Two incumbents and five newcomers are vying for three seats on the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education this fall.
Board members Cathy Wildman and Dan Jorgensen are both up for re-election, and Mary Lewis’ seat is open because the long-time board member is term limited.
The five newcomers seeking a seat are Grant Barrett, Linda Cerva, Monica Colbert, Billie Day and Michael Donald.
Unlike other districts, APS isn’t split into geographic areas so the top three vote-getters will get seats on the board.
Before being elected, Wildman taught form more than 40 years in elementary, middle and high schools. She retired from APS in 2010.
Jorgensen serves as the Accountability and Research Manager in the Accountability and Data Analysis Unit at the Colorado Department of Education and holds a doctorate in education from University of Denver.
Barrett, who runs a trophy and awards store in Aurora, graduated from APS and now sends his children to the district’s schools.
Board members Cathy Wildman and Dan Jorgensen are both up for re-election, and Mary Lewis’ seat is open because the long-time board member is term limited.
The five newcomers seeking a seat are Grant Barrett, Linda Cerva, Monica Colbert, Billie Day and Michael Donald.
He said he opted to run for the school board — his first crack at elected office — because he believes effective schools are crucial for the city.
“The schools affect so much of our community, I feel like it’s a pretty important piece to have running smoothly,” he said. “Right now our schools are failing our kids.”
Cerva, who works as a tax adviser, is also making her first run for elected office.
While she doesn’t have children in the district, she has godchildren in APS and said she sees the schools as a vital piece of the community.
As for specific issues, Cerva, a Democratic party activist, said she wouldn’t be opposed to considering performance-based pay for some teachers.
“If a teacher is performing well and you can see the work through the test results, I believe that needs to be looked into,” she said.
Colbert, who works for a nonprofit, said a few years ago she never would have considered running for office.
But after paying more attention to the schools because her two daughters attend APS, she said she changed her mind. “The priority has become larger and larger for me,” she said.
Billie Day, a retired high school social studies teacher, moved to Aurora in 2006. While she doesn’t have any family in the district and didn’t work in APS, she said public schools are important to her.
“I have a strong belief in the value of public schools”
Donald didn’t return a call for comment by print deadline.
While district officials said he is registered as a candidate with APS, his name doesn’t appear on the Colorado Secretary of State’s online database of candidates.
In Cherry Creek School District, three of the five seats on the school board are up for election this fall.
Just one candidate, Eric Parish, is running to fill the seat in District A being vacated by Board President Jim O’Brien, who is term limited.
Incumbent Dave Willman is running unopposed for re-election in District C.
The race to replace term-limited Claudine McDonald in District B has four candidates David Aarestad, Matt Batcho, Vince Chowdhury and Janice McDonald.