I attended the Durango School Board candidate forum with an open mind on Oct. 12 and it became clear that Erika Brown, Andrea Parmenter and Rick Petersen should all be reelected. Their collective command of the issues, collaborative approach and well-reasoned answers were evident.
Credit to Jody Trampp for attending and humbly admitting he “has a lot to learn.” For this reason, I encourage Jody to instead volunteer on one of the many community committee opportunities offered by the district. Unfortunately, the two other challengers did not show up which should disqualify them from your consideration.
After the forum, I researched both of the no-show candidates’s web presence and unfortunately the websites also were devoid of written information on what they would do if elected. Moreover, four hours after the forum, no notices or regrets appeared regarding their absences.
Being a school board member is a major responsibility and commitment. As a former educator, I‘ve witnessed the impact even one unqualified board member can have on a district: sidetracking meetings, delaying projects and creating staff morale problems are only a few of the possibilities. The no-show candidates may be fine people, but the public deserves to know what they stand for and what they would do if elected. The forum demonstrated Erika, Andrea and Rick’s values and commitment to our students and community.
We cannot risk the impactful progress Durango School District has made in recent years. Please vote for Erika, Andrea and Rick in this year’s election.
David Eric Dillman
Durango
