The Estes Park School District has selected a veteran Colorado educator with deep roots in small-town schools and a reputation for hands-on leadership to guide the district into its next chapter.
In an interview with the Estes Valley Voice Tuesday afternoon, David Grubbs said today has been “ a whirlwind of emotions.”
Grubbs knows what it means to walk into a job after a well-liked leader has already left a mark.
Twenty years ago, Grubbs took over Grandview Elementary in Windsor when the school was still new and its founding leader remained a respected presence in the district. He remembers the uneasiness of stepping into that role, knowing people would be watching to see what came next.
Now, as Grubbs prepares to become the next superintendent of the Estes Park School District, he finds himself in a similar position.
“I was a little nervous about that,” Grubbs said, recalling his early days at Grandview during a recent community interview in Estes Park. “I’ve heard the jokes about, ‘I don’t want to follow in Ruby’s footsteps.’ That doesn’t scare me off yet.”
The Estes Park Board of Education selected Grubbs after a national search that included community surveys, stakeholder input, finalist interviews, and site visits. But in public conversations here, Grubbs did not present himself as a sweeping change agent arriving with a blueprint in hand.
Instead, he described himself as a relationship-driven educator, shaped by decades in elementary schools, who wants first to listen, learn, and understand what is already working.
“My personality and my style are very relationship-based,” he said. “I’m not a seasoned superintendent coming in with my own game plan.”
That approach may appeal to a district that is already partway through a five-year strategic plan and has said it wants both continuity and leadership. Grubbs said one of his first priorities would be understanding why that plan has gained traction and where the momentum is coming from in classrooms.
“What are the things that the people in the classrooms have been buying into?” he said. “What are the things that have had an impact on the kids that we want to keep supporting?”
For most of his professional life, Grubbs’ work has centered on younger students. He has spent the past 20 years as principal of Grandview Elementary, a Windsor school serving about 500 students. Before that, he taught elementary school for eight years and worked in professional development and technology integration in Thompson R2-J. He has also coached high school basketball and track.
In a 45-minute interview with members of the EPSD and the community last week, Grubbs said the draw of the superintendent’s job is not prestige so much as reach.
“Having an opportunity to impact a slightly bigger audience, it’s kind of an honor for me,” Grubbs said. “I can be influential for more teachers, more families, do the right thing for kids, and that just feels like a really exciting opportunity.”
His view of leadership has also been shaped in recent years by his work as a mentor in the Colorado Department of Education’s Principal Leadership Institute, where he has coached newer principals across the state. That role, he said, forced him to think beyond his own building and consider what support looks like from the district level.
“It’s a very unique job and a challenging job,” he said of the principalship. “That actually gave me an opportunity to really consider, OK, how could I do as a superintendent when it comes to supporting principals?”
That question surfaced during the public interview, as community members pressed him on topics ranging from teacher morale and student apathy to conflict, inclusion, and data transparency.
His answers often circled back to the same themes: trust, honesty, creativity, and keeping students at the center of difficult conversations.
Asked about conflict between parents and teachers, Grubbs said adults usually make more progress when the focus shifts away from themselves and back to the child.
“What’s the ultimate goal?” he said. “It’s to do what’s best for the kid.”
Asked what kind of relationship he wants with teachers, his answer was similarly direct.
“I want them to be honest with me,” he said. “I want them to understand that I am there for them. I’ve been in their shoes.”
Grubbs also spoke candidly about limits. His direct classroom experience has been in elementary education, not secondary schools, and he did not try to overstate his expertise. Instead, he said part of the superintendent’s job is knowing when to rely on the people closest to the work.
“I know my role. I know my limitations,” he said. “I’ll trust people to do what they do.”
That humility appeared again when he was asked about leadership ideas that had not gone as planned. He described trying, without much success, to persuade more teachers to “loop” with students for a second year, believing the extended relationship would benefit children. He could make the case, he said, but could not force the buy-in.
“I can force them to do it, but that doesn’t feel right,” he said.
In other answers, Grubbs offered a fuller picture of how he thinks about school culture. He said Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” has influenced his work in recent years through Grandview’s “Leader in Me” model, particularly the idea that leadership is not reserved for those with titles.
“You don’t have to be in a position to be a leader,” he said. “Everyone has genius.”
He also spoke about literacy not just as an academic skill, but as something tied to empathy and connection. One of the most meaningful recent books at his school, he said, was “Out of My Mind,” the story of a girl with cerebral palsy who cannot speak but has a brilliant mind. The book resonated with students partly because it reflected the experiences of children they see in their own school.
“Put books in kids’ hands that are going to be emotionally connecting and powerful,” he said.
On special education and inclusion, Grubbs pointed to Grandview’s center-based autism program, which has grown dramatically during his tenure. He described district-level advocacy not only in terms of staffing and credentials, but also in telling students’ stories well enough that others understand both their needs and their value to the broader school community.
That emphasis on belonging extended to multilingual families. Grubbs said schools have to do more than translate messages; they have to convince families that their voices matter and that participation can make a difference.
“I found most of them are not opposed to what’s going on in school,” he said. “Maybe they’re just not convinced their voice is going to change anything.”
For Estes Park, Grubbs’ candid answer about housing may have been one of the more recognizable moments of the evening. Asked whether he would move to town if hired, he answered with the same concern voiced by many workers in Estes Park.
“Well, if I can afford it,” he said.
Still, he made clear that the community itself is part of the appeal. Raised in rural Colorado, Grubbs said he feels at home in small towns and already knows Estes Park as a place where he hikes, fishes, hunts, and visits regularly. He spoke with enthusiasm about the district’s proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park and the chance to help students see their surroundings not as background scenery, but as part of their education.
“I hope the kids know how lucky they are,” he said.
In a press release issued by the Estes Park School Board, Board President Stacy Ferree said the school board saw in Grubbs a leader with both experience and character.
“David Grubbs emerged from this process as a leader of strong character, deep experience, and clear commitment to students, staff, and community,” said Ferree.
Grubbs, for his part, framed the opportunity less as an arrival than as the start of a conversation.
“Estes Park is a remarkable community,” he said, “and I am grateful for the opportunity to listen, learn, and build on the district’s many strengths.”
Based on the job description and conversations with Bode and members of the school board, Grubbs expects to step into his new role on July 1. “If I can sneak up early and pick Ruby’s brain as much as I possibly can. I would love to do that,” said Grubbs. Bode who has been with the EPSD for 20 years, is moving with her husband to Arkansas.