At its monthly meeting, the Mancos RE-6 school board expressed gratitude to the community for passing the mill levy, heard its first student board report of the school year, and received an update from the superintendent on her first 100 days in the district.
Superintendent Audrey Hazleton opened the meeting by thanking the community for supporting the mill levy and those who promoted it to voters.
According to unofficial election results, the 10-mill property tax override passed with 61.16% of the vote. Opposition totaled 38.84%.
The mill levy will raise teacher salaries and help the district attract and retain quality educators. Mancos currently offers the region’s lowest starting teacher salary. A committee of parents, staff and community members will be formed to help allocate the funds and monitor the process.
Two new board members were elected, according to unofficial results. Kira Taylor and Craig McClure will replace board President Emily Hutcheson-Brown and Victor Figueroa, who were not reelected. Taylor and McClure will join Rachel McWhirter, Tim Hunter and Craig Benally.
Taylor received 28.95% of the vote; McClure received 27.84%.
“I am grateful for the trust that Mancos voters have placed in me, and I will work hard to serve this community with integrity, transparency and a collaborative spirit,” Taylor told The Journal. “I'm really looking forward to all we can accomplish together over the next four years.”
Taylor is a former fifth grade teacher at Manaugh Elementary School and a local business owner. She has a son in the Mancos Early Learning Center. McClure has two children in the district and taught emergency medical responder classes as an adjunct instructor at Pueblo Community College for two years.
He also served as a volleyball coach and was a member of the SRO and safety committees.
“I am honored and proud the voters of Mancos will allow me to serve as a member of the Board of Education,” McClure said. “Mancos is a special place and I look forward to representing the students, staff, parents and community as we work to ensure our schools are the best possible environment for successful learning and growth. I encourage everyone to engage in the process, be heard and hold the board and leadership accountable.”
As of the meeting, Taylor and McClure had not yet been sworn in.
Following the mill levy discussion, the board heard its first student board report of the 2025-26 school year from Rhett Brown. Brown said he and fellow student board member Greta Thompson (not present) created a Google survey to distribute to students.
The survey will allow students to share ideas and feedback on school experiences. Once the survey closes, students will rank submissions for Thompson and Brown to present to the board.
After Brown’s report and the District Accountability Committee’s update, Hazleton delivered her 100-day report.
She reflected on her experiences and insights since becoming superintendent and offered three recommendations for moving forward.
The first two involved revisiting the district’s mission and vision, which she described as “not an overnight process.” She proposed simplifying both with community input and embedding the Portrait of a Graduate and other core values to better integrate them into classroom instruction.
Her third recommendation was to refine the strategic plan.
The board approved all three recommendations and celebrated the hiring of a new math teacher.
The next Mancos school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m.
