A recent appointee to the school board and a Bayfield farmer who previously called for the resignation of Superintendent Kevin Aten coasted to victory Tuesday night for two open seats on the Bayfield school board, according to unofficial results.
With 4,639 votes reported as of 9:26 p.m. Tuesday, Matt Turner received 1,362 votes, or 29% of the votes cast.
Close behind him is Rebecca Parnell, a real estate agent appointed to the board in June, with 1,265 votes, or almost 27% of the ballots cast.
The other two candidates are children’s pastor Jill Shocklee, with 1,188 votes, or 26%, and businesswoman Kira Wennerstrom, with 824 votes, at 18%.
“I’m excited I’m a front-runner,” Parnell said earlier in the evening. “I’m hopeful for the future of Bayfield and hope I can be a part of it.”
Turner said he emailed all of the candidates on Tuesday and said it had been a pleasure running with them.
“All three of the other candidates would be amazing board members,” he said.
Turner raised a few eyebrows when stickers were placed on pumpkins that he donated to Bayfield Primary School last week that read they were from the Turner family.
Turner said last year’s pumpkins were purchased at a discount by a teacher and came from a farm in Aztec. The farm went out of business, and in March, he told the teacher he would get pumpkins for this year’s event. That was before he had decided if he would run for school board or not.
“My goal was to put a smile on the kids’ faces,” he said. “Some parents told me next year they can help out.”
Wennerstrom, who is 20, said she knew her age was “a huge hindrance” in the race, and she didn’t expect to win a seat. A critic of the school district administration, she said running for school board was a way to get her concerns in front of voters.
Shocklee said she plans to continue supporting parents in the district.
“I’m happy for the candidates,” she said of Parnell and Turner. “They’re both going to do a great job.”
