The Estes Park School District Board of Education closed out the school year Monday night with reports highlighting student achievement, academic growth, facility planning, and community engagement across the district.
During the May 18 regular meeting, board members heard updates from district advisory committees, administrators, and school leaders, and recognized accomplishments ranging from statewide student competitions to athletic honors and academic gains. The meeting also marked the first involving the newly elected member, Jennifer Roberts.
Earlier in the evening, the board heard public comment from Nicholas Pierce, band director for Estes Park Middle School and Estes Park High School, who urged the district to reconsider a decision not to renew his contract for the 2026-27 school year.
Pierce said the move could disrupt planning already underway for next year’s marching band season, and that union representatives were reviewing the circumstances surrounding the decision.
Following public comment, the board recognized high school student April Martinez for placing second at the Colorado Family, Career and Community Leaders of America state competition in early childhood education.
Martinez will travel to Washington, D.C., this summer to compete at the national level after completing a portfolio and lesson-planning project focused on preschool education and bilingual learning accommodations.
“I’m mostly really excited just to grow in early childhood,” she told the board. “This experience has really helped me as a future teacher.”
The meeting also featured the annual report from the district advisory and accountability committee, or DAC. Co-chair Emily Lazad said committee discussions this year centered on the district’s strategic plan, including academic achievement, real-world learning, and student wellness.
Lazad pointed to improving district performance data as evidence that the district is “going in the right direction” academically and credited teachers and staff for the gains.
The committee also discussed ways to strengthen communication with parents about testing, professional development days, and student academic progress.
Committee members highlighted examples of real-world learning across the district, including persuasive writing projects, career and technical education opportunities, and partnerships with Front Range Community College through dual enrollment programs.
Wellness discussions focused on student perception survey results, including consistently high ratings from students who reported feeling cared for by teachers. Lazad also emphasized the district’s 24/7 crisis and support line and encouraged broader outreach to families about available mental health resources.
Board members later heard end-of-year reports from several district committees, including the evaluation advisory committee and wellness committee.
Superintendent Ruby Bode said the evaluation advisory committee spent much of the year refining a new “look-for” document designed by teachers to support professional growth and instructional reflection.
The optional tool aligns classroom practices with district evaluation rubrics and is expected to be implemented districtwide during the 2026-27 school year.
Meanwhile, Student Services Director Sundee Pietsch reported that the district wellness committee completed a comprehensive review of district wellness policies and practices using the WellSAT assessment tool, which compares local policies against state and federal recommendations tied to school nutrition and student wellness.
The district plans to use the results to guide future improvements over the next several years.
In her superintendent’s report, Bode highlighted a busy spring season filled with concerts, promotions, capstone presentations, scholarship ceremonies, and upcoming graduation events.
She also praised custodial and maintenance staff for handling a heavy end-of-year event schedule while continuing day-to-day operations across the district.
Bode said the district continues to review long-range facilities planning options with architects and community input, as officials work toward finalizing a master facilities plan.
Financially, the district remains in stable condition, she said, with reserves considered healthy despite largely flat state funding projections for next year.
Among the district’s biggest academic highlights, Bode announced that 25 multilingual learners met benchmarks high enough to exit English language development programming this year, approximately 20 percent of the district’s multilingual student population.
“We are incredibly proud of these students and our teachers,” Bode said.
She also shared preliminary end-of-year testing data showing districtwide gains in math, reading, and science achievement. According to district data presented during the meeting, 61 percent of students met expectations in math, 62 percent in reading, and 64 percent in science, all showing modest improvement over the previous year.
School administrators also highlighted numerous student projects and activities taking place throughout the district.
Elementary students completed project-based learning activities, including a live “wax museum” featuring historical figures, collaborative art projects with high school students, and a popular fourth-grade persuasive writing contest tied to local ice cream shop flavors.
At the secondary level, students participated in career workshops, mock interviews, health science field trips, and entrepreneurship activities through the school’s STEAM market and youth philanthropy programs.
Administrators also celebrated scholarship awards totaling approximately $220,000 for graduating seniors and recognized numerous staff members, volunteers, and students for excellence in academics, athletics, and community involvement.
The district announced it received the NAMM Foundation Best Communities for Music Education designation this year, recognizing support for music and arts education programs.
The board concluded the evening by approving its consent agenda and unanimously advancing a first reading of a policy change that would move regular board meetings from Mondays to Wednesdays beginning next school year.
The meeting adjourned following announcements that graduation ceremonies and end-of-year events would continue throughout the week.
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