The Way Forward is Together
A Message to Families from WP School Board Candidate Kassidi Gilgenast
Our community stands at a crossroads. Over the past four years, we have witnessed unprecedented challenges that have tested our small town community and divided families who share the same fundamental desire: the best possible future for our kids.
I speak to you not just as a candidate, but as a parent who has felt the sting of these past four years personally. In March 2023, our sixth graders were suddenly moved from the middle school back to elementary schools without any community input or consultation with teachers. Then, in January 2024, came the announcement via email on a Friday afternoon that our remaining middle schoolers—seventh and eighth graders—would be moved into the high school. As a volleyball coach at the high school for over a decade, I was deeply concerned about what this move would mean for our athletics programs. The logistics of sharing gyms, fields, and practice spaces between high school and middle school programs were not fully considered before the decision was made putting a huge burden on our coaches and administrators.
But it was when the decision was made to close Gateway Elementary—announced via email on another Friday afternoon in March of 2024 again without any prior community input or discussion—that I felt the deepest sense of loss. This wasn't just about a business decision on a building—it was about a community hub with deep roots, a place where our kids learned and grew together, where families connected and supported each other. More than that, it was about how the decision was made: behind closed doors, without regard for prior survey feedback, announced when families were least able to respond, with no opportunity for dialogue or consideration of alternatives. It's true that tough decisions have to be made in the face of declining enrollment, but even difficult choices can be handled with transparency, compassion, and respect for the community.
That Gateway closure decision pushed me over the edge and drove me to action—I reached out to the Board of Education and decided to join the District Accountability Committee because I refused to sit on the sidelines while decisions that affected our children were made without adequate community input or consideration of long-term consequences, and I knew I had skills I could contribute. I decided that I would get busy listening, researching and finding solutions.
My experience is far from unique. Over the past year, I have sought out, sat down with, and heard from dozens of people all across our community that have felt the same frustration: parents, teachers, administrators, students, alumni, elected officials, business owners, nonprofit leaders and community members.
To the parents who watched helplessly as their children were shuffled between buildings, disrupting not just their education but the vital connections and stability your children depend on—I hear you. Your concerns about the impact on your kids and the emotional toll on your families deserve recognition and acknowledgement.
To the families who felt their voices weren't heard in board meetings, who experienced decisions being made without meaningful input from the community—your sense of powerlessness was real. I've sat in those meetings. I've felt that discouragement.
To the teachers—both current and retired—who have dedicated their careers to educating our kids and watched their beloved district become unrecognizable, I’ve seen your heartbreak. You've witnessed the erosion of the collaborative, supportive environment and culture you helped build over decades of service.
To the Woodland Park alumni here and who have returned home to find their alma mater fractured and divided, who no longer recognize the district that shaped their own futures—your sense of loss for what once was runs deep. Our schools have been the heart of this community for decades. You remember when Friday night football games brought the whole town together and when teachers knew families for generations.
And to all of us who have watched close friends, neighbors and colleagues flee our district, taking their children and their talents elsewhere because they could no longer bear the conflict and dysfunction—we feel the devastating loss of community members who should still be here, enriching our schools and our town.
Understanding All Our Families
I also recognize the very real concerns of Merit Academy families and leaders, and I want to recognize the success you've achieved. Your school's growth, academic gains, and strong culture didn't happen by accident—they're the result of dedicated leadership, perseverant families, and a clear educational vision. Your founders have shown remarkable resilience in building something important for families seeking a classical education.
From the conversations I have had with Merit families, I know many of you didn't make the choice of charter education lightly or as a first option. You sought other alternatives because you felt unheard by previous administrations, because your concerns about educational approaches or district decisions weren't being addressed. We are fortunate that school choice has been a cornerstone of education in Colorado for decades and gives families the option to pursue the best educational path for their children, and for many families in our community that path leads to Merit Academy.
It's important to acknowledge that due to lack of transparency, community engagement and failure to address conflicts of interest with both the superintendent and district’s legal representation, many people feel that Merit Academy has been unfairly favored at times. In the absence of information, rumors abound. It is also no secret that many Merit Academy families fear that a change in board leadership might result in some kind of retaliation—or that their school could be shut down or pushed out of the district. The oftentimes negative rhetoric in the community only deepens this fear.
I want to be clear: supporting Merit Academy's success doesn't mean shortchanging our traditional public schools. Both can thrive. No parent should have to feel the way that Gateway families felt when their beloved school was closed, and I don’t wish that on any of the families in our district. The role of the board is to ensure that both receive appropriate support and oversight while maintaining fairness and accountability to all taxpayers and district families.
To every family in our district, regardless of where your children attend school: you are not adversaries. You are neighbors who share the same streets, shop at the same stores, and cheer at the same Friday night football games and homecoming parades. You are fellow parents doing your best, united by the simple truth that we all want our children to thrive and succeed.
Taking Accountability and Finding Real Solutions
Moving forward requires more than acknowledgment, it requires accountability and concrete action. The health of this district isn’t measured solely by academic performance and test scores, but also by a number of key performance indicators including community engagement, fiscal responsibility, enrollment, teacher retention and post-graduation success. The Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility to this community that goes far beyond rubber-stamping superintendent recommendations. Board members must know and understand board policy, ask tough questions, require data-driven justifications for major decisions, and ensure comprehensive community engagement before making choices that affect our kid's futures. When a school closure is announced on a Friday afternoon in an email without prior community input, that's not just poor communication—it's a failure of governance.
Real solutions don't emerge from defending past mistakes, shifting blame or filing empty lawsuits. They come from leaders who understand that transparency isn't just good practice—it's essential for maintaining community trust. They come from board members who will hold the superintendent accountable for both the health of the district in educational outcomes and community engagement processes. They come from governance that recognizes the superintendent works for the community, not the other way around.
The Broader Impact on Our Community
The pain extends beyond individual families to our entire community. We watched as the breakdown in trust between the school district and city council cost us dearly—the loss of city sales tax that could have supported our schools for years to come. Many parents and community members, myself included, advocated to keep that tax in place right up to the end, holding out hope that the district could get it right because we understood what was at stake for our schools. When the district’s financial audit findings were finally released and it became clear that taxpayers would be beholden to a resolution that had not been publicly discussed, I was devastated by the impossible choice our city councilmembers had to make.
Both the will of the voters and independent efforts of local leaders and citizens that followed the sales tax decision such as the WPSDForward Task Force showcase the commitment that this community has to forging the path ahead. If we're going to rebuild crucial relationships with local governments, explore new revenue streams and invest in local partnerships, we have to be willing to set aside our pride and work together.
I also want to acknowledge the legitimate concerns that our community voiced in previous elections. Many in Teller County were genuinely worried about trends they observed around the country including declining patriotism in schools, political agendas being pushed in classrooms, and educational approaches that didn't align with their family values. These were and remain real concerns from community members and parents, myself included. As a military wife of an active duty Green Beret with over 17 years of honorable service, it’s important to me that our district is a reflection of our Teller County community– patriotic Americans who love their country, understand the founding principles of our Constitution, and appreciate the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy. We can ensure that parents remain the primary educators of their children and have a voice in their education, and we can also make sure that all of our kids feel safe and welcome.
To those families who worry about change: I hear you. My commitment is to ensure all families—regardless of their perspective—have a voice and feel respected in our district, that we can build on our recent academic progress, and that the decisions we make will be steady, deliberate and intentional.
Vision Over Division: The Courage to Be Vulnerable
One of the things I love most about this community is coaching both Parks & Recreation and club sports, where all kids can come together regardless of which school they attend. In those moments—on the volleyball court, on the field, in team huddles—I see what's possible when we focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. Kids from across our community - including traditional public school, charter school, private school and homeschool families all working together, building friendships, and creating a stronger sense of community. They set aside their differences and focus on common goals.
If our children can do this, so can we as adults.
Our kids are watching. They see the tension in board meetings and on social media. They hear the frustration in our voices. They witness us struggling to find common ground. What are we teaching them about how communities solve problems together?
Healing requires vulnerability. It demands that we acknowledge where we've fallen short, where we’ve made mistakes, where we've allowed assumptions to replace conversations, and where we've chosen sides instead of seeking solutions.
I'm asking each of us to take the hard step of seeing the parent across the aisle not as an opponent, but as someone who loves their children as fiercely as we love ours. Can we find the courage to listen—really listen—to concerns that might make us uncomfortable?
A Clear Path
The way forward isn't about choosing winners and losers. It's about vision over division—creating a school district where every family feels valued, heard, and respected. Where all of our families have advocates on the board. Where decisions are made transparently, with genuine community input, and with the understanding that we're stronger when we work together.
This means rebuilding trust through transparency—no more decisions behind closed doors. No more surprises. No more fear. Community members deserve to understand not just what decisions are made, but why they're made and how community input shaped them.
I'm not asking you to forget the pain of the past four years. I'm asking you to help ensure we learn from it.
I'm not asking charter school families to stop advocating for school choice. I'm asking you to let go of your fear and help us build bridges instead of walls.
I'm not asking anyone to compromise their core values. I'm asking all of us to remember that our neighbors' children matter as much as our own.
The healing starts with each of us. It starts when we choose to see complexity and nuance instead of choosing sides. It starts when we decide that the future of our community matters more than the score of past battles.
Moving Forward Together
Woodland Park School District deserves leadership that brings people together rather than driving them apart. Leadership that listens more than it speaks. Leadership that sees challenges as opportunities to grow stronger as a community.
As a parent who has felt the sting of rushed decisions, as a coach who has worked with hundreds of our students, as a volunteer who loves this community deeply, as a business executive who understands strategic planning and budget management and as a member of the District Accountability Committee who has done the work and seen firsthand how we got here—I can bring the experience, connection and skills needed to lead us forward.
Our kids deserve to grow up in a community where adults model problem-solving, compassion, and collaboration. Where different doesn't mean enemy. Where we prove that people with different perspectives can work together toward common goals.
The way forward isn't about going back to how things were. It's about building something better—together.
Let’s choose hope over fear, unity over division, and collaboration over conflict. Let's work together to develop a new strategic plan and expect more from the board that will lead our district into the future.
Our kids are counting on us. Our community is depending on us.
For Woodland Park School District, the way forward is together.
#visionoverdivision
Kassidi Gilgenast is a mom, coach, military wife, volunteer, board president, community leader, business executive and 10-year resident of Woodland Park, CO running for the Woodland Park School District RE-2 Board of Education. She is a mom of two children and has been involved in Woodland Park’s schools since 2014. The election will be held on November 4, 2025.
Donate to Kassidi’s Campaign - every dollar helps!