From The Board

Our board convened on Wednesday evening at Graham Mesa Elementary for an engaging session centered on progress and future opportunities. We had the opportunity to learn about the notable improvements and accomplishments at the school thus far this year, including enhanced student engagement initiatives and innovative instructional approaches. The dedication of our staff is evident, and we are eager to see what lies ahead for the educators and students at this exemplary building.

The Garfield Re-2 School Board held its regular meeting this past week, and I want to share a few highlights from the evening with our families and community.

We started our meeting by celebrating the fantastic work of the Riverside Middle School! Principal Karen Satter has led her staff with excellence and true commitment to student growth. Riverside Middle School has been rated as a Performance School for the 3^rd year in a row! Staff also presented a plan to provide additional support to students who are not YET meeting academic achievement standards. It’s encouraging to see such passion for education. Go Vikings!

The September 10, 2025, School Board meeting was held at Elk Creek Elementary. It’s always great to be in the buildings, hang out with the teachers and staff, and hear about all of the fantastic things that happen every day within our schools. Ryan Fideldy and his staff do a great job, and their focus on student achievement and student independence is truly commendable. One of the best parts of being out in the schools is that each kitchen staff provides food for the meeting. That is always a highlight. The Garfield Re-2 kitchen managers and cooks are so very talented.

Superintendent Kirk Banghart shared with the Board that Garfield Re-2 has once again achieved Accredited status on our Colorado District Performance Framework - the first time since 2019. This reflects the dedication of our teachers, staff, leaders, and students across all of our schools.  Superintendent Banghart reminded us that this honor comes from years of hard work across the district, and I would be remiss if I didn’t also include the leadership of our former Superintendent Heather Grumley and Assistant Superintendent Lisa Pierce. They laid the groundwork for this remarkable achievement to occur. Now our focus shifts to building on that momentum through the Unified Improvement Plan or UIP.

As a proud member of the Garfield Re-2 School Board, I’m thrilled to welcome students, staff, and families to an exciting new school year that began on August 13. Our classrooms, from Rifle to New Castle, are alive with the energy of fresh beginnings, as students dive into robust curricula packed with core academics, extracurriculars, and innovative programs. It’s invigorating to see our schools buzzing again, and I’m personally energized by the promise of what lies ahead—a year of growth, achievement, and collaboration that will shape our students’ futures.

We’d like to welcome you back and thank you for your patience in the delayed start due to the Lee Fire.  We’d also like to send a deep and sincere Thank You to the first responders working the fire, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families that are and have been affected by the fire.

Our first school board meeting for the 25/26 school year was this past Wednesday, August 13^th.  Not only was it our first meeting of the school year, but it was the first official meeting for our new Superintendent, Kirk Banghart, and our new Assistant Superintendent, Jenny Nipper. I am very excited to see what this year brings.

The Garfield Re-2 School Board held its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25 at the district office. Thank you all who came to the meeting!

We began the evening by celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of our high school spring sports athletes. Heather Grumley and Lisa Pierce shared heartfelt and enthusiastic reports on the incredible success of our student-athletes. This meeting also marked their final presentation before retiring. We extend our deepest gratitude to both Heather and Lisa for their years of dedicated service to our students, schools, and community. We will miss you both! 

That’s a wrap on the 2024-2025 school year.  Time to take a deep breath, relax, and start planning for 2025-2026.  Oh, wait, we have been planning that for months.  

I want to take a second to congratulate every student that is a part of Garfield Re-2.  Many of you set goals for yourself in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities, and you achieved those goals.  Some of us fell short, but hold your head up high, you have time to put in the work and make the change.

Change is just a part of life.  You had your favorite teacher this year, and in the new school year, it will be someone new.  You loved middle school, but now you are on to the big time:  high school.  There will be some changes in Garfield Re-2 next year for the adults, also.  We say goodbye to many and invite new ones into our organization.

At our May 14th Board of Education meeting, we got to engage with students, staff, and community members around several important issues that shape the daily experience of our schools and the long-term direction of our district. 

Our Shine the Light presentation focused on Health Services. Sarah Bell is the department director, and she was joined by Kim Gardner.  Together, they presented information about daily activities that we typically don’t see.  Their responsibilities are enormous, and they take great care of our students and our staff.  We appreciate all of the Health Services staff in Garfield RE-2!

It seems like we were just coming back from winter break, and here we are nearing the end of the school year! With the end of the year comes celebration. We have our students celebrating Prom, spring athletics, and the final tests coming to an end. Please be careful, safe, and smart as we’re out celebrating so many wonderful events, students, and staff. 

We’d also like to give a huge shout-out to our three Daniels Scholars, Jefferson (Jeff) Torres from Rifle High School, and Winter Keeney and Samantha Smythe from Coal Ridge High School.

At the recent school board meeting held at Elk Creek Elementary, we began with a special presentation, Shine the Light. Elk Creek Elementary honored a Community partner, Classified staff member, and ECE Certified teacher. The Community partner was the ECE PTAC; they were honored for their contributions to the school & community. The PTAC, which consists of 25 dedicated volunteers, has organized numerous successful events, including a spell-a-thon, winter formal, Dads & Donuts, and they are looking forward to hosting moms and muffins this spring. Their ongoing efforts have made a significant impact! Thank you, ECE PATC! The stellar classified staff member honored was Vania Rodriguez, who has unmatched outreach for every family at ECE. Finally, Emily Quinn was the recognized teacher who is courageous at moving kids while nurturing them every step of the way.  

It looks like winter finally decided to show - a perfect Valentine's Day gift from Mother Nature. I
hope everyone stays safe and warm. I’d like to congratulate our Bears and Titans who are
representing Garfield Re-2 at state wrestling this weekend. Please be safe traveling to Denver
or back this weekend from supporting our student-athletes, we know you’ll represent well and
make us proud!

There is a lot for us to celebrate, and it was very apparent when we were invited into Highland
Elementary School for our February 12th School Board Meeting. I always enjoy going into the
schools and seeing how unique our schools are. We heard about the different clubs and
activities at HES.

On January 22, the Board met at Kathryn Senor Elementary. As the representative from Director District E, which includes most of New Castle, I am always excited to visit the schools in my District. 

The staff at KSE did not disappoint. They made us feel welcome and appreciated for School Board Appreciation Week, and the food, as usual, was great. Our nutrition services team is outstanding.

Whenever we go to schools, the staff gets an opportunity to share their data and all of the amazing things that are happening within the school. Kathryn Senor Elementary has made a steady improvement in its School Performance Framework and is now in the green with a Performance Plan. 

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Students have returned from Christmas break refreshed and ready to tackle the second half of the school year. Let’s make it a great one!

Winter sports are in full swing, and we’re excited for the basketball and wrestling seasons ahead. A huge congratulations to the Coal Ridge Cheerleaders for stepping up into a higher division in the state classification and still dominating their way to the state title. Way to make us proud!

I would like to say, “thank you” to the Cactus Valley Elementary administration and staff for hosting our November 13 board meeting.  It is always appreciated to be a part of Shine the Light, meeting everyone and sharing awesome food.  When I first visited CVE three years ago we were preparing for a major renovation project to fix the floor slabs, and the school was beginning its Grow To Green campaign. 

Over the last three years, $5.6 million in school improvements have been made, including a BEST grant,  and CVE is now working on Blooming to Blue to reach the highest Colorado Accreditation benchmark.

As we have not convened in some time, I would like to take this opportunity to share an important message from the Board.

It is vital to recognize the countless freedoms we enjoy daily, which we often take for granted. These rights are not merely given; they are earned through the unwavering dedication and sacrifices made by the men and women who have fought for them.