MEEKER | Last week, the Meeker School District Board of Education held a special meeting and work session. The board approved the hiring of Ryan Beauvais of Rangely, Colorado, as a high school English/language arts teacher. They also accepted the resignation of Meeker Elementary School music and art teacher Janelle Dobson. After both action items were addressed, the special meeting adjourned and the board moved into a work session.
The work session began with discussion of final edits to facility use policies. Superintendent Chris Selle explained, “If you employ somebody, and you’re using our facility, you’re running a company, and it may be small, but you’re running the company if you’re collecting fees for something more than just equipment.”
Board members had questions about custodial services and fees for facility use that were addressed by Meeker High School Principal Amy Chinn and Selle.
The board also reviewed proposed changes to graduation requirements, particularly around English, math and Career and Technical Education (CTE) credits.
Sauls suggested a possible compromise for CTE exemptions. “One of our CTE credits is work-based learning, it seemed like it’d be pretty easy to say, get a letter from, your students’ employers they work this many hours, they were satisfactory employees, they showed up that work experience could count as a way to fulfill some of those CTE credits through work-based learning.”
Selle acknowledged the idea but raised concerns about oversight. “The only thing I think of off the top of my head, where you would argue against it, is the school doesn’t control that work based on our environment.”
Chinn shared perspective from past experiences with homeschool credits. “Parents kind of exempt their kids out of things by homeschooling that credit anyway, which we don’t have a lot of control over.”
On overall graduation flexibility, Selle noted, “When I’m talking about this particular issue, I can make a pretty sound argument that says three years of language arts, three years of math and three years of science.”
Later in the meeting, a discussion about changing Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduation requirements led to a broader conversation among school board members and staff about what students should experience in high school.
Right now, students are required to earn two CTE credits. The board is considering lowering that to one. While the change would only affect a small number of students, it sparked a longer conversation about academics, electives and how schools prepare students for the future.
Staff survey results showed strong agreement on core classes. Selle said, “It definitely was clear that they thought we should have four years of English.” He added that support for that requirement was 94.1%. Math requirements were less clear-cut, with 64.7% of staff supporting four years and 35.3% saying three years is enough.
When it comes to CTE, one of the biggest concerns is whether reducing the requirement would hurt participation in those programs. Selle said, “There is a fear that would hurt enrollment in those programs, and there could be a financial impact if reducing the credit results in lower participation.”
Several staff members pointed out that only a small group of students would actually be affected. Selle estimated it is “probably 5-10%, three or four kids in a class.” Chinn added that most students take CTE classes because they want to, not because they have to.
Borchard said her freshman son has benefited from being placed in classes he would not have chosen on his own. “He got placed in art, which would never be what he would ever do, and he’s had a ton of success,” she said. She added that those classes help balance his schedule and prevent burnout while still allowing him to challenge himself academically.
Franklin agreed, saying, “I don’t think it’s broken either,” and shared that being required to take art helped her own child by pushing him in “a very different direction” and benefiting his overall learning.
Teachers also highlighted how CTE courses connect directly to core academics. Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Brenda Hummel said, “What we teach goes off of what core classes also teach,” explaining that students often recognize concepts from science classes in her lessons. She added, “CTE actually takes your stuff like all the other core classes, and we make it applicable in real life,” noting that reducing requirements could limit those real-world connections for students.
Still, some teachers feel strongly that keeping the requirement matters for student growth. Ag education teacher Denee Dinwiddie said students benefit from being pushed outside their comfort zones. “We do not grow outside of our comfort zones, and it is okay to be uncomfortable, even if it is for one semester,” she said. She also added, “It would make me so sad if I saw that there were some kids that didn’t step into my classroom.”
Others argued that strong programs will attract students regardless of requirements. Chinn said participation often depends more on the teacher than the policy. “The participation over the years since I have been here has fluctuated in band because of the person, the teacher, not because of the requirement,” she said.
Some staff questioned whether any change is needed at all. Industrial arts teacher Zach Clatterbaugh said, “I’m not sure why we’re trying to fix something that’s not broken. We’ve been accredited with distinction seven out of the last eight years.” He also noted that the discussion itself has caused tension, saying, “You’re creating a little bit of a divide in the high school.”
Sauls acknowledged the disagreement but encouraged staff to stay united. “I think we have incredible teachers who are really passionate about what they teach, and they’re really passionate about their students,” she said, adding that she hopes the discussion “doesn’t mess with your high school staff dynamics.”
The board has not made a final decision. Selle said he will draft a policy for the board to vote on. “I can write a draft of a policy that you have a recommendation on what you want. I can put it in there. You can vote on it,” he said.
The conversation also briefly shifted to district operations, including hiring updates, budget planning and teacher salaries. Administrators said they are working to fill two open positions and are considering a possible cost-of-living increase for staff, though funding from the state remains uncertain. The district is also addressing a recent audit that requires repayment of about $21,000 to the state.
No decisions were made that evening as the meeting adjourned. The board is expected to vote on the issue at its next meeting March 23 at 7 p.m. at the district office.