Public commenters press board over 0‑hour changes; board adopts resolution backing adequate, equitable Colorado school funding

Public commenters on Feb. 10 urged the Steamboat Springs School Board to preserve the high school’s 0‑hour program, and several speakers described the program as important to student-athletes and students balancing work and other responsibilities. Later in the meeting the board unanimously adopted a resolution urging state attention to adequacy and equity in Colorado school funding.

Parent Scott Kemp told the board he had attended a SAC (School Accountability Committee) meeting and found community outreach lacking: “Equity is not a 0 sum game. Promoting equity for one group does not mean you must take away from another group,” Kemp said, arguing that removing 0‑hour opportunity would disadvantage students who rely on in‑person classes early in the day.

Jillian Morris, a public commenter, said the 0‑hour change arrived quickly and without sufficient community input: “The topic of 0 hour came very fast at this community, and it has been tossed around like a hot potato,” Morris said. She told the board that 0‑hour had long been part of high-school culture and that cutting seats or access “is not creating equity.” Morris and other speakers asked the board to seek more transparent community engagement and to reconsider any reductions in 0‑hour availability.

Board members acknowledged the comments during the meeting’s public‑comment portion and asked staff to follow up. Trustees later moved through routine business and a single action item on the agenda: consideration of a resolution urging the state to act on school‑funding adequacy and equity.

Board member Katie Lee moved to adopt Resolution 20250201 “in support of adequate and equitable funding of Colorado public education.” Cresta seconded the motion. Deb Genesta called the roll; the vote was unanimous (Cresta, Kevin, Laura, Leah and Katie all voted yes) and the resolution was adopted.

Procedural votes earlier in the meeting were also recorded as unanimous: the board approved the agenda, the consent agenda, and the Jan. 27, 2025 meeting minutes. The board also accepted the Reports and Communications receipt vote before moving to later agenda items.

Members of the public and some board members asked staff for additional information and said they want more inclusive outreach before any final programmatic changes to 0‑hour that might affect student schedules and extracurricular participation.