Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A grant writer for the three Routt County school districts may be hired as soon as Monday, district officials said.

A selection committee of Steamboat Springs School District Superintendent Donna Howell and South Routt School District Superintendent Kelly Reed has interviewed four candidates for the grant-writing position, which works for all three Routt County school districts.

"The intent of the position is to have somebody who can write grants to get additional funding for the school districts and to generate funds for all three districts," Howell said. "This position has been in place for a number of years, financed by the Education Fund Board, and supervised by me."

The grant writer position was vacated in May when Lane Malone resigned to become the director of development at the Lowell Whiteman School.

Howell said Reed is out of town, but he has conducted interviews via-phone. She expects two finalists to be chosen either today or Monday, followed by a conference call early next week with both candidates.

"We have interviewed a total of four people, but we had at least seven, maybe eight or nine who applied," she said. "We narrowed it down to experience and training to four people we interviewed. This is an important position we need filled before the beginning of the school year."

Howell noted the importance of the grant writer position could not be understated. Malone was instrumental in spearheading the three districts' efforts in joining the state's Collaborative Management Program.

The three Routt County school districts will have access to up to $200,000 a year to provide resources for families looking to help re-enroll expelled students into Routt County schools.

Howell also announced the resignation of the district's director of nutritional services, Teresa Wise, who's leaving Steamboat Springs to take a job out of state.

"This is another position we are looking to fill before school starts," she said. "But we are looking at backup plans if the person we choose cannot get out here right away."

- To reach Mike McCollum, call 871-4208

or e-mail mmccollum@steamboatpilot.com