The Gilpin County School District RE-1 Board of Education hosted a Candidate Public Forum on October 11, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium. The forum was also streamed online.

There are six candidates for three open and unpaid seats on the RE-1 Board of Education. All the school board candidates were on stage: Victoria Edwards, Joe Marr, Laura Mayer, Rana Silver, Joseph Stranaly, and Tami Valasquez. The forum was moderated by Jiselle Osteboe and Caleb Hopkins, members of the Gilpin County High School Student Council.

Nine questions were selected from all those submitted by students, parents, and staff. Each candidate received the questions prior to the forum and had two minutes to respond. The order of responses was determined by lot.

The first two questions concerned candidate qualifications, involvement in school district activities and motivations for running. All the candidates had connections to the school either as volunteers or as parents. Motivations included helping provide a quality educational experience, keeping the school financially sound, and giving back to the community.

The third question dealt with current school district challenges that the Board needs to address. Several candidates brought up teacher salaries and the difficulty of attracting and retaining quality staff. Filling vacant positions was brought up multiple times. Vacant positions force teachers to fill in as substitutes to cover the front door or try to resolve a technology issue instead of working on class preparation.

Another district challenge discussed was student mental health and self-esteem. By helping students develop positive character qualities, the school will prepare them to resist dangerous habits and become mature adults. Both Bobby Jones speakers and school counselors were mentioned as resources to help students deal with the awkwardness of adolescence and low self-esteem.

Safety was mentioned as both a challenge and a priority. Safety. Safety. Safety. Every candidate referenced in some way the need for the safety of the students and the staff. Better communication during school crisis was considered a top priority. Poor communication between parents, administration, staff, and first responders during and after the swatting event was cited several times.

Regarding capital construction, the ADA projects and the sanitation upgrades were identified as urgent projects that need immediate attention.

Responding to the question on how the candidate would represent the constituents of the school district, candidates cited honesty, transparency, integrity, kindness, and putting the students first. Every candidate provided contact information so constituents can get in touch with them about their candidacy and positions.

The candidates were asked about school finances, the budgeting process, and school funding from sources other than property taxes. The Board of Education is tasked with approving a balanced school budget every year from various sources of revenue. All the candidates recognized the importance of the revenue from the Black Hawk Educational Enhancement Tax that contributes $1.5 million a year to a $6.5 million budget for capital improvements. The issue of using carryover surpluses for administrative costs like cost-of-living raises was also discussed.

Addressing possible changes regarding Gilpin’s academic programs, candidates proposed more electives and more opportunities to interact with other schools both academically and in sports. The members of the Board of Education are not trained to evaluate the quality of a curriculum; their input is rather on cost and affordability. Life skills training was mentioned, emphasizing things like balancing a checkbook and filling out forms. Students need to learn how to navigate through those everyday situations that adults face in a modern world.

Responses to question seven, concerning raising more awareness of students’ social, mental, and physical health in the community, referred to the Bobby Jones talks and the professional counselors on staff. All the candidates acknowledged the importance of student mental health and having resources available to help those students with chronic or traumatic mental health issues.

Questions eight and nine asked the candidates about their vision for the board if they were to be elected, and any other items not addressed. Improving the school safety plan was considered a priority. Improving communication between parents and the school staff was another. Providing transparency through public meetings and open records was highlighted as a continuing goal.

The concept of servant leadership was also brought up as a valuable component of a board member’s approach to serving. All the candidates agreed with the District Mission Statement and expressed an interest in working as a volunteer board member to help the school provide the best education possible to the students.

District Mission Statement: It is the mission of the Gilpin County RE-1 School District to provide a positive, caring culture in a safe environment, for all students and staff, that is focused on academic excellence.

Gilpin School District maintains a YouTube channel and the candidate forum can be seen in its entirety at youtube.com/@gilpincoschools/streams. Look for the BOE Candidate Forum @ 6 p.m. video. Questions about the forum or the candidates can be directed to the school board at 303-582-3444.