The Platte Canyon School District, operating with a budget in excess of 13 million dollars, and a staff of over a hundred employees is the largest organization and employer in the Bailey area. Whether you have children in the district or not, the actions of the district, the school board, and especially the school superintendent directly affect your tax dollars and your community at large.
Typically, a local board of education is elected by the voters in their community. That is not the case for the current board of education for the Platte Canyon School District RE1. The majority of the current board members were either appointed or ran uncontested in previous elections. As a result, the members of the community have an increased responsibility to monitor and be aware of the decisions and actions of the school board.
One of the most important roles of a board of education is to hire the superintendent of the district. For 17 years the district has been administered by Dr. James Walpole. With his retirement last year, the board was tasked with the responsibility of selecting a new superintendent.
• The current superintendent is the highest paid person in the school district.
• The superintendent sets the tone for the district and has broad executive power.
• The superintendent is responsible for the budget and the hiring and firing of district employees.
There were 3 candidates for the position: Former Platte Canyon High School Principal, Mr. Brian Krause, current Fitzsimmons Middle School Principal, Mr. Rim Watson, and former Pueblo County School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brenda Krage
The school board hired Dr. Brenda Krage. Here are some things you should know about her:
• She lives in Pueblo and has no immediate plans to move to the Bailey community.
• At approximately $120,000 annually (her salary is not listed in the district salary schedule), she is being paid considerably more than Dr. James Walpole was earning for the same position (approximately $65,000 annually).
• She has altered long held district procedure to make it more difficult for the public to gain access to information regarding personnel decisions within the district.
• She placed her main rival for the Superintendent position, Mr. Rim Watson, on administrative leave…and had him escorted out of the school under police supervision when students were present.
• She then (in an anonymous email to parents) publicly appointed Mr. Rim Watson’s replacement for the 2016/2017 school year without ever posting the position to attract interested, licensed applicants or conducting a single interview for the specific position. The appointed individual is someone she knew from her previous employment in Pueblo.
• At a salary of $80,000 annually, the middle school principal position is the 3rd highest paid position in the district.
• The new “interim principal” applied for a “Curriculum and Assessment” position (a position which also does not exist in the current district salary schedule, but is most likely around a $40,000-$50,000 annual salary.)
• With the public and shameful removal of Mr. Rim Watson, she (with the board), has instilled a new culture of fear within the district. Platte Canyon District staff are hesitant to speak out publicly for fear of retribution.
Recent events within the Platte Canyon School District administration warrant a closer look. It rests with the members of this community to be aware of how our tax dollars are spent in the largest organization in Bailey.
The original School Board Meeting was to be held on Monday June 13th at 6:00pm but they changed it to THIS MONDAY May 23rd at 6:00pm at the District Office Board Room! Please come and find out what is going on!
Bryan Curtis -Concerned Parent, Community Member, and Platte Canyon Graduate-
