Initial Vote Process Ignites Claims of Violating Open Meeting Laws
Trevor Phipps
The Woodland Park RE-2 District School Board last month gained a vacant seat, following the sudden resignation of Mick Bates, a well-known community figure and former leader of the local GOP Party.
Bates also served as the former school board president during a rather turbulent political period.
In a move that surprised some government observers, the board didn’t waste time searching for a new school member to fill this vacancy, as they promptly posted notices to apply for the open school board spot quickly, after Bates’ resignation was accepted.
The board allowed two weeks for applications to get submitted to fill the open spot. In the end, the board voted unanimously to appoint Robb Davidson to fill a spot on the elected panel. Davidson was sworn in during a recent board meeting. His term will extend until November 2027.
However, the process to fill the open seat didn’t occur without any hiccups. During a special meeting scheduled on Feb. 4 to interview applicants and appoint a new board member, resident (and a frequent speaker at school board meetings) Nathan Williams claimed that the board violated open meetings laws.
The complaint came about due to the fact that the board received a total of seven applications for the open position but only invited four of them to be interviewed during the special meeting. Williams (who was one of the three applicants not picked for an interview) claimed that this procedure violated law, by not interviewing all the applicants publicly. He also stated that he felt this decision went against the board’s promise to rebuild trust within the community.
Once Williams made his claim, the board took a quick break to consult their attorney. When Board President Keegan Barkley returned to the meeting, she told the crowd that she made the decision to interview the top four applicants as a way to save time and make the board meetings shorter.
After the seven applications were submitted, each board member picked their top three candidates. They then used these results in e-mails to choose which four applicants to publicly interview.
But after Williams’ complaint, the board made the decision to invite the other three candidates to be interviewed during another special meeting they called on Feb. 6. Williams was interviewed during the meeting on Feb. 4, and the other two candidates refused an offer for an interview on Feb. 6.
The board then moved the official appointment matter to the Feb. 6 meeting. During that meeting, they unanimously picked Davidson to fill the seat after interviewing five of the seven applicants. He was officially sworn in during the regular board meeting, which took place on Feb. 11.
Davidson Seeks to Assist Board with Key Decisions
Davidson sports an impressive resume, including a 35-year stint as a civilian with the Air Force Academy. He has also worked with the Pikes Peak Business and Education Alliance to help local students connect with businesses for internships.
Davidson has strong connections to the community, the school district and the district’s sole charter school, Merit Academy. Both of Davidson’s children graduated from the school district. They now both teach at the district’s high school.
During his interview, Davidson emphasized his experience working with Merit Academy through his internship work. He also cited a desire to improve relations between Merit Academy and the school district/board. With a new board, a growing perception exists in the community that a less than friendly relationship now exists between the current RE-2 Board and the Merit Academy.
“It’s recognized by most that there are opportunities for improvement,” Davidson said about the partnership between Merit and the district. “And the potential of this relationship with Merit Academy has yet to be achieved. There is a lot of potential in this relationship. If selected to be a board member, I would work with leadership to stabilize relations, encourage hope and regain trust.”
Before the board issued their vote, board member Carol Greenstreet applauded Davidson’s experience with Merit Academy. She also appreciated the fact that he had a prior relationship with the board, helping them facilitate a recent board planning retreat.
Now that Davidson was picked over the six other applicants he will soon be put to work, as the board faces some big decisions in the next few months. The new school board, which took their seats last November, face major issues, such as budgeting the district’s finances and hiring a permanent superintendent.
Davidson will now be a part of the decision-making process to figure out the school’s budget going forward, including the future of the district’s Gateway Elementary School after it was closed by the previous board and superintendent prior to the ’24-’25 school year. He will also play a role in hiring the district’s next permanent superintendent, a process that will soon enter the official interview stage.
