On Monday, the Mancos school board heard from residents and students regarding a teacher, received the data on their mill levy survey and discussed their superintendent search.
The meeting started with a packed board room of parents, staff and students waiting to address the board regarding two staff members whose contracts, they said, were not renewed for the 2025-26 school year. These staff members, Meagan Higinbotham and Jason Coullier, work as a seventh/eighth grade English teacher and mechanic/bus driver, respectively.
Students also voiced sadness that Higinbotham might not teach in the middle school.
After the meeting, Superintendent Todd Cordrey and board President Emily Hutcheson-Brown cleared up some to the confusion surrounding Higinbotham’s and Coullier’s contract renewals.
“Megan and Jason will have a position with the school district next year,” Cordrey said. “It’s just that their positions may be different from their current position. Megan may be moving from a seventh and eighth grade English language arts teacher to a behavioral interventionist, and Jason might just be moving from a bus driver and mechanic to a bus driver solely.”
Budget recommendations are planned for the board meeting on Monday, May 19. The board will have to vote for these reassignments to take place.
“No matter what, we're really pleased that both of them will be with the district, because they're both high level people that bring that really advance our culture and really serve our kids well,” Cordrey said.
People attending the meeting thought that was Higinbotham being let go. Higinbotham’s eighth grade daughter, identified as Poppy, spoke to the board through tears.
“I am not coming here because she is my mother, but because she has changed so many lives,” Poppy said.
Other students, Tyla, Riley, Thomas, David, Andreas, Jennifer, Liliana, Mitchell and more echoed Poppy, saying that Higinbotham had helped them go from failing classes to having A’s and B’s and that she was someone they could talk to during their difficult days. Many shared that Higinbotham was the “best teacher” they had ever had. Some sixth grade students said they were looking forward to being in her classroom.
Parents and staff addressed rumors surrounding talk about Higinbotham and Coullier.
Some said they had heard the board was watching teachers “under a microscope” and more.
Brad Higinbotham also raised questions, saying Meagan Higinbotham had been a trusted adult at the school and helped to create “a culture of belonging.”
Seventh and eighth grade math teacher Matt Redford told the board that the decision surrounding Higinbotham was “ill-informed” and based on a single performance review and a performance plan was never discussed if improvements needed to be made.
Tiffany Aspromonte, secondary academic/registrar, urged those in attendance to look at facts.
“We are assuming the worst about our family,” Aspromonte said. “Don’t make assumptions that could cause more damage. This isn’t how we treat our family.”
After citizen comments, board President Hutcheson-Brown said she would “break protocol” to allow the board to talk about the comments.
Both Rachel McWhirter and Victor Figueroa said they wanted to see documentation on the evaluations. Figueroa added that he wanted those spreading rumors to be held accountable.
“When they said the board was watching teachers, I want to know who said that, because the board doesn’t do that,” Figueroa said.
Craig Benally noted the destructive nature of rumors, adding that it was insulting to assume the board was doing questionable things behind the scenes.
“We can’t let rumors tear us apart,” he said. “We’re not that kind of community. We shouldn’t be.”
Hutcheson-Brown expressed her pride in students coming and being brave enough to use their voice. She also condemned the rumors.
The board then moved to updates on their superintendent search. The board has received seven applicants and 17 responses from stakeholders who wish to be part of the committee who helps select a new superintendent.
The board heard from Ryan Winger of Magellan Strategies regarding the results of the school district’s ballot measure survey. The survey was active from April 1-15 and 227 registered voters participated.
Out of the respondents, 68% said they would vote in support of the 10-mill levy for staff salary increases, 23% said no, and 9% had no opinion. According to Winger, the mill levy, if passed, would raise property taxes by $23.70 per household per month for a home valued at $400,000.
Winger told the board that it was rare to see such a high percentage of people willing to support a ballot measure of this kind.
The board will meet again for their regular meeting on Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. They will also hold a special meeting with the potential for an executive session on Thursday, May 1.
