The East Grand School District Board of Education accepted board president Ed Raegner’s resignation at a meeting Tuesday, March 4. His resignation is effective March 17, and the board will be soliciting applications to fill the open spot.

Raegner’s term was slated to end in November 2025, but he was recently elected to the Grand County Board of Commissioners and has been serving on that board since being sworn in Jan. 14.

In addition to filling the empty seat, the school board will have to appoint a new president at a future meeting. Raegner has served on the school board since 2012 representing District 3. The six people on the East Grand school board represent different geographic areas of the school district, and each director must live within that district.

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Members of the school board give the superintendent direction on topics such as procedures, policies, curriculum and budget. The new board member will be be working alongside other passionate community members and East Grand Superintendent Brad Ray.

Raegner said he originally joined the school board because someone had reached out to him about an open position following a resignation. At the time, Raegner was serving on the board of Grand Kids Learning Center.

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“I felt like with my business experience, executive experience, that I can really help make a difference,” Raegner said.

While serving on the school board, he worked on a mill levy override ballot measure, which raised funds meant for teacher recruitment and retainment. The $1 million increase went toward benefits and programs that aimed to enhance teacher’s lives. The board also worked on the construction of the new Granby Elementary School and other construction projects, such as Middle Park High School’s new Career Center building.

Raegner said he’s particularly proud of the revival of the Homegrown Talent Initiative, which pairs local employers with high school students to create career connections and help students develop job-readiness skills. More than 150 students and around 75 businesses have participated in the partnership.

“There was a program like this many, many years ago, but it faded into the sunset, so we re-created the (Homegrown Talent Initiative) to meet the modern workplace,” Raegner said.

Whoever steps up to fill the spot from District 3 will get a deep sense of accomplishment by serving on the board, Raegner said.

In addition to feeling accomplished, Raegner said board members walk away from their time served with better communications skills from speaking to community members and school staff.

Someone with experience in administrative work, organizing large groups and budgeting — along with a connection to the school district — would make a great potential board member, according to Raegner.

“I think you have to have a passion for the community. I think you have to have a passion for excellence and be appreciative of, you know, hard work and understanding that just what teachers deal with on a daily basis — it is a hard job, and it’s sometimes thankless,” Raegner said.

Anyone who is interested in serving on the school board can reach out to Board of Education Secretary and District Office Manager Amanda Cross at amanda.cross@egsd.org. The person who fills the District 3 spot will serve on the board until November 2025, when elections take place.