Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2021)
- Election date: 11/2/2021
- Registration deadline(s): 11/2/2021 (in person); 10/25/2021 (online; by mail)
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes[1]
- Start of early voting: 10/25/2021[2]
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): 11/2/2021 (received)[3]
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID[4]
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[1]
2023 →
← 2019 |
|---|
 |
|
|
| Enrollment ('17-'18) |
|
|
The District 1, 2, and 5 seats on the Jeffco Public Schools school board in Colorado were up for general election on November 2, 2021. The election helped determine the board's governing majority for the following two years.
Incumbents Brad Rupert (District 1), Susan Harmon (District 2), and Ron Mitchell (District 5) did not run for re-election. Danielle Varda defeated Jeffrey Wilhite in District 1. Paula Reed defeated David Johnson and Theresa Shelton in District 2. Mary Parker defeated Kathy Miks in District 5. Those victories maintained the board's 4-1 majority of teachers' union-backed members.
Varda, Reed, and Parker ran together as the Jeffco Kids Slate.[5] The Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), the local teachers' union, endorsed this slate. Another slate of candidates with no formal name, composed of Wilhite, Shelton, and Miks, was endorsed by the Jefferson County Republicans.[6][7] According to Chalkbeat, the Jeffco Kids Slate prioritized staff hiring, teacher retention, and neighborhood schools, while their opponents ran on the issues of fiscal management and expanding school choice.[8]
The three retiring incumbents were elected as part of The Clean Slate in the 2015 recall elections. The Clean Slate was a group of five candidates running on similar policy positions and seeking to win a unanimous majority on the board. Between the 2015 general and recall elections, all five candidates of The Clean Slate won. The JCEA backed all members of The Clean Slate.
In 2019, when Districts 3 and 4 were next up for election, voters split the slate of candidates endorsed by JCEA. Slate candidate Stephanie Schooley (District 3) won election, while slate candidate Joan Chavez-Lee (District 4) was defeated by Susan Miller.[9] Chalkbeat, in a 2019 review of the election results, said Miller's election broke a unanimous union-backed board.[10]
Ballotpedia identified candidates in this election who took a stance on responses to the coronavirus pandemic, including mask requirements, vaccine requirements, and school re-opening or distance learning plans. Between 2021 and 2023, Ballotpedia had identified 1,399 school board elections where candidates took a stance on responses to the coronavirus pandemic. To learn more about school board races across the country where these issues were discussed, click here.
The filing deadline for this election was August 27, 2021.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
District 1
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 1
Danielle Varda defeated Jeffrey Wilhite in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Danielle Varda (Nonpartisan) | 58.6 | 97,287 |
 | Jeffrey Wilhite (Nonpartisan) | 41.4 | 68,854 | |
| Total votes: 166,141 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
District 2
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 2
Paula Reed defeated Theresa Shelton and David Johnson in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 2 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Paula Reed (Nonpartisan) | 50.2 | 82,980 |
 | Theresa Shelton (Nonpartisan) | 38.1 | 62,993 | |
 | David Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 11.6 | 19,246 | |
| Total votes: 165,219 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
District 5
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 5
Mary Parker defeated Kathy Miks in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 5 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary Parker (Nonpartisan) | 55.4 | 91,307 |
 | Kathy Miks (Nonpartisan) | 44.6 | 73,540 | |
| Total votes: 164,847 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Colorado elections, 2021
July 20, 2021
November 2, 2021
- Colorado Amendment 78, Custodial Fund Appropriations Initiative (2021)
- Colorado Proposition 119, Creation of Out-of-School Education Program and Marijuana Sales Tax Increase Initiative (2021)
- Colorado Proposition 120, Reduce Property Tax Rates and Retain $25 Million in TABOR Surplus Revenue Initiative (2021)
- Colorado Transportation Bond Issue (2021)
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Colorado, elections (2021)
- Denver Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2021)
- Douglas County School District, Colorado, elections (2021)
- Arapahoe County, Colorado, Ballot Issue 1A, Parks and Trails Sales Tax Extension Measure (November 2021)
- Broomfield, Colorado, Question 2A, Ranked-Choice Voting Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 300, Increase Denver Marijuana Sales Tax to Fund Pandemic Research Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 301, Voter Approval Requirement for Commercial or Residential Development on City Park Lands Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 302, Change Definition of Conservation Easement and Voter Approval Requirement for Commercial or Residential Development on City Park Lands Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 303, Require Enforcement of Unauthorized Camping and Authorize the City of Denver to Create Four Camping Locations on Public Property Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 304, Limit Denver Sales and Use Tax Rate to 4.5% Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2A, Denver Facilities System Bond Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2B, Denver Housing and Sheltering System Bond Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2C, Denver Transportation and Mobility System Bond Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2D, Denver Parks and Recreation System Bond Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2E, National Western Campus Facilities System Bond Measure (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2F, Repeal 2020 Group Living Ordinance Charter Amendment (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2G, Allow Citizen Oversight Board to Appoint the Independent Monitor Charter Amendment (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Referred Question 2H, Change Odd-Year Denver Election Date from May to April Charter Amendment (November 2021)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[11]
District 1
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Varda's professional experience includes founding Visible Network Labs, a health technology startup, and working as an associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver's School of Public Affairs.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 1 in 2021.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Wilhite's professional experience includes working as a mental health therapist and in cable television consulting, and founding a construction loan company.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 1 in 2021.
District 2
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Johnson's professional experience includes working as a teacher and a behavioral health therapist, and owning a therapeutic school.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 2 in 2021.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I have lived in Jefferson County most of my life, graduating from Pomona High School and getting my B.A. in English from CU Boulder. My husband and I raised 2 Jeffco graduates, and I worked in Jeffco Schools for over 30 years before retiring. I have taught speech and debate, general English classes, and ACE, an at-risk intervention class, at Columbine High School. My work in ACE allowed me to see how many Jeffco children and families depend upon having a strong, well supported school in their community. I will work hard to make sure that every child has access to excellent schools. As a member of the Jefferson County Education Association, I worked on teacher-led professional development and served on the operational board. Since retiring from education, I work in customer service in my husband’s small business and serve on my church’s board of trustees. These experiences have provided me with insights into what practices from the private sector make sense in schools, as well as best practices in organizational governance. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 2 in 2021.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Shelton's professional experience includes working as a public accountant and chief operating officer of a financial services firm.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 2 in 2021.
District 5
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I grew up in Jefferson County and am a Lakewood High School graduate; my husband is a Wheat Ridge graduate, and our three children are Jeffco graduates. I have been active in the classroom, PTA, Accountability, special committees, and booster clubs. I coached volleyball at Columbine High School for ten years (two-time Jeffco Coach of the Year) and was honored to work with hundreds of amazing young ladies. I started and ran a charity 3v3 basketball tournament with a small group of moms and sons that raised funds for the Jeffco Schools Foundation. My strong Jeffco education prepared me for success at the Colorado School of Mines. I am an engineer and business leader. I worked for Thiokol on rocket propulsion systems and now lead an Innovation and Commercialization team for Johns Manville’s Building Insulation business. I have five patents and numerous publications. I have experience setting and achieving big goals, managing big budgets, and creating big success. I also serve in leadership and governance positions for three very large trade associations. My experience will enable me to hit the ground running for our $1.4 billion school district budget that serves 80,000 students with a staff of over 12,000 professionals."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 5 in 2021.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Parker's professional experience includes working as a systems engineer for Hewlett-Packard and owning a human resources consulting business.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Jeffco Board of Education District 5 in 2021.
Campaign finance
The chart below details contributions and expenditures for candidates in this race.
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
- Danielle Varda (District 1)
- David Johnson (District 2)
- Paula Reed (District 2)
- Kathy Miks (District 5)
- Mary Parker (District 5)
Campaign themes
- See also: Campaign themes
Danielle Varda
Campaign website
Varda’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
My top areas of focus for our schools include:
Student mental/social emotional health is an area that needs more support and attention. As we come out of a very difficult period following a global pandemic, where many of our kids struggled with inconsistencies, challenges at home, and lack of social connectedness, it is imperative that we discuss how schools play a role in this issue. My first steps to address this would be to better understand the resources available to address this issue, and how we can develop community partnerships (with for example Jefferson Center for Mental Health) to bring more connections and support for students, staff, and teachers to our schools. This is my professional area of expertise, and I am aware of the growing public, nonprofit, and private sector support for kids’ mental health. We can potentially tap into that. Strong Neighborhood Schools. Every family in Jeffco needs to know they have the option to send their kids to a great neighborhood school. Building the infrastructure, staffing the schools, and creating a welcoming environment for families and kids is essential to building a strong school system. Closing the Achievement Gap. The data shows that we can do better as a district. Closing the achievement gap means looking closely at the factors that make learning difficult for our families across neighborhoods. We can see where the gaps are, now we need to be strategic and thoughtful about how we can put systems in place to address inequities, deficiencies, and better support families who need it most. Early Childhood Investments. The future depends on a strong start. Investments in early childhood systems means kids who are prepared to be successful throughout their lives. The systems include our schools, and the community network of resources that support families to provide early childhood experiences for families. High school graduation rates depend on early starts that are building supportive, collaborative environments for kids as a foundation of lifelong learning. Teacher staffing and retention in Jefferson county is a critical concern. As a parent, I have witnessed challenges in hiring for my girls’ classrooms, as well as the lack of available substitute teachers. Even before COVID we had a teacher shortage, and now I read almost daily about teachers choosing to take time off or leave the profession. This strain on our schools is a systemic issue, influenced by a number of issues – constrained budgets, competition for teachers in other districts, burnout and exhaustion, fear from COVID, and high teacher turnover. We need to consider how to build a teacher recruitment and retention strategy that makes us competitive with other districts. I would start by asking teachers what they need, and what will keep them in our schools. Equity remains an issue in our schools. Kids of different colors, ethnicities, sexual orientations, faiths, and class are affected by the inequities of their experiences. Research tells us that 85% of our health and well-being outcomes are determined by the zip code we are born in to. This is true for kids, and when a child is struggling with issues at home, poverty, food insecurities, or other social and economic challenges, they can hardly be successful at school. We need to consider how to address these issues of inequity form a systemic lens. I would begin to address this issue by better understanding the data related to inequities in our county, and how that is impacting education outcomes. Three things I would do to address inequities in the school system include:
Building Partnerships. There are amazing community partnerships that can be leveraged to support our kids. No one entity will solve these kinds of systemic issues alone, but we can work together to create coordinated systems of care for our kids. [12] |
” |
| —Danielle Varda’s campaign website (2021)[13] | ||
Jeffrey Wilhite
Campaign website
Wilhite’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Stewardship is at the heart of my priorities, and the excellent board governance that Jeffco Schools needs and Jeffco parents and our taxpayers deserve. I’ll fight for much better governance of Jeffco Public Schools by the Board of Education.
|
” |
| —Jeffrey Wilhite’s campaign website (2021)[14] | ||
David Johnson
Campaign website
Johnson’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Jeffco facing TOUGH topics.....
I could go on for pages. The Fact is the Board should be comprised of people who understand ALL facets of this organization. Being CEO for similar organizations I am well suited to understand all aspects and magnitude of something this important. Fiscal Responsibility
Senior, expert financial acumen when it comes to complex finance. COVID |
” |
| —David Johnson’s campaign website (2021)[15] | ||
Paula Reed
Campaign website
Reed’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Open Schools Safely and Consistently I’m not an epidemiologist. I’m not in the room with the teams of professionals with decades of collective experience and expertise who work at Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH), the CDC, and the WHO. They understand public health better than I. Of course, they aren’t educators, but I spent 30 years in the classroom and am in constant communication with educators who have been navigating these uncharted waters since late 2019. I have heard stories of the impact of on-again-off-again in-person/online instruction. I have heard families struggling to juggle jobs and children and technology limitations. What I am hearing loud and clear is that we need kids in school and we need consistency. The leadership of JCPH and Jeffco Schools must work together to safely keep our kids in school, in-person, without interruption in ways that do not imperil the health of those children, their families, or vulnerable staff members. The vaccine has been a major milestone, but many of our students are not yet eligible, and we have much to learn about COVID19. I will work in tandem with JCPH to serve our children’s educational and emotional needs while preserving the health and safety of our whole community. Neighborhood Schools I spent 20 of my 30 years as a Jeffco teacher in an alternative program (ACE) embedded in a neighborhood school, so I know that one size does not fit all. A strong neighborhood school, one with options ranging from at-risk intervention to advanced placement classes, is a lifeline for students and their families. We have a responsibility to care for this important aspect of our communities. I will advocate for neighborhood schools getting the resources they need to serve all the students and families in their communities. Quality Educators The district promised to get educator compensation back on track as soon as possible, but a new board majority was elected in 2013 that actually created a pay scheme that was ultimately found to be unfair by an independent fact-finder. Although that board majority was recalled and a transparent salary system re-implemented, trust between the district and its educators had been damaged, and Jeffco remains well below neighboring districts, like Denver and Boulder, in educator compensation. This is also true when it comes to compensation for our educational support professionals, vital members of the Jeffco Schools team who have struggled for years in negotiations to get compensation commensurate with their contributions to student achievement. Betrayal of trust is no way to retain the quality educators we are fortunate enough to employ, and offering less-than-competitive salaries will not place us in an advantageous position for new hires. Jeffco has made commitments to our educators regarding compensation, and we must prioritize responsibility for those commitments to the best of our financial abilities. What we cannot offer in financial compensation, we must offer in work/life balance, by cutting back on extraneous tasks that do not directly benefit students. Our students deserve educators who are committed to them, which means we need to be committed to our educators. [12] |
” |
| —Paula Reed’s campaign website (2021)[16] | ||
Theresa Shelton
Campaign website
Shelton’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Improving Academic Achievement Increasing Financial Transparency Respecting Parents, Families and the Community Transparent Governing |
” |
| —Theresa Shelton’s campaign website (2021)[17] | ||
Kathy Miks
Campaign website
Miks’ campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Academic Excellence However, for the last few years Jeffco academics have been declining. In 2019 before COVID, only 46% of 3rd graders met the state’s English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency standard, 35% of 6th graders met the Math standard, and 38% of 8th graders met the Science standard. The 2021 COVID-impacted scores are even worse. In spring 2021, 45% of 3rd graders met the state’s ELA proficiency standard, 26% of 6th graders met the Math standard, and 33% of 8th graders met the Science standard. That means that a majority of our students do NOT have the skills necessary to read, write, or understand math and science at grade level. As a coach, I know one score does not define an athlete, team, coach, or season. Success is more than just one number. However, when most measures are going in the wrong direction, it is time to evaluate what is happening and adjust. Jeffco scores that measure how much our students are learning compared to students around the State of Colorado have seen similar declines. In 2017 achievement growth numbers (how much our students learn in a year) showed the growth for 17 out of 23 subgroups were above state averages in ELA. By 2019, only 4 out of 23 subgroups were above state averages. Similarly, in 2017, 16 out of 23 subgroups were above state averages in math. By 2019 only 2 out of 23 subgroups were above state averages. That means in Jefferson County, where all of my family received excellent educations, only a small fraction of students learned more than their peers around the state. The scores above show that we are not delivering great education opportunities for most students. The most recent scores below indicate that there are significant gaps in performance. We all need to ensure ALL students have access to great education. Having coached hundreds of female athletes, I know that whether our students are headed directly to a career, the military, or are going on to higher education, they need basic skills to succeed. The Board must review and monitor the curriculum and resources used in our schools to be sure students are learning the basics. We must do better for all of our students, and I will work hard to ensure that we improve academic performance and give students the skills they need to build better futures. Fiscal Responsibility Spending over the last 5 years has significantly outpaced inflation while enrollment in district-run schools has dropped. From 2016 to 2020 spending increased 33% vs. a 10% inflation rate for the US3. During this same time, enrollment decreased approximately 7% from 86,361 students to 80,098 students. Although per pupil spending has kept pace with inflation, the number of employees in the Administrative Services category has grown from 594 to 716, a growth of over 20%. In short, student enrollment has decreased while spending has outpaced inflation and administrative growth has increased over 20%. If this variance was accompanied with higher performance, we could celebrate. However, that is not the case. We should all be concerned about the allocation of Jeffco’s taxpayers funds without acceptable student achievement. I have the business experience necessary to uncover spending leakage, right size administrative spending, focus money in the classroom, and invest in programs that increase opportunities for students. In 2018 Jeffco voters approved a $567 million bond initiative, allowing the district to borrow funds with payback costing up to $997,640,000 or nearly a billion dollars. These funds were to be spent across the district to improve facilities. Spending projects were outlined in a “flip book” provided by the district.8 Because of market conditions the districts borrowed over one hundred million dollars more than the $567 that voters authorized while staying under the $997 million payback. There has been no public conversation on the spending priorities for this additional $100 million dollars, leading many to question the lack of transparency on how these and other funds have been spent. The district has recently hired an outside company to audit the spending and processes. The rebuild at Alameda Jr/Sr High School project has been mentioned consistently as an example of a spending increase that was not discussed with the community. Originally projected to cost just over $18 million, spending approved by the School Board now exceeds $25 million.9 The new building capacity will be reduced from 1,610 students10 to 1,200 students. That means the Alameda project costs have increased nearly 40% while the capacity of the building is being reduced by 25%. With this reduced capacity and new houses being built in the neighborhood many wonder how the additional neighborhood students will be served. Others want to know what projects won’t be completed due to the $7 million that was moved to the Alameda project. The Jeffco School Board should be transparent with the community over how the $667 million in new funds is spent. I have managed large projects. I know the right questions to ask and will prioritize spending to the projects voters approved, so that we honor our commitments to our community. In 2010 the Jeffco Schools Board considered closing Ken Carly Middle school, a school that was at nearly one hundred percent capacity. Since that time dozens of Jeffco schools have been threatened with closures. These threats create an immense amount of angst among families, students, staff, and the community. Often the threat of closing a school can result in families leaving the school further eroding enrollment. Clearly there is not consistent criteria for placing a school on the potential school closure list. Martensen Elementary was closed in 2011. Not long after Zerger in Westminster and Pleasant View in Golden were also closed. Those community students, like the Martensen community students, were split and no longer had a neighborhood school. Shortly after closing Zerger and Pleasant View, the Board approved moving other schools into those buildings and Martensen became the district’s safety center. We were told these schools needed to close to save money, but how is money being saved when new programs are moved into these closed schools? Worse, last spring without a vote of the Jeffco Schools Board, and with very little community conversation, Allendale Elementary was closed. District leadership said there were too few students planning to return to the school for it to provide robust education options. Families were left scrambling to find new schools in the middle of a pandemic and now the district is proposing to move programs into the Allendale building. Not only are these school closings negatively impacting families, but they are also not saving the funds they were closed to save. Now parents in all Jeffco schools with enrollment under 200 students are worried their school will be closed without warning.11 Jeffco Schools needs a comprehensive facility plan and community members should have a huge part in creating the plan. The Board needs to weigh the impact of closing a school on the community versus any potential savings especially when historically new schools open in the facility that closed. Never again should parents be surprised that their school is on a closure list. Over the last decade four Jeffco schools have been closed: Martensen closed in 2011 and became the district safety center 12, 13 Zerger closed in 2012 and Doral charter school opened in the building 14, 15 Pleasant View closed in 2017 and Free Horizon Montessori opened in the building 16, 17 Allendale closed 2021 and the district is proposing to start a day treatment program in the building 18 Supporting Parents & Individual Choice In my family, my three children had different learning needs. They attended our neighborhood elementary and middle schools, but when it came to high school, we were fortunate to be able to make a choice that was not our neighborhood school for one of our children. Every parent should have that opportunity. Every Jeffco Public School from Jefferson Academy to Great Work Montessori, from Addenbrooke Classical to Compass Montessori, from Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen to Mountain Phoenix - every student in every charter school should be supported just as those attending a neighborhood school. Students in our option schools, whether that is Jeffco Open School, McClain, Warren Tech, Rocky Mountain Deaf School or D’Evelyn should also be supported. Just as I made the best educational choices for my children, I commit to supporting educational choices for parents and students. Now more than ever it is important to support the public education choices parents are making. I am grateful that we were able to decide which high school was best for our children. All parents should be able to choose what is best for their children. I support parents’ ability to make the best choices for their students. Good Mental Health & Supporting the Whole Child As the mom of three children with very different needs and having coached hundreds of students over my ten-year coaching career, I know we must do everything we can to engage our students, find ways to inspire and drive them, and help them to envision a bright and hopeful future. I am proud to have the endorsement of a number of former players. Through play, we taught them to set goals, work hard, function within a team, and showed them they could have great futures. Today, far too many of our students feel isolated and cut off from their communities. Voters in 2018 approved additional funds for mental health supports and Jeffco has hired a number of new social emotional specialists. These folks work to prevent future crises. But what about those who need interventions right now? There has been no conversation about how these funds are allocated and if they are truly serving the students in need. I have the experience needed to ask the proper questions to ensure funds are spent to address the needs of students. Also critical is ensuring that we have robust extracurricular activities available across the district. My heart broke thinking of all the kids that missed-out on activities that were canceled due to COVID shutdowns. Extracurricular activities are fun, build a sense of community and belonging, and foster healthy social, emotional, and mental well-being. I know firsthand how many of the students I coached stayed connected to school because of their athletic opportunities. From athletics to band, choir, theater, debate, speech, student government, and clubs, we must provide the opportunities our students crave and need outside of the classrooms. And this is true for all our students, from elementary chess and reading clubs, to middle school cooking and bowling clubs, to high school activities and athletics. All students must have opportunities. I support development of all aspects of our children - academic, mental, social, emotional, and physical - for joy and long-term success. [12] |
” |
| —Kathy Miks’ campaign website (2021)[18] | ||
Mary Parker
Campaign website
Parker’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Mary’s top priority for the 2021-2022 school year: Getting our kids safely back in the classroom for uninterrupted education. Other key priorities
Guiding beliefs Ultimately, it is the student who counts the most in a school system. They need to graduate with the skills necessary to be successful in life. Ideally, they will also leave K-12 with a love of learning and an appreciation of knowledge. In order to successfully prepare our students for life’s opportunities and challenges, we need to recruit, retain and respect great teachers. There is nothing more critical to a student’s learning than a teacher who motivates and encourages them to put in the effort to succeed. For any school system to be successful, parents must have confidence in the administration, the school board and the schools. There must be strong lines of communication and mutual respect. Why these priorities? Getting our kids safely back in the classroom for uninterrupted learning is critical to getting them back on track with their education after a year of chaos and turmoil. Our biggest challenge is getting a handle on COVID-19. We must do everything we can to minimize the exposure to and spread of this highly contagious disease. Masking and vaccination guidelines should be revisited as conditions change throughout the school year. Investing in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators is another critical concern in Jefferson County. Even before COVID-19 we had a teacher shortage and a lack of funds for substitute teachers. Now, more and more teachers are choosing to retire, take time off, or leave the profession altogether. Our educational support professionals are often the last in line to get the resources they need and are feeling the stress too. There are so many factors contributing to this situation – budget constraints, high teacher turnover, exhaustion and burnout, competition from other districts, and fear of COVID. We need to listen to our educators when they tell us what they need. Ensuring that all neighborhood schools are high-quality schools is a core responsibility of the Jeffco School District. My experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for neglected and abused children has given me great insight into the needs of foster kids and of struggling families who benefit from schools that are close to home. When parents are looking for the best school for their child, one of their choices needs to be a strong, high-quality neighborhood school. Guaranteeing transparency and effective communications between the School Board, the community, and the schools is key to student success. Everyone needs to be pulling together to give our kids a high-quality educational experience so that they graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in life. |
” |
| —Mary Parker’s campaign website (2021)[19] | ||
Election history
2019
Two seats on the Jeffco Public Schools school board in Colorado were up for general election on November 5, 2019. Although school board members are elected to specific seats, the district as a whole voted on every seat up for election. The filing deadline for this election was August 30, 2019.
Stephanie Schooley won election in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 3.
Susan Miller won election in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4.
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 3
Stephanie Schooley defeated Robert Applegate in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 3 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Stephanie Schooley (Nonpartisan) | 53.4 | 88,048 |
 | Robert Applegate (Nonpartisan) | 46.6 | 76,736 | |
| Total votes: 164,784 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4
Susan Miller defeated Joan Chavez-Lee in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susan Miller (Nonpartisan) | 53.5 | 87,624 |
| Joan Chavez-Lee (Nonpartisan) | 46.5 | 76,309 | ||
| Total votes: 163,933 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
Three of the five seats on the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. In his bid for re-election to District 1, incumbent Brad Rupert defeated Matt Van Gieson. The District 2 race included incumbent Susan Harmon and Erica Shields. Harmon won re-election. District 5 incumbent Ron Mitchell ran unopposed and won another term on the board.[20] The three incumbents ran together as the Keep Jeffco Moving Forward candidate slate. They all won election to the board in a 2015 recall election.[21][22]
| Jeffco Public Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Brad Rupert Incumbent |
60.49% | 75,034 |
| Matt Van Gieson | 39.51% | 49,000 |
| Total Votes | 124,034 | |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 | ||
| Jeffco Public Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Susan Harmon Incumbent |
59.62% | 73,914 |
| Erica Shields | 40.38% | 50,053 |
| Total Votes | 123,967 | |
| Source: Jefferson Coun[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/71802/Web02-state/#/c/C_2 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 | ||
| Jeffco Public Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Ron Mitchell Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 98,266 |
| Total Votes | 98,266 | |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 | ||
About the district
- See also: Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
Jeffco Public Schools is located in Jefferson County, Colorado. The district served 86,731 students during the 2015-2016 school year.[23]
See also
| Jeffco Public Schools | Colorado | School Boards |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Colorado is a vote-by-mail state. In order to vote by mail, registration must be completed at least eight days prior to the election. If voting in person on Election Day, a voter can register at a polling place.
- ↑ Colorado is a vote-by-mail state. Early voting dates and polling hours apply to vote centers where individuals can instead vote in person.
- ↑ Ballots must be received by county clerks by 7:00 p.m. on election day for most voters. Military and overseas voters' completed ballots must be placed in the mail by 7:00 p.m. on election day and received no later than the close of business on the eighth day following the election.
- ↑ A valid form of identification is required for in-person voting and when voting for the first time if an ID was not shown when registering. Click here for more information.
- ↑ ColoradoPols.com, "Vote the Jeffco Kids Slate!" September 6, 2021
- ↑ Colorado Times Recorder, "Democrats? Republicans? The Political Bent of the Jefferson County School Board Candidates," October 28, 2021
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "This is what Jeffco school board candidates say about their priorities," October 12, 2021
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Jeffco board candidates want better neighborhood schools, fiscal management," September 22, 2021
- ↑ Arvada Pres, "Schooley and Miller take Jeffco school board races ," November 5, 2019
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Jeffco school board gets a critical new voice as Susan Miller takes seat," November 6, 2019
- ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Danielle Varda’s campaign website, “The Issues,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Jeffrey Wilhite’s campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ David Johnson’s campaign website, “Platform,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Paula Reed’s campaign website, “Key Issues,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Theresa Shelton’s campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Kathy Miks’ campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Mary Parker’s campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed September 15, 2021
- ↑ Jeffco Public Schools, "Election 2017," accessed September 2, 2017
- ↑ Keep Jeffco Moving Forward, "Home," accessed October 24, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Local Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey Data," accessed January 29, 2018
 |
State of Colorado Denver (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
