Friday is the deadline to submit petitions to run for the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education, and thus far, only two people have picked up petitions for the two open seats.
Those two people are the incumbents, Stephanie Moran, representing District B, and Brieanne Stahnke, representing District D.
It’s not difficult to run. Petitions are available in the 9-R District Office, and they must be returned with 50 signatures – signers don’t have to live in the districts – by close of business Friday. Eligible candidates must have lived in either District B or District D for at least one year.
So, why aren’t more people running for the board?
“I don’t know,” board President Andy Burns said. “Sometimes people feel intimidated by running against an incumbent, so it might be that. And things are going pretty well at 9-R. At some districts, people run because they have a personal vendetta or a certain issue that gives them a driving need to run, rather than a general desire to provide a quality education.”
Some people might also find the time commitment daunting, he said. Two meetings are held most months, and they run from 5:30 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. School board members also must prepare for meetings, and they are encouraged to visit the schools.
“On the surface, it can appear overwhelming,” Burns said. “But it averages about 20 hours per month. A lot of members of the community volunteer that or more in the schools or with civic organizations.”
The best part of being on the board, he said, is being able to be make a difference in the education of the community’s children.
“I have a strong belief in public education,” Burns said, “and with my work at Fort Lewis, I get a look at the big picture, not just at the college, but what’s happening with high school graduates across the country. And I really enjoy working with the quality individuals, staff and teachers at 9-R.”
After going to the voters in 2013, 9-R’s board is shrinking from seven to five, but for Burns’ tenure to date, there have been seven board members, which was sometimes a challenge, he said.
“When you have seven different individuals with seven different perspectives and seven different backgrounds, there can be some heated discussions,” he said. “But we have agreed to disagree civilly.”
Sometimes parents come to the board upset about an issue with their child. Is that difficult?
“Parents are concerned about their student’s growth, but that’s not difficult,” Burns said. “We’re trying to juggle those issues with budget issues, but they help us engage the community at-large in education issues.”
What would he say to people considering running for the school board?
“Throw your hat in the ring if you care about education,” he said. “You can make a real difference.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
School board 101
Durango School District 9-R board members will hold an orientation session for prospective board members at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday before its regular 5:30 p.m. meeting. Anyone who is thinking about running for one of the two open positions is invited to learn more about what being a school board member entails. The session will be held in the 9-R boardroom on the second floor of the Administration Building, 201 E. 12th St.
