The Gilpin County Schools Board of Education approved Patrick Linnehan as Gilpin County Schools’ next Elementary School Principal after current principal Heather Huntoon’s retirement at the end of this school year.

The Board conducted a final interview with Linnehan at their bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 5. Linnehan is the current elementary school technology teacher . He also works in a math intervention program designed to aid students struggling in the subject. Linnehan began his career at Gilpin County School when he was 24 years old. Now, at 33, he is watching the first students he taught at Gilpin graduate high school.

He briefly described to the Board his work interning for Huntoon over the past year, familiarizing himself with the “business” side of running a school, which includes understanding the budget and managing curricula. He told the Board that his position as a longterm teacher in the school means that he has an advantage with his relationship with staff, parents, and kids in the community that an outside hire would take time to cultivate. While he admits that those relationships may change as he shifts into a position of more authority, Linnehan says he is confident looking ahead to the upcoming school year.

Linnehan told the Board that his son is enrolled in preschool and that his wife is also working as part of the community. The Board unanimously approved Linnenhan for the elementary school principal position.

During the rest of the meeting, Superintendent Dr. David MacKenzie presented a report on school finances, reviewing with the Board sources of revenue in the upcoming year. They also unanimously approved a measure to allow all eligible teachers to see an increase in their salaries in the upcoming school year. Mackenzie also announced that the school was prepared for graduation on May 20.

The Gilpin County Schools Board of Education meets bi-monthy on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Their next meeting will be on June 6, 2023. Board meetings are held in the Gilpin County School Board room at the school at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

For more information go to https://gilpin.k12.co.us/en-US/board-of-education-306258ac.