The three incumbents running for reelection on the Durango School District Board of Education cruised to victory Tuesday night against their challengers.
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Lee expected about a 40% voter turnout.
With 38% of votes counted, District A incumbent Erika Brown had 73% of the votes compared to Jody Trampp’s 27%. District C incumbent Rick Petersen had 71% compared to opponent Pearl Stegner’s 29%. District E incumbent Andrea Parmenter had 71% to challenger Tamra Fenberg’s 29%.
The incumbents were elected to four-year terms.
The race has been contentious at times, and sparked extensive discussion in the community about candidate transparency, undisclosed histories and variant ideas about who would best serve the district.
Brown’s top three initiatives included keeping academic progress moving forward; expanding and supporting career and technical training opportunities; and strengthening transparency, equity and community engagement to ensure every family feels connected and confident in schools.
“I'm super excited that our community is supporting inclusive, innovative public education, and I’m excited to keep continuing the work with my colleagues,” Brown told the Herald.
In an interview, Trampp congratulated Brown and thanked his supporters.
Petersen said his top initiatives include continuing to fight for increased school funding; continuing to support and expand diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and meeting every student where they’re at.
“We’re glad that our community supports us and likes what we’re doing and chose to maintain the same direction for students and families and staff,” Petersen said. “I’m humbled that the community puts its trust in me to do this job. Honestly, it’s probably one of the most challenging – but most rewarding – things I’ve ever done.”
Parmenter said she would focus on keeping students at the center of every decision while continuing to strengthen the student board member program; advocating for more funding and support for teachers and staff; and ensuring existing resources are used equitably, wisely and transparently.
She told the Herald she wanted to thank the supporters who made the win possible.
“I’m proud of the community for recognizing that our schools are on the right track,” she said. “I’m looking forward to serving all of our students and our faculty and our staff and our community for the next four years. We’ve got some difficult issues that are coming up in front of us.”
Trampp and Stegner faced public scrutiny. Trampp’s prior legal troubles surfaced during the campaign, and Stegner was called out for scrubbing a blog she maintained that was highly critical of the district’s inclusion policies.
Some community members said Trampp’s past legal history – which involved several DUI’s and charges for child and domestic abuse that did not reach conviction – was a sign of resilient character.
Others applauded the views expressed on Stegner’s deleted blog, saying her conservative ideology should be more prominent in local schools.
In the blog, Stegner advocated against the district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion measures and called students and community members who spoke at a school district meeting in 2024 in support of keeping Black Lives Matter and pride flags in classrooms “weirdos.”
Stegner also brought up “the transgenderism lie” impacting children, posited that “Every advocacy group is a sorry excuse for Jesus,” and called “the other side” – meaning those who supported the pride and Black Lives Matter flags being displayed in classrooms – being “heavily influenced by a selfish, nasty agenda that destroys kids.”
Durango School District spokeswoman Karla Sluis said the district appreciates everyone who stepped up to participate in local democracy.
“Serving on a school board is a significant commitment of time and energy,” Sluis said. “Board members spend long evenings in work sessions and regular meetings twice a month, review complex materials, respond to community questions, and make decisions that affect every student and staff member. We are grateful for everyone who cares deeply about our schools and participates in this important process.”
Stegner and Fenberg did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday evening.
epond@durangoherald.com
