Tag Archives: letters

School situation spiraling out of control | Guest column

From the 6/5/24 Courier, written by Susie Graf:

I come from a family of teachers and am a long-time volunteer and supporter of our district. It saddens me to see what has happened here, and how the situation is spiraling out of control. It is overwhelming and frightening.

In Woodland Park, teachers were always treated with respect and dignity and not called anarchists, socialists and enemies. These are our friends who we see in the grocery store and who sit next to us in church. They helped us raise our children, and that is not an attribute that can be quantified. People from out of state who don’t have children in our schools, or any school, are directing this diatribe toward our teachers. We should have the integrity and bravery to stand up to these people. Teachers are people even willing to give their life for your child.

In the 80’s, Parents, community members and leaders worked together to pass a bond issue for a new school using the middle school structure. Middle school kids were for years shuffled from one building to another as we had no place to put them. It took several tries to pass a bond, but we got the new building designed specifically for the middle school population. Classes were held in pods with students moving within those groups which allowed for cross discipline teaching and collaboration. The building itself and the principal received national attention. The current teachers there were accustomed to almost daily meetings to discuss characteristics needed to meet the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents at that age. We don’t know if this may take place in the new surroundings which are not designed to accommodate this age group.

The decision to close a building or give one away is not to be taken lightly, and there is a process to be followed. It is not to be announced on a Friday afternoon in an email to parents. These decisions should be discussed over time among all stakeholders, most notably residents who paid for the buildings, the parents, the faculty and staff and the administration. No one person should be making these decisions and then announcing them casually. A school is more than a building. It a place of love and laughter where growth and development take place daily in a very purposeful manner. Kids feel safe in their schools and with their teachers whom they love. You cannot take the emotional attachment away from the school building or the teachers.

Our children are our most important possessions. As an educational professional for over 50 years, and as a parent, I can tell you that those people who treat your children with kindness and respect and who encourage them in their educational and personal growth are the ones you can never thank enough and who you will always admire and yes, love. We need to support our wonderful teachers here in Woodland Park and not be hoodwinked by this Board of Education which is giving our district away.

3/20/2024 Letters to the Editor

From the 3/20/2024 Courier:

Woodland Park School District’s fiscal exigency

On March 1, WPSD Superintendent Witt announced that Gateway will be closed next year without any prior communication to stakeholders and without a single school board discussion. Ken said “This is a fiscal exigency that we need to consolidate these three schools”.

Why is the superintendent declaring fiscal exigency instead of our school board?

When mid-year budget revisions were presented in January and February, why was there no mention of a financial crisis?

Why have the self-proclaimed ‘conservative’ school boards elected since November 2022, consciously chosen to engage in deficit spending for the last two years if we were facing financial crisis? (Note that between 2015 and 2022, the general fund budget had been more or less balanced year after year. During the 22/23 school year, we spent $3.2 million more than our revenue. During this 23/24 school year, we have budgeted to spend $2.1 million more than our revenue.)

Why did district administration just quietly spend a very large sum on a new elementary Language Arts curriculum, and discard 5 years of curriculum that was completely paid for (AND that was selected using a rigorous process, involving input from parents, teachers, administrators and community members)? The new curriculum was purchased without ANY stakeholder input and is what’s offered at Merit Academy. How is this offering families ‘choice’?

Fiscal exigency? Why did we give our superintendent a 9.7% raise, with promises of a 5% annual pay increase and potential bonuses?

This is painful to witness.

Khurshid Rogers, Woodland Park

Theology of arrogance | Guest column

From the 2/21/2024 Courier:

Values guide our lives, both individually and inside a community. Generally, we agree that “strong” values are a good thing and should be promoted. However, defining values is both nebulous and easily misconstrued. We often hear about conservative values, liberal values, Christian values, or secular values. The problem is no one person defines these labels the same. We each have different backgrounds, different life experiences and different families that help us define such terms. I believe that how we express these values is what is important, not how we define them.

I have been thinking about the value of arrogance and how it appears to be displayed in this community. When one person or small group believes they have the right or mandate to dictate how a whole community should look, behave, think and educate, then it becomes a value system of arrogance. And arrogance leads to power and lending to an attempt of dominance by a few. It also can promote the idea that “the means can justify the end”. Name calling and false accusations from the pulpit and on podcasts are only some methods used. In other words, it doesn’t matter how one acts or states their aforementioned values, as any means to get to the end goal is justified. How can this be?

I propose that such a value of arrogance comes from the lack of respect for others. Often this arrogance is given in the name of Christianity, whereby anyone who disagrees is considered evil and therefore must be overtaken and destroyed. One’s politics becomes one’s religion and vice versa. I was raised in a strongly conservative Republican and staunchly Christian home. I spent K-12 in a Christian School and went on to receive a Bachelors in Bible and Religion from an accredited Christian College. In all of those experiences, I was taught the value of diversity both in communities and thought. I was taught that political ideas could differ because that is American democracy, but we are still family. I was taught humility. I was taught “…. if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.” And so now, in Woodland Park, I am considered evil and not worthy of respect and a place at the table because I think differently and have a different life from those who want dominion over this community. Which “Christian” value is this really representing?

Darlene Schmurr-Stewart

Letters to the Editor — Feb. 21, 2024

From the 2/21/2024 Courier:

Discussion is overdue

I write to express my support for the recent discussions within the Woodland Park City Council concerning the allocation of sales tax revenue within the school district. Trust in governmental entities handling tax dollars is a delicate matter, and this discussion is long overdue.

Budgets should reflect realistic expectations, and adherence to them is crucial. The Woodland Park School District revised its fiscal year budget on Feb. 14, after an earlier revision in January. They’ve made significant errors, including overestimation of appropriations, which were reduced from $40,779,649 to $37,513,556. Questionable accounting practices involved charging expenses to old grant accounts without corresponding revenue or budget. The federal COVID relief funds budget, initially at $858,241, mysteriously decreased to $542,157, resulting in an overdrawn account. The recent budget discussion concluded with the admission that further revisions might be necessary, as not all changes could be explained during the board meeting.

Amidst this financial uncertainty, it is disconcerting that the board awarded superintendent Ken Witt a new contract (which included a raise and an annual bonus) without conducting a performance review. Trust is earned, especially when it comes to managing public funds, and the school district has yet to instill confidence in its financial stewardship.

I commend the efforts of the Woodland Park City Council in holding the school district accountable for the responsible allocation of our sales tax money. It is imperative that the community remains vigilant and engaged in ensuring fiscal transparency and accountability within our local institutions.

Matt Gawlowski, Woodland Park

WP District’s Superintendent Ken Witt, runaway train | Guest column

From the 2/7/2024 Courier

On Jan. 17th, the Woodland Park School Board voted to extend district superintendent Ken Witt’s contract with a vote of 3 to 2. Why would they want to continue with a superintendent who has caused so much turmoil? Why would they give him a substantial raise even though he is still working part time? Why would they renew a contract without reviewing his performance, as set forth by board policy?

During Witt’s term here, there have been numerous protests. There were two student-led protests against his hiring. Then, parents lined the streets protesting Witt’s order to move sixth grade down to the elementary schools. Also, after the unconstitutional gag order, 81 teachers and staff wrote an open letter to the community pleading for better leadership. Just last month, numerous citizens wrote letters to the board and there was a petition with 300+ signatures begging for a superintendent search. This obviously fell on deaf ears. His contract was signed, regardless.

What a contract it is! The average salary for a superintendent of our district size is $132,000 (full time), per the Colorado Department of Education website. Witt is now making $170,000 per year (part time), with a monthly $500 car allowance (you need that when you travel from Monument) and guaranteed yearly raises of at least 5% plus bonuses. He received this raise without any performance review, which goes against policy. Could you imagine what those extra dollars could do for our teachers and SPED department? At this point, Witt is just pilfering district resources from us taxpayers.

Not only is Witt wasting dollars from taxpayers, he is creating a hostile work environment. Yes, there have been numerous lawsuits due to bad attorney advice or unethical behavior. However, what’s more alarming is how he speaks about our teachers and staff. During the coverage of the teachers speaking out, Witt said our teachers are “bent on fostering a hatred of America.” If you’ve met our teachers you know this isn’t true. Or the time he was asked about mental health and social service resources he said, “we’re not the department of mental health.“ There’s been numerous news interviews where he just hangs up or stares blankly, apparently pleading the 5th, when questioned. So why do we renew his contract?

Renewing Witt’s contract without a review is against long-standing board policy and much less, common business sense. When checked by Director Barkley, it appeared Witt has never had a formal review done since he was hired. A proper review would show that we aren’t being fiscally conservative, that employee retention is down, student enrollment is declining, and overall morale has diminished. As a community, we need to be questioning why these actions are happening at such a fast pace. Why do we have an incompetent outsider promoting an extremist culture war on our once tight-knit community? Why didn’t we perform a search for $11,000 rather than giving Witt a $15,000 raise? We must stop this runaway train called Witt.

Bridget Curran

Letter to the editor – 2/7/2024

Synopsis of letter to WPSD Board of Education

• 30+ years ago: Taxpayers approved bond: Build middle school for 6-8 grades to move OUT of high school.

• MS students unique: not little kids, not young adults; need own space.

• Merit given ½ MS

• Sixth grade lost opportunities moved to elementary: 1 day of band, 2-3 days of electives. social studies & science instead of 5, no longer allowed to participate: Forensics, MS clubs, all MS sports.

• MS losing building. Considerations?

• Cost to move MS

• Job status current MS staff?

• Supposedly better 6th not with 7th/8th; OK for 7th/8th sharing building with Jr’s/Sr’s?

• Aging HS building; available space safe & appropriate for students?

• Sports programs; Currently, 7 basketball teams between HS & MS. HS boys/girls alternate early/late practices. How will multiple teams practice & play in just 2 gyms? Benefit to athletes? Other sports using facilities? Will MS track athletes be bussed to MS track? Costs?

• MS, “under utilized,” 5 classes per grade with 25-28 students; OK for Merit to have entire building with far fewer?

• Parking at HS limited. Space for another staff, parents, guests?

• Playground equipment at MS obtained through grant. Equipment relocated so MS students have access? MS has open space, and blacktop with basketball hoops, 4-square boxes. Where at HS is comparable space?

• Murals -MS walls designed & created by students. Merit already painted over work in current space; can assume same in entire building, wiping out what students produced in OWN building.

• BOE decisions without consideration of, nor input from, WPSD staff, students, parents continue to create animosity.

Laurie Gutierrez, Woodland Park

Woodland Park Middle School obituary | Guest column

From the 1/31/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Woodland Park Middle School (WPMS) left this world on Jan. 19. It was declared dead to the public by email. WPMS is survived by its students, staff, parents, alumni, and community.

Woodland Park Middle School was born three decades ago to a community on the rise. A community full of hope with job opportunities for young families and natural attractions to support the growth of the area and a healthy school system. Woodland Park’s new middle school was a symbol of this community’s ascent.

WPMS was an in-between place which the community sought to give our kids an opportunity to thrive as they figured out who they were. It was a place for students who were not quite little kids anymore but not ready for the responsibilities of high school.

Many people reflect on their middle school years as the worst years of their life. Yet, for many, WPMS was something different. Former students described it as a safe place to mess up and have bad days. It was a place where students could fail, learn, and grow. Some said it was like a family, a place to be loved, a place for some tough honesty and accountability. It was never a school solely focused on academics. For 30 years, it was a place where kindness, integrity, and responsibility were just as important lessons as math and reading.

WPMS attracted quality teachers from across the country: retired military, former lawyers, field biologists, entrepreneurs, new and old teachers. It was a place where former students returned to teach because they believed in the mission and culture of teaching and connecting with squirrely 11-14 year old kids.

In its infancy, some even remarked that the WPMS building looked more like a shopping mall than a school. Sadly, its fate would be that of many shopping malls across the country.

In the early 2000s, a recession struck a blow to WPMS and Woodland Park’s schools as many businesses in the community and down the pass failed. People lost jobs and young families with children found it difficult to afford the cost of housing. The student enrollment began to decline.

In our society, people began to look for new opportunities to get what they wanted. Instead of the places which bring community together, people sought the convenience of their home computer or drove to specialty schools and stores which could meet their specific needs.

Woodland Park Middle School would never recover from these setbacks despite attempts to attract new students. WPMS chose to live life to the fullest: innovative programs, dances and pep rallies, expanding athletic opportunities, improving student spaces with new equipment and murals, field trips, exposition nights and authentic experiences for students.

However, it was not enough. Those from inside and outside of the community fought against Woodland Park Middle School’s efforts and it eventually succumbed to its fate.

Celebration of Life services forthcoming.

Memories, stories, and reflections can be sent to wpmsmemorial@gmail.com

Greg Spalding

1/31/2024 Letters to the Editor

From the 1/31/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Divisive at best

As a district parent, I am flabbergasted by the decision to extend Ken Witt’s contract as the WPSD Superintendent – with guaranteed, taxpayer-funded raises no less – without any formal discussion or evaluation. When Mr. Witt knowingly and intentionally broke the law and violated the first amendment rights of teachers, was that not worth even a mention? Is the continued hemorrhaging of staff under Mr. Witt not worth digging into? Is Mr. Witt’s alarming lack of transparency – both to the school board and the community –simply par for the course now? Should feedback from Mr. Witt’s subordinates not be solicited or even considered?

At best, Ken Witt is a divisive outsider who neither lives in the Woodland Park School District nor seeks to better understand and heal it. At worst, he is intentionally ripping at whatever tenuous seams remain holding friends and neighbors together while pouring hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars into his personal bank account. With so many less incendiary superintendent candidates out there, how can Mick Bates, Cassie Kimbrell, and Suzanne Patterson allow this disturbing behavior to continue unchecked?

Sarah Voget, Woodland Park

WPSD board: Fiscal conservatives?

January 17, our school board renewed a contract for Superintendent Ken Witt—expiring in June. Why hurry?

The offer: A $15,000 dollar raise (to $170,000), plus perks including 5% guaranteed annual increase and potentially $15,000 in bonuses. He retains his part time job for an organization championing charter schools and can work remotely—no required days in-district. While previous superintendents highly involved themselves in the community, most serving on the Chamber of Commerce, Witt has little to lose residing in Monument, with few visits to our schools and no performance review.

Salaries from similar-sized districts reveal Witt’s as high to mid-range—though other superintendents work daily, and have around 20 years’ experience and at minimum Master’s degrees.

Our teachers’ starting salaries ($42,000) are mid to low of comparative schools; only Cripple Creek pays lower, though our cost of living is 9% beyond the national average and median housing price is over $500,000. The majority hold master’s degrees. They’re required to work per district calendar and aren’t guaranteed raises or bonuses.

Witt’s contract was offered despite declining enrollment. October 2022’s pupil count was 1,977; October 2023 count was 1820 (decrease of 157, or 7%). His salary only comes from the 1422 non-charter students—a significantly smaller pot than pre-Merit Academy days. Meanwhile, parent protests remain at an all-time high.

Who wrote the contract? Clearly the BOE didn’t; this wasn’t on the agenda and was provided 15 minutes prior to vote. Who is watching our tax dollars? Can we afford this?

Carol Greenstreet, Woodland Park

Letter to the board

A letter sent to the WPSD board recently by a community member:

Dear BOE Directors:

I cannot express the anger and disappointment that I am feeling as a result of the announcement regarding the middle school last Friday. After the turmoil over the past two years, and recent election in which the results were very close, I had hoped that the incumbent directors would be a little more willing to solicit input from, and to listen to, staff, parents, and students. Clearly that was wishful thinking.

Over 30 years ago, the taxpayers of this community approved a bond issue to build a new school so that 6-8 grades would have their own space away from high school students. For 29 years, the Woodland Park Middle School was that space, and then a new school board was elected. The middle school has been a place for 6-8 graders to transition from elementary school and get ready for high school. The middle school grades are unique because of the massive changes that kids go through at this age; they aren’t little kids anymore, and they aren’t teens and young adults. The middle school is a place for these kids to not only learn academics, but to experience greater choice of electives than elementary and start to develop their own interests, to join sports’ teams, academic teams, and Forensics, and to have a safe place in which to grow that belongs to them.

Starting last year, the middle school students started to lose their space. The middle school was being, “under utilized.” There weren’t 30 kids in every classroom. When Merit Academy was given half of the middle school building, the middle school students lost a large part of their space. The middle school staff went on educating middle school students and working to make sure that all students were welcomed into the safe space of the middle school. Then the decision came, despite parental and staff input to the contrary, to move 6th grade out of the middle school that was built, in part, for them. It was stated that the middle school was over-crowded (funny, since a year prior it was, “almost empty”). Parents, staff, community, etc. were told that it was so much better for the 6th grade to be in the elementary schools away from the older middle school students. A BOE director gushed over the, “opportunities,” that Superintendent Witt had created for the 6th grade students at the elementaries. Did you ever consider the opportunities that were stripped from them? In the middle school, 6th grade band students have band five days a week. Art, P.E., Consumer and Family Studies, Choir, STEM classes meet five days a week. They have all academic classes five days a week. In the elementary, they are lucky to have electives two or maybe three days a week. Thanks to the middle school band teacher now having to travel three days a week, 6th grade students get one day of band weekly, which will have a negative impact on the future of the WPSD band program. In the elementary school, science and social studies are not taught every day. 6th grade students no longer are able to join the Forensics team like they have for years, and just when 6th grade students were being added to all middle school sports teams, they get moved out and lose the opportunity.

Now the 7th and 8th graders are losing their entire building. If it wasn’t good for 6th graders to be with the older 7th and 8th graders, how is it good for the 7th and 8th graders to be with juniors and seniors? What considerations have been made regarding this move? The middle school PE program just received equipment to upgrade their fitness room. Where will that new equipment go in the high school building so that the 7th and 8th grade students will be able to utilize it? Will the middle school students really have their own safe space in the high school? Will they still have their beloved teachers and administrators? What about classroom space and storage space? Is there really adequate space in the high school? The high school building has numerous problems due to its age. Will all available space be safe for students? And what about sports programs? At this time, there are 7-8 basketball teams, and depending on numbers, could be as many as 9, practicing and playing games. Middle school practices daily in the middle school gym (with new bleachers that have WP). They play games on Mondays and Wednesdays. High school teams practice in both the North gym and main gym and play games usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays in both gyms. The high school boys and girls, as they have done for decades, already alternate early and late practices. Can you explain how this will work when middle school teams are added in the mix? How are up to 9 teams going to practice and play games in two gyms?! The same goes for the fall with volleyball. The cheer team has to practice after volleyball practices, and in between basketball early and late practices. Baseball has started their preseason practices, and the cheer team now has to shorten their time because the baseball team needs the space. During track season, middle school practices on the middle school track. Will they still be using the middle school track when they are housed in the high school? If so, will the district be bussing them each afternoon to the middle school? What kind of costs will be incurred in order to provide for middle school and high school teams.? Can you explain how this is even fair to WPMS and WPHS students and athletes? Can you explain how it’s ok for Merit to have 10 kids in a class, but when the middle school only had 25 kids in classes, it wasn’t enough?

For the past two plus years, it has appeared that, although the BOE is the board of WPSD, it has done everything in its power to benefit Merit Academy at the expense of WPSD schools, particularly WPMS. Now, please understand that I am all for school choice; I’m in support of having a charter school. But I am not in support of how the BOE has worked to destroy WPMS. Most charter schools are not given a building that is already in use, and then push out the students that are using that building. What has been done is wrong. It is decisions like this, without thought, without staff, parent, student, and community input or support, that continue to create strife. It is also decisions like this that continue to put Merit Academy at odds with WPSD parents, students, and staff; not because of Merit, but because of the actions of the WPSD BOE.

With sadness,

Laurie Gutierrez
Community member, taxpayer, former WPSD student, former WPSD staff member

Dissenting opinion on school board decision | Guest column

A guest column in the Courier, written by our newest school board member Keegan Barkley:

It is 4 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 and I am wide awake. My conscience allowed me to fall asleep easily but my frustration woke me early. Superintendent Ken Witt’s contract was extended last night by a 3-2 vote in what, in my opinion, was a confusing and disorganized special board meeting. I feel it is my duty to the community to explain my dissenting vote. 

Nothing about this contract renewal followed best practices or ensured it was in the best interest of district families, teachers, and taxpayers. As a specialist in talent acquisition, I work with employee contracts daily. Contract renewals are negotiations that include honest conversations with the hiring manager, finance department, and human resources. Contract renewals require objective performance reviews. Contract renewals usually consider feedback from someone’s peers and subordinates. None of that happened last night.

In fact, the opposite happened. Because of the way the agenda was written, we were not legally allowed to negotiate Mr. Witt’s proposed contract while in executive session. We were not legally allowed to discuss the performance of the employee or the petition against the renewal signed by over 300 parents and community members, and we were not legally allowed to propose any changes to the contract. Our only options were to postpone the vote or to vote that evening.

Despite the fact we, as a Board, had only minutes ago received the contract, and the current contract is not up until June 3, board members chose to legally bind our school district and all the taxpayers who support it, to a 2-year contract extension. A contract with guaranteed salary increases each year when we do not offer the same to our teachers. 

We had the opportunity to start mending the cracks that have formed in our community – to do our due diligence in examining what our district needs to move forward successfully. To show the community who elected us that we can rise above our differences by undertaking a robust, objective examination of our superintendent’s contract and performance. Instead, another contract was rubber stamped with no consideration for the ramifications on the families who depend on us to think critically, not politically. 

This approach is irresponsible. It is not fiscally conservative or transparent, and it is not in the best interest of this district or our community. 

Board policy states the board shall:

1. Represent and govern the district by determining and verifying district/superintendent performance.

2. Ensure input from students, staff, parents and other citizens as a means to link to the entire community.

3. Develop and modify as needed written governing policies.

4. Ensure superintendent performance through monitoring District Purpose Statement and executive expectations policies.

5. Ensure board performance through monitoring governance process and board/superintendent staff relationship policies.

I will adhere to my duties, and I thank the other board member willing to put in the effort last night.

Keegan Barkley