AURORA | Based on early returns, Janice McDonald has a sizeable lead in the race for the lone contested seat up for grabs on the Cherry Creek Schools Board of Education.
McDonald has about 35 percent of the vote with about 31,000 votes counted in the race to replace term-limited Claudine McDonald in District B. Her next closest challenger is David Aarestad, who has about 28 percent of the votes. Matthew Batcho stood in earlier returns with 24 percent, and Vince Chowdhury with 12 percent.
McDonald said she is happy with the results so far, but is still waiting on the rest of the votes to be counted.
“I’m very hopeful,” she said. “I’m going to continue to be positive knowing that there are still yet many to be counted.”
McDonald said she thinks her message — which includes a push for more parent involvement in the schools — seemed to resonate with voters who want to see families, the community and schools work together.
“People really want to be unified and that was part of what I tried to get across,” she said.
While board members are elected by voters from across the district, each member represents a particular corner of CCSD. District B covers a swath of Aurora surrounding Overland High School and several of the schools that feed into it.
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.