News Editor, News Reporter
District 51 School Board candidates delivered their platform to a concerned audience last Monday at a forum hosted by CMU. The event, a collaboration between CMU’s ASG and local organization Strong Schools, Strong Communities, brought students, teachers and other Grand Junction residents face-to-face with candidates.
“Tonight was about presenting the candidates and to assist the public in making a good decision that is about educating our children and utilizing whatever resources we do have for that purpose,” Rick Langley, Strong Schools, Strong Communities board member said.
Candidates were asked a series of questions concerning local educational issues, some of which were drafted by members of the audience.
“There were a lot of questions regarding budget,” community member Harriet Carpenter said. “I think that’s always a concern.”
Carpenter’s daughter recently left for college after receiving public education from School District 51.
“I feel like she got a stellar education here,” Carpenter said. “I’m just interested in who’s running for the school board so that I feel we’re continuing to have a school district I can be proud of.”
For Strong Schools, Strong Communities, part of maintaining that effective education system means keeping partisan politics out of the school board.
“We have heard so many things about politics being involved, and as many of [the candidates] said tonight, it’s about supporting students and teachers,” said Heather O’Brien, a Strong Schools, Strong Communities board member.
Candidates unanimously agreed that partisan politics weren’t part of a school board member’s job description, but audience members weren’t convinced.
“It’s turned into politics,” Rick Green, a kindergarten teacher at Shelledy Elementary school said. “We’ve had a divided board for the last two years, and I’m hoping we can have a board that will move forward cohesively for the better of the students.”
Greg Mikolai, who is president of the school board and is currently seeking reelection, thinks that the perception of the school board’s division is skewed.
“I think people think that we’ve had a 3-2 split for years now in the school board,” Mikolai said, “and in fact, the truth of the matter is we’ve only had a split vote twice.”
cferganc@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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