From the Board, April 14, 2025

Spring has finally sprung in Garfield Re-2, and I for one couldn’t be more excited about the future. 

On April 9, we had the privilege of visiting Graham Mesa Elementary School.  Principal Sprenger, along with his team, reviewed the CMAS data with the board, and we discussed the challenges as well as the positives that the data provides. We will continue to focus on the growth of the student body and stick to the process that our teams have proven to be successful. Anytime you are dealing with a large number of data points, change does not come quickly. It is incremental over a period of time. We are excited about the improvements GME has implemented and are anxiously awaiting this year's round of CMAS testing. 

The District, learning from our past successes, started another curriculum pilot. This year, it is in Elementary English Language Arts.
 
Three programs were chosen last summer and then implemented at the start of the year. We were excited to see the enthusiasm, passion, and commitment that the teachers have shown through this process. The data came in and was presented. The clear winner was CKLA. The growth that was measured through our internal assessment programs has been shown to be far above that of the other challengers. One more thing to be excited about. 

Next, collaborative solutions presented a revised benefit package for staff. We were presented with two options to help alleviate the financial strain felt by our staff due to this year's increase in insurance costs by over 16%. This rise in insurance costs has been felt across industries and the country. It is another hurdle to jump in the process of recruiting and retaining quality staff for our children.  The financial strain felt across our community is felt in our District as well. We will continue to look for cost-saving measures while doing all we can to ensure quality staff fill our buildings. 

Johnson Controls presented on the status of the 15 million dollar project to renovate all District buildings. Please take the time to look at the presentation and learn about the long list of improvements across the District. It is a truly awesome project that was spearheaded by our facilities director, John Oldham, and will pay for itself as promised. 

Soccer, track, golf, and baseball are at the forefront of our high school athletics, and I encourage everyone to attend a meet or game if they have time. 

With a vote of 5-0, the board approved Kirk Banghart to be our next Superintendent. We are excited to have him on board and look forward to the future. This is a truly bittersweet time for the board. On one hand, we have a leader who is signed up and wants to lead. On the other hand, we are coming to the end of Heather Grumley’s tenure, as well as Lisa Pierce stepping down from the position of Assistant Superintendent.

I would like to thank both of them for their years of service to the children and families in our community. As a new board member, they took the time to show me everything that I could possibly think of. They were ready and willing to have conversations. All of this has led me to a profound respect for these two amazing women, and I am excited about what the future holds for both of them. THANK YOU BOTH!!

As always, I want to end my update by encouraging all of you to get involved in your local school. There are plenty of opportunities to help. Thank you to all the volunteers, staff, and parents of our District. 

Chance Jenkins
School Board Director District D