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St. Vrain board announces principal hires and new Mead preK–8 campus opening in fall 2026
Summary
Superintendent and HR leaders said the district has broken ground on a new preK–8 campus in Mead, set to open fall 2026, and introduced principals Josh Barnett (new preK–8) and Dustin Cady (Mead High School principal, effective July 1).
Superintendent Dr. Haddad told the board on March 12, 2025, that the district has broken ground on a new preK–8 campus in the Mead area and expects the school to open in fall 2026. The superintendent said the district will host a community meeting in May to discuss logistics, boundaries, naming, colors and mascot and that the community will provide recommendations to the board for final decisions.
Amanda Thompson introduced Mr. Josh Barnett as principal of the new preK–8 school. Barnett, the current principal at Mead Middle School, told the board he is “incredibly honored” to lead the new building and noted his long tenure in the district. Thompson’s remarks summarized Barnett’s background: degrees from University of Illinois and Ohio University, a master’s in instruction and curriculum from the University of Colorado Boulder, principal licensure from the University of Northern Colorado, and 17 years in St. Vrain Valley Schools including 17 years as principal at Mead Middle School.
The board also approved the hire of Mr. Dustin Cady as principal of Mead High School, effective July 1, 2025. Amanda Thompson introduced Cady and outlined his credentials, including a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, a master’s degree in culturally and linguistically diverse education from Colorado State University Pueblo and principal licensure completed at Western Colorado University. Cady said he was drawn to St. Vrain because of “high standards of excellence” and described Mead High as offering AP and concurrent-enrollment courses as well as career-focused pathways.
Board members asked Barnett and Cady follow-up questions about school culture, community engagement and continuity with feeder schools; comments emphasized collaboration between the new preK–8 campus and the high school to create mentorship and leadership opportunities. The superintendent said boundary details and community meetings would be announced in May and that the board will make final decisions on naming and related items.
