Letters to our Community
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.
2026 Q2 Community Letter
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