Five Durango School District high school students – the largest group to date – have been appointed to the Board of Education.
Student board members do not vote on decisions, but their input is considered in guiding board discussions, the district said in a news release.
The newly sworn-in student board members for the 2025-26 school year are Coulee Fox, a junior at Durango High School; Gus Halls, a senior at Durango High School; Logan Hernandez, a sophomore at Durango Big Picture High School; Glenneise McFarlane, a senior at Durango Big Picture High School; and Collin Crowdes, a senior at Durango High School. Crowdes also served on last year’s student board.
This is the first year the board has had five student members; last year’s board was composed of four, and some previous boards had only one.
Collin and Coulee said they serve as a voice for students, articulating the needs and concerns of their classmates and communicating them effectively to district leaders.
“Students (are sometimes) more comfortable bringing up their concerns to (student board members) as opposed to the actual school board,” Coulee said.
Prospective student board members must submit a written application and complete an interview with adult board members, former student members and the superintendent. A ranking process then determines which students are chosen.
Collin joined the board to make a difference in the district, Glenneise for leadership experience, Coulee to represent Native American students, and Logan to learn more about student perspectives and explore whether board service could inform a future career path.
Efforts to reach Gus for comment were unsuccessful.
In a district news release, Gus said he wanted to join the board to pursue his passion for leadership, connect with other leaders in the community and represent diverse perspectives.
Student board members’ initiatives include expanding financial literacy education, providing more support for Native American students and amplifying diverse student perspectives – including those who may be hesitant to speak publicly.
“Big Picture has a lot of kids that have a lot of opinions, and I feel like a lot of them want to be heard, but I feel like they’re scared to portray that in a way that (sounds) disrespectful,” Glenneise said. “So, I think the biggest thing is representation, and knowing that you can come to us and speak to somebody that is at your same level, who has probably (experienced) the same things that you’re going through at school.”
Student board members attend all public board meetings and work sessions. They typically bring concerns and initiatives to student board mentor Andrea Parmenter, who ensures the topics are placed on upcoming agendas.
Parmenter is running for reelection this November in District E.
“(Parmenter) always makes sure that we have space to speak and that we are able to bring up any concerns, regardless of what it is,” Collin said. “If we do have a specific issue that we want touched on, (we talk) to Andrea beforehand. She’ll make sure there’s time and space to really voice our (thoughts), (and) what we want and what we need.”
Parmenter said student board members bring a valuable, firsthand perspective from the classroom that adult board members don’t always have direct access to.
“We were elected to oversee the whole system, of course, but at the end of the day, (the students are) our customers: This is who we're there to serve,” Parmenter said. “We’re not trying to be this hierarchical, top down (system).”
Several student board members said they hope to use their experience on the board in future careers and life paths.
“(It’s important to) make sure that every student feels heard, and that communication with the board and students is really open, and really honest,” Collin said.
epond@durangoherald.com
