Woodland Park board pauses proposed 30‑year Merit Academy lease after CFO flags legal and financial risks

Board President Matt paused discussion and said the board would not act on the draft long‑term lease for Merit Academy until district counsel and staff could agree on changes.

The draft lease, which would allow Merit Academy to finance about $3,050,000 in capital work at the Merit building, raised immediate concerns from district finance staff about wording, lender remedies and oversight. "One of the most important things I think when you enter into contracts is who you are entering the contract with," said David Kuritar, chief financial officer for Woodland Park School District RE‑2, who reviewed Merit’s audited statements and five‑year forecast during the meeting.

Kuritar told the board he had redlined the draft and identified several issues that he said need legal and technical fixes before the board can responsibly consider the agreement. He cited the district’s statutory duty on facilities, reading aloud language he identified as Colorado statute CRC "CRS 22‑30‑51046 a" as part of his explanation of why the district must protect facility access and continuity. He also raised operational concerns: the lease as drafted uses "appraised or fair market value" wording Kuritar said should reference assessed value, the draft does not name…