Aten thanked staff members, teachers and his leadership team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have not served with a better group of educators in my 32 years in our profession,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve been heroic and hardworking.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then took off his black jacket emblazoned with the school district logo, laid it on the table, took off his name tag and laid it on the jacket, and thanked his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of all I want to thank my bride, who\u2019s been beside me for 35 years. Love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then walked out of the room.<\/p>\n
Two residents spoke at the meeting on Aten\u2019s behalf, including Bruce Evans, chief of the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would ask the board to slow down on this decision,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Evans noted that Aten partnered with Upper Pine fire to get teachers vaccinated for COVID-19 a month before other districts in the state. Aten also attended every meeting of the local task force convened to study and act on the issue of youth suicides in La Plata County, Evans said, and there have been no recent youth deaths by suicide recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would not trade the speed of a decision for the accuracy of a decision,\u201d Evans said, noting that interrupting leadership in the middle of the school year could be disruptive for students.<\/p>\n