MEEKER | The Meeker School Board of Education met last week for its regular monthly meeting at the district office. Board President Bill de Vergie, Secretary Hanna Borchard, and members Joe Nieslanik and Tony Theos attended the meeting in person. Vice President Tom Allen and member Ann Franklin joined the meeting virtually. Board member Heather Sauls did not attend the meeting and was excused for the evening.
There were no district or student celebrations, but the board held staff recognition. They recognized Meeker School District staff with perfect and outstanding attendance, based on student contact days.
In Superintendent Chris Selle’s report, he shared an update on the 2025–26 school year budget process. He noted that the school district builds its budget with conservative revenue projections and allows for high-side expense estimates, which can sometimes overstate potential spending. Selle also pointed out that recent fund balances have remained steady over the past decade, ranging between $4.2 million and $4.7 million.
“Anytime you are budgeting for a deficit, you are required to adopt a resolution that says, we know that our budget has a deficit in it, and then your appropriations resolution shows what would happen if we spent every penny we have,” stated Selle.
“I mentioned that the expenses budget was $11 million, but this says $16 million. That includes new reserves. We’ve also got bond payments coming up which we continue to build those accounts. That’s why the number at the bottom looks so big — we’re not actually going to spend $32 million,” continued Selle.
There was a resolution approved related to using the beginning fund balance, which is one of the required steps when budgeting for a deficit. Another resolution allowed for the transfer of money from the general fund to the food services fund. The board agreed that although total appropriations may appear large on paper, actual expenditures will be significantly lower due to reserve and bond fund allocations.
Later in the meeting, Selle gave an update regarding a legal complaint filed by an attorney from Pagosa Springs known as Matthew Roane, who is known for targeting small rural entities with open meeting law violations. The complaint was due to a minor omission in the language of a past executive session motion, despite the meeting being publicly listed and recorded. To avoid further legal costs, Meeker School District settled for $3,250. Selle explained it was not anybody’s fault at the school district.
“He regularly engages in activities like this to extort money from small municipalities and school districts. He’s filed over 100 complaints in the state against rural school districts and rural towns. It’s important to say it’s really not the fault of anybody at the school district — this guy’s kind of a predator and he looks for these things to happen in rural school districts,” said Selle.
The board moved on to a hiring update. Currently, Meeker School District is looking for a new principal at Barone Middle School following the resignation of Katie Johnson. The position has been posted through traditional channels, but so far interest has been limited. Selle explained that the administrative team has talked about stepping in to manage responsibilities if no hire is made by late July. He also noted that the middle school is the district’s smallest building and has a veteran staff, which could help an interim.
“Certainly you are going to miss Mrs. Johnson. She was a really good principal, but for family reasons that she outlined in her letter, she feels like she needs to step away,” Selle said.
Some internal staff have expressed interest in pursuing alternative licensure to step into the role, but the district is weighing the impact on classroom coverage and student learning. Meanwhile, the district hired a new art/music teacher at Meeker Elementary School — Janelle Dobson, who is moving from the state of Georgia. She will start this coming school year and is excited to contribute to ongoing efforts in art and music education at the elementary level.
Summer facility projects are underway, with asphalt work among the primary focuses. The district is also considering replacing worn carpet in the middle school music room, though product availability may delay installation until next year. Two new water bottle filling stations will be installed at Barone Middle School, improving student access to clean, cold water throughout the day. The board also discussed maintenance of athletic facilities.
Past engineering assessments have improved the safety of visitor bleachers; the home side has not been inspected since the new high school was constructed. They will continue monitoring the condition of both. Additionally, the board touched on recurring issues with ground squirrels damaging school grounds. Past mitigation efforts, including fumigation, have proven effective, and the district is considering renewed action to protect infrastructure.
Near the end of the meeting, board members discussed the November election and potential vacancies. Some confirmed they plan to run again, while others expressed uncertainty. Selle offered to write a public letter summarizing current board service, highlighting district achievements, and encouraging community members to consider running for open seats. Due to open meetings regulations, any coordinated board communication will occur during official sessions.
The meeting concluded with continued commitment to preparing for the fall semester, supporting students and staff, and ensuring transparency and accountability throughout district operations.