The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school district will soon have a largely new school board.
In Tuesday’s election, voters chose five new members for the seven-member board. Three of those were running against incumbents.
The new members are Lara Blair, Justine Bayles, Laura DeWitt, Barbara Mate, and Joshua Shumway. They are to be sworn in at a special meeting on Dec. 2.
In the Mancos Re-6 school district, voters also chose two new board members, Kira Taylor and Craig McClure, over two incumbents.
Vote counts will not be official until they are certified on Nov. 26. Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder Kim Percell told KSJD there are still some ballots from overseas voters to be counted and some from voters who had to resolve problems with their signatures.
However, it doesn’t appear there are enough of those to change any of the local election outcomes.
DeWitt told KSJD she is feeling hopeful after the election, but there is much work to be done in the Re-1 district.
She said some issues she’s interested in are increasing family engagement through meaningful, two-way conversations, and listening to staff.
DeWitt also wants to learn more about the district budget and spending, and to change the way public comment is taken at meetings so that it’s easier for people to give input.
Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.