Maybe he was wowed by Telluride’s trifecta of awards — Teacher, Superintendent and Athletic Director of the Year. Maybe he was impressed by the top-notch test scores.
Maybe he just wanted to spend a day in the mountains.

Whatever it was, Gov. Bill Ritter will be coming to town to speak at the high school’s commencement ceremonies on May 30, school and town officials said. It’s the first time in recent memory that a sitting governor has given a graduation address in Telluride, where this spring’s biggest-ever senior class still only numbers 57 students.

No matter. Just before spring break, Ritter’s office called Superintendent Mary Rubadeau to tell her the news. She shared it with a group of excited seniors, and council member Lulu Hunt told the rest of the town on Tuesday.

“We’re just thrilled,” Rubadeau said. “It’s just such an honor to have him come out and speak to the kids.”

Hunt seconded the emotion. “I hope he just has great interest in all the great things we’re doing here. I think it’s great.”

Ritter’s press office didn’t return phone messages or e-mails on Thursday to discuss his virgin voyage to valedicere the valley, or just how, in a state with 178 school districts, he’d chosen to speak in this secluded sanctuary of scholasticism.

Here in Telluride, a student/parent graduation committee dreamed up a short list of graduation speakers it wanted to snare. Rubadeau went online to request Ritter’s presence, and then waited for a reply. When she ran into anyone from his office — as school superintendents are wont to do — she’d ask whether Ritter could come to Telluride.

Then, a few days before spring break, she got word that he’d be here. The high school bumped its graduation up to 1 p.m. to accommodate Ritter’s schedule, but aside from that, they weren’t planning on any major alterations.

“We really haven’t changed anything,” Rubadeau said, “other than we’ve dropped him into the keynote slot.”