Estes Park School District R-3 interviews superintendent finalists, moves to executive session to begin contract talks

The Estes Park School District R-3 Board of Education held a special meeting April 16, 2026, to interview finalists for the district’s superintendent position and then moved into executive session to begin contract negotiations.

Board members opened the meeting at 2:50 p.m., conducted a roll call and approved the agenda before starting a public interview forum in which finalists each had 45 minutes. Chris, who conducted roll call and meeting business, invited public feedback through a QR code on the district website.

During the public interviews, candidate Mr. Grebs described touring district facilities, praised local staff members’ multiple roles and said he would begin by reviewing existing accountability systems and the strategic plan. “You set high goals and then you make those measurements,” Mr. Grebs said, describing his approach to performance management. He emphasized community outreach, restorative practices with trained volunteers and partnerships with local law enforcement to facilitate restorative conversations, and said restorative practices should not replace disciplinary consequences.

Candidate Mr. Casey said meeting students on the tour was a highlight and emphasized data-driven accountability that supports improvement rather than punitive enforcement. “The data doesn’t lie,” Mr. Casey said, adding that his role would be to help remove roadblocks and ensure staff have time and resources to lead instruction. He described professional learning communities, coaching tied to curriculum rollouts, and inclusive practices such as co-teaching and differentiation to support special education and multilingual learners.

Both candidates discussed the district’s facility master plan and acknowledged strong community attachments to school buildings; each said early and ongoing public engagement is important when facility changes are considered. Both candidates also addressed recruitment and retention in a high-cost area, saying compensation is important but that workplace culture, support, autonomy and clear communication also influence whether staff stay.

Following the open interviews, the board moved, seconded and voted to enter executive session under Colorado statutes cited in the record to meet with and instruct the superintendent search consultants and to begin contract negotiations with one or more finalists. Director Shocket made the motion; Director Wis seconded. A roll call recorded four affirmative votes from the board.

The board entered executive session at about 5:22 p.m. and reconvened in open session at 7:14 p.m. The board announced its next regular meeting for Monday, April 20, 2026, at 5:15 p.m. at Town Hall and adjourned.

No formal hiring decision or contract terms were announced in open session. The executive session notice in the meeting record cites state statutes authorizing private meeting to discuss negotiation strategy.