program that assists schools in managing cashflow. At Merit Academy’s Board meeting on Thursday July 9th directors Kassidi Gilgenast and Robb Davidson formally extended an invitation to Merit Academy to participate in the spirit of collaboration and partnership. We encourage community members to attend as we work together to better understand this important funding program and how it will impact our FY27 funding model. 

Merit Academy Partnership 

Our partnership with Merit Academy remains important because Merit students are Woodland Park School District students. We remain committed to working collaboratively to find solutions that support students while ensuring agreements involving public funds and assets are fair, transparent, and sustainable. Many of you have seen or heard claims that the district has been hostile toward Merit Academy or that the Board's goal is to force the school out of our community. I want to address those concerns directly. 

That is not, and has never been, the Board's objective. 

Merit Academy serves students within the Woodland Park School District. Those students matter just as much as every other student we serve, and the Board has never adopted a goal of closing the school, evicting its students, or withholding resources to which it is legally entitled. 

As Board members, we are obligated to review contracts, evaluate financial commitments, ask difficult questions, and ensure public assets and taxpayer dollars are protected. That isn't hostility, it's oversight. It is one of the most important responsibilities entrusted to a Board of Education.

From the beginning, diplomacy has been, and continues to be, my preferred approach. I believe collaboration almost always produces the best outcomes. We have consistently sought constructive conversations and practical solutions whenever possible, including directly engaging Merit Academy’s board in collaborative informal meetings to work together and find solutions that serve all students in our community. 

At the same time, collaboration cannot come at the expense of the district's financial stability or our responsibility to the taxpayers who fund our schools. Every agreement involving public resources must be fair, transparent, sustainable, and in the best interest of all students. We must consider today's students as well as future generations. 

What is often lost in public discussion is that prolonged disputes consume time, energy, and resources that belong in our classrooms. Every hour spent managing conflict is an hour our administrators could spend supporting teachers and students. Every unnecessary dollar spent resolving uncertainty is a dollar that could otherwise support educational opportunities. 

That is why our goal is not conflict. Our goal is resolution. 

I remain hopeful that we can put these issues behind us and return our full attention to the work our community expects of us: providing an outstanding education for every student in Woodland Park School District. 

Looking Ahead 

This past quarter reminded me why I chose to serve. 

I see teachers who continue giving everything they have for their students. I see administrators working tirelessly to improve our schools. I see volunteers investing countless hours because they believe in public education. I see families who continue placing their trust in our district. 

Those are the reasons I remain optimistic. 

The work isn't finished, and there will continue to be challenges ahead. But I believe Woodland Park School District is building momentum. Together, we're restoring confidence through transparency, responsible stewardship, and a relentless focus on what matters most—our students. 

Thank you for your continued support, your engagement, and your willingness to be part of this journey. I encourage you to attend Board meetings, explore the resources available on our website, and stay connected as we continue building a stronger future for Woodland Park School District. 

Keegan Barkley 

President, Woodland Park School District RE-2 Board of Education

Printable Version of 2026 Q2 Community Letter

Q1 Community Letter - Spring 2026