Six candidates have been certified to run in the November election for the Durango School District Board of Education.
Three board seats are up for election – districts A, C and E – and each race is contested. All seats carry four-year terms. All eligible voters in the school district can vote for one candidate in each director district.
District map
An high-definition map of Durango School District director districts can be viewed at bit.ly/47FcWF1
District A candidates include incumbent Erika Brown and challenger Jody Trampp. District C candidates include incumbent Rick Petersen and Pearl Stegner. In District E, incumbent Andrea Parmenter faces Tamra Fenberg.
The five-member board oversees policy and the superintendent and is responsible for incorporating community values into academic goals, according to the district’s website. Board members are not involved in day-to-day management decisions.
Board members receive a monthly stipend of $1,294.
The November 2023 election was canceled because of lack of candidates – a non-issue this year, with two candidates in each race.
Brown, the current vice president, has served on the Durango School District board since 2020. She has a background in environmental conservation and works as a regional energy coach for 4CORE, serving residents, businesses and organizations in La Plata and Archuleta counties. She is also a parent to 15-year-old twins who attend Durango High School.
Brown’s top three initiatives if reelected include 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.
“A strong school board sets the tone for how a district serves its students,” she said. “When the board listens, collaborates and makes thoughtful decisions, our schools thrive. And in a time when education is often politicized, it’s critical to have leaders who put students and community first.”
Trampp, born in Durango and raised nearby, said his lifelong connection to Durango, his experience as a dad and community member, and his previous work on the Head Start board are what drove him to pursue running for school board.
If elected, his top three initiatives would be expanding vocational programs and local internships to prepare kids for jobs; creating partnerships with families; and rebuilding trust with families choosing alternative education methods.
“Our schools are the heart of Durango, funded by our tax dollars, and a good education opens doors for every kid,” Trampp said. “A competent, caring board ensures resources go to outcomes like closing the near 50% reading gap.”
Petersen, who is serving as board treasurer, has been on the board since 2021. He has been involved in a range of professional pursuits over his life, but is currently semi-retired, devoting his time to the school board and Scouting America as a troop scoutmaster.
If reelected, his top initiatives would 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.
“On election night in 2021, I thanked the voters of Durango School District for placing their trust in me,” Peterson said. “While there will always be challenges for public education to face, there are so many celebrations to acknowledge for our students, staff and community. I humbly ask for the opportunity to continue the good work we have been doing, and to continue to advocate for our students, families and staff.”
Stegner describes herself as someone with a passion for helping people. She strives to leave things better than she found them.
She holds a degree in parks and recreation, and previously worked in inclusive senior center recreation programming for the city of Boulder. She also taught elementary music at a rural public school, and has home schooled her children off and on.
Her top three initiatives if she were elected would be striving for student success, supporting teachers and encouraging parents to act as partners.
“A good education is freedom: confidence in being able to think critically and form unique opinions, and the promise of opportunity in every area of life,” Stegner said. “We can, as a school board, either be the biggest help or hindrance to achieving this goal. Our kids are the most important thing we have.”
Fenberg, a mother of six, said she has always wanted to play a part in the public school system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work, and has taught high school seminars for several years.
Her main goals in running for school board are to accommodate the diverse needs of students, and provide a unified voice for parents, teachers and the community while confronting what she calls a “turning point” in the country.
If elected, Fenberg’s three main initiatives would be building a collaborative community; recruiting and retaining talent; and building a balanced curriculum.
“Our students will only rise as high as their leadership,” she said. “We are teaching through example how to lead, how to treat one another and how to be successful. Our competence gives them the structure to excel and achieve their potential, or, inversely, we can minimize their opportunities by failing to step up and do the job well.”
Parmenter, current secretary for the school board, has served on the board since 2019. She describes herself as a parent and a community member first and foremost.
She holds a graduate degree in geology and has worked in education, leadership development and consulting. She believes in public education and in the potential of every student, and wants to continue doing the work required to keep schools strong, she said.
The top three initiatives Parmenter plans to pursue if re-elected are 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.
“The decisions we make now shape the opportunities our kids will have later,” she said. “A strong board that governs through policy and process keeps the focus on what really matters: student learning, safe schools and providing our students the strongest foundation possible to prepare them for the future.”
epond@durangoherald.com
