Garfield Re-2 Board Update - August 12 Board Meeting - Fathom Jensen

Welcome Back Garfield Re-2!  The 26/27 school year is ready to be back in action come Monday.  The teachers and staff have been at it for the past few weeks and are excited to welcome the students back in. 

This past Wednesday night, the 12th, kicked off our first school board meeting for the 26/27 school year. 

This past Wednesday, August 12, kicked off our first School Board meeting of the 2026-27 school year. We did not miss a beat, and we were excited to hear from three Garfield Re-2 graduates, now successful members of our community, regarding the potential Mill Levy Override and Bond Initiative being considered for this November's election.

The Mill Levy Override, if placed on the ballot and approved by voters, would provide Garfield Re-2 with additional ongoing funding to offer competitive wages, not just competitive with surrounding districts, but with other jobs in the area. There will be other measures on the November ballot asking voters to consider tax increases. Funds generated by a Garfield Re-2 Mill Levy Override would stay with our District and be used for the purposes identified in the ballot question. Our teachers and staff do an amazing job for our students, and they deserve to be compensated for the hard work they do and the impact they make on our students and community.

The Bond Initiative being considered would allow the District to add much-needed space at Coal Ridge High School for expanded career pathways and skilled trades, improve and update STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classrooms at Rifle High School, improve traffic access at Rifle High School, provide increased support for Career and Technical Education and skilled trades programs, and expand early childhood care and education opportunities. The proposal also includes 45-50 employee housing units within our communities to provide another benefit for employee recruitment and retention.

The board also completed a second reading and approval of Policies BB- BBFD.  We had a first reading of Policy KDB, with a suggested change to the hourly rate for work associated with gathering information for a CORA request.  The next regular board meeting will be Wednesday, August 26th at the District Office at 5:30pm.

I hope to see you there.  Thank you for ALL you do for Garfield Re-2

The 26/27 School Year is going to be amazing!! 

Fathom Jensen

School Board Director District C

School Board President