Community members and students urge board to reconsider nonrenewal of Star Valley High activities director

Dozens of Star Valley High staff, students and community members spoke during public comment at the April 9 Lincoln County School District No. 2 meeting, urging the board to revisit a recent decision not to renew the contract of the high school activities/athletic director.

Speakers included teachers, coaches, alumni and the Star Valley High student council, which submitted a signed letter from 398 students praising the activities director’s work. Several speakers described the director’s hands‑on support for events, facilities and students, and stressed the role the administrator played in building school culture.

“Rob is far more than an athletic director. He is a mentor, role model, and an integral pillar of our community,” the student council wrote in a letter presented at the meeting. Multiple staff members and community speakers recounted examples they said illustrated the director’s commitment: securing storage for equipment, coordinating schedules around arts and athletics, personally distributing medals at state competitions, clearing snow from fields and doing custodial tasks after events. Tammy Nielsen, the high school musical director, told the board she had personally nominated the administrator for a statewide theater administrator honor and described him as “an understanding administrator who values the students I work with.”

Several speakers framed the board’s March 12 personnel vote as a breach of trust with administrators and staff. “When board members exceed their defined responsibilities and make decisions in areas where they lack the necessary expertise…they encroach upon the domain of administrators,” said one speaker reading a letter signed by more than 30 colleagues. Another coach urged the board to “admit when you’re wrong and make it right,” referencing principles from organizational culture literature.

The public speakers generally did not allege illegal conduct; their remarks emphasized the effect of the board’s action on morale, staff trust and community confidence. Speakers asked the board to re‑examine the vote and consider whether the district’s governance practices had eroded staff trust.

Board Chair Simpson acknowledged receipt of the public comments and noted they will be included in the meeting minutes. He also reminded the public that personnel matters are not discussed during public comment and that any further board action would take place in the board’s action process or at a later meeting. No formal board reversal or personnel action occurred at the meeting.

The public comment period lasted approximately 30 minutes; speakers were given two minutes each. The board did not take immediate action on the subject during the meeting. The superintendent and several trustees later said they’d met with individuals who expressed concerns and that administration had addressed some items raised in public comment.

Speakers and petition signers asked the board to consider the effects of the March personnel vote on district culture and to weigh restoring trust with staff. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May, and the board may consider further procedures or action at a future session.