Band director tells Estes Park board his contract will not be renewed, asks to stay while union review proceeds

Nicholas Spears, the band director for Estes Park Middle School and Estes Park High School, told the Estes Park School District R‑3 board at its May 18 meeting that he had been informed his contract would not be renewed for the 2026–27 school year and that the decision would be confirmed by the board that evening.

Spears said he learned of the district’s decision in a meeting with administrators after the district’s recent concert season and that the issue did not appear on the public agenda for the board meeting. “A contract represents trust and agreements to move forward together in service of our students,” he said, arguing that removing a band director at this stage of the year risks disrupting camps, marching band rehearsals and fall season planning.

Spears told the board he had already signed a contract for next year and that his union representatives were reviewing both the contract and the circumstances surrounding the non‑renewal. He said he has started a written action plan to address the concerns raised and asked the board to allow him to continue while those concerns are evaluated so students and programs are not harmed.

Board members did not take a public action on Spears’s employment during the meeting. The public comment occurred under the meeting’s public‑participation item; the board did not announce a separate personnel vote or formal outcome on the record during the session.

The board meeting transcript records Spears’s statement and the chair’s facilitation of the public‑comment procedure. Spears said the union review was ongoing and did not provide additional specifics about the nature of the concerns. The board did not provide immediate comment on personnel next steps at the meeting; follow‑up would be governed by district personnel processes and collective‑bargaining procedures.