The school board election will decide who will set the tone and policies for our district in years to come, and in times as turbulent as these, our school district needs steady and student-focused leadership. That is why, as the ex-officio student school board members of the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education, we are urging you to vote for Erika Brown, Andrea Parmenter and Rick Petersen.

As student board members, we have worked closely with both Brown and Parmenter. Throughout our time on the board, both of them have continuously shown their commitment to improve our district. They both went above and beyond to help with our onboarding and are always voices of reason, even when science and common decency are under attack. We are similarly impressed with their work to improve communications with parents and other community stakeholders. Both of them have worked to make every student feel safe in schools.

While we have not directly worked with Petersen, we have spoken with him and he is in touch with the issues that impact students in our community and is receptive to student concerns.

Democracy is a team sport, and we as students of Durango 9-R are asking you to do your part and vote for Erika Brown, Andrea Parmenter and Rick Petersen, because our district and our students’ futures cannot afford to lose.

Hays Stritikus, Amiah Hanson and Seneca Wilson

Student school board members and Durango High School students