The first few months of 2026 have been incredibly active for the Woodland Park School District RE-2 Board of Education, and we want our community to know what we’ve been doing on your behalf.

Since January, we’ve held three regular board meetings, nine special meetings, three work sessions, and visited schools as part of a listening tour. We also participated in a series of Community Connections meetings, bringing together local government leaders, nonprofit partners, first responders, military veterans, and realtors, to hear directly from the people who make Woodland Park home. That feedback has been invaluable in shaping our priorities and informing the work ahead.

That work includes our draft strategic plan, which the board developed during a full-day January retreat. The plan includes our Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Goals and Priorities. In the past, this process took over a year. Given the urgency of the challenges and opportunities facing our district, we moved on a more focused timeline and we want your input before it’s finalized. A community survey is available at https://tinyurl.com/wpsdboe. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts.

On the leadership front, we are proud to share that our superintendent search resulted in the selection of Ginger Slocum as our full-time superintendent. The process included community surveys, stakeholder interviews with 42 participants, a public candidate forum, and formal board interviews. We’re grateful to everyone who participated. This community truly shaped that outcome.

We also welcomed Robb Davidson to the board this quarter to fill an open seat. Together we’ve been actively investing in our own governance, attending training, reviewing board policies, and ensuring compliance with Colorado Open Meeting Laws.

On the financial front, the district completed a forensic audit of Fiscal Year 2024 and initiated the annual audit of Fiscal Year 2025. The audit findings identified areas where best practices had not been consistently followed. We’ve already begun implementing stronger controls and increased oversight, and we’ve requested the creation of a community Finance Committee for additional transparency. We’ve also voted to participate in the state’s ETRAN program: a responsible, interest-free cash flow tool used widely by Colorado school districts.

Finally, we are working to establish clear, documented agreements with Merit Academy that give both the district and charter school the clarity, accountability, and confidence we need to operate effectively and build a positive, healthy partnership together. We’ve partnered with the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers (CACSA), who will facilitate a public work session on March 31 at 5:00 PM. Community members are encouraged to attend.

The full first quarter community letter, including details on our new “On Wings of Eagles” recognition program, district committees, and our State of the District on April 28 at 6:00 PM in Dickson Auditorium, is available on our website.

Read the full letter at https://tinyurl.com/wpsdboe.

Thank you for your trust and your commitment to Woodland Park’s students.