Parth Melpakam
Parth Melpakam is an at-large member of the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board. He assumed office on December 4, 2019. His current term ends in 2027.
Melpakam ran for election to the Colorado Springs City Council to represent District 6. He lost in the general election on April 1, 2025.
Biography
Parth Melpakam was born in Chennai, India. He obtained a bachelor's of engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology in India in and a master's and Ph.D. in chemical and petroleum engineering from the University of Wyoming, Laramie in.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2025)
General election
General election for Colorado Springs City Council District 6
Roland Rainey Jr. defeated Parth Melpakam and Aaron Schick in the general election for Colorado Springs City Council District 6 on April 1, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Roland Rainey Jr. (Nonpartisan)  | 42.6 | 4,793 |
 | Parth Melpakam (Nonpartisan) | 36.9 | 4,152 | |
 | Aaron Schick (Nonpartisan) | 20.5 | 2,313 | |
| Total votes: 11,258 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Melpakam in this election.
2023
See also: Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado, elections (2023)
General election
General election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jill Haffley (Nonpartisan) | 12.9 | 27,055 | |
| ✔ |  | Thomas Carey (Nonpartisan) | 12.9 | 27,016 |
| ✔ | | Parth Melpakam (Nonpartisan) | 12.5 | 26,106 |
| ✔ |  | Jason Jorgenson (Nonpartisan) | 12.1 | 25,366 |
 | Rachel Paul (Nonpartisan) | 11.5 | 24,000 | |
 | Darleen Daniels (Nonpartisan) | 11.0 | 23,008 | |
| Kathryn Singh (Nonpartisan) | 10.5 | 21,899 | ||
 | Shay Dabney (Nonpartisan) | 9.8 | 20,574 | |
 | Mary Coleman (Nonpartisan) | 4.0 | 8,357 | |
 | Jeremiah Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 2.8 | 5,828 | |
| Total votes: 209,209 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Endorsements
Melpakam received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Melpakam's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.
- Colo. Springs City Cncl. Memb. Jill Gaebler (Nonpartisan)
- Colo. Springs City Cncl. Memb. Tom Strand (Nonpartisan)
- Colo. State Board of Education Memb. Steve Durham (R)
- State Board of Ed. Memb. Debora Scheffel (R)
- Colo. State Board of Education Memb. Stephen Varela (R)
- Frmr. D11 Sch. Brd. Memb. Willie Breazell
- Frmr. D11 Sch. Brd. Memb. Lyman Kaiser
- Frmr. D11 Sch. Brd. Memb. Theresa Null
- Colorado Conservative Patriot Alliance
- D11 Achievement Alliance
- Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs
- Pikes Peak Association of Realtors
- Smart Choice Colorado
- Jeff Crank (R) - Americans for Prosperity Regional Dir.
- Darcy Schoening - Frmr. El Paso Cnty. Moms for Liberty Chair
2019
See also: Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado, elections (2019)
General election
General election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Coleman (Nonpartisan) | 19.3 | 24,977 |
| ✔ | | Darleen Daniels (Nonpartisan) | 16.3 | 21,045 |
| ✔ | | Parth Melpakam (Nonpartisan) | 13.8 | 17,814 |
| ✔ | | Jason Jorgenson (Nonpartisan) | 12.9 | 16,727 |
 | Chris Wallis (Nonpartisan) | 12.5 | 16,169 | |
| Vincent Puzick (Nonpartisan) | 10.0 | 12,944 | ||
 | Joseph Shelton (Nonpartisan) | 7.9 | 10,237 | |
| Conner Sargent (Nonpartisan) | 7.2 | 9,373 | ||
| Total votes: 129,286 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Melpakam was endorsed by the following District 11 school board members:[2]
- Nora Brown,
- Shawn Gullixson,
- Lyman Kaiser,
- LuAnn Long,
- Elaine Naleski,
- Bob Null,
- Theresa Null,
- Julie Ott, and
- Jan Tanner.
Melpakam was endorsed by the following parents and community members:[2]
- Jeff Ingrum, District 11 Audit Committee chair
- Jan Rennie, District 11 Budget Subcommittee chair
- Velvet Stepanek, District Accountability Committee chair
- Joseph Mezzofante, District Accountability Committee vice chair
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Parth Melpakam did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
2023
Parth Melpakam completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Melpakam's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As an immigrant growing up in a family with limited means, the education I received opened doors of opportunity and success in my career as an engineer. It is through education and work ethic that America’s blessings can become accessible to our children and future generations. I am passionate about public education, and committed to ensuring ever student has opportunities and supports to grow, thrive, and reach their full academic potential.
During my first term on the school board, I served as Treasurer (2019-2021) and President (2021-current). I bring experience, leadership, and as a proud D11 dad, a parent voice to the school board. I have built relationships in the D11 community by listening respectfully, weighing all input objectively, and putting students at the forefront of critical decisions.
My other leadership roles include serving as the Commissioner on the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, advocating for affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.- Student Success: I am committed to ensuring all students receive rich and rigorous educational experiences that prepares them for success after graduation. I will continue to prioritize investing taxpayer dollars closest to students in the classrooms, while building a culture of high expectations and accountability at all levels.
- Staff Investment: Student academic outcomes is driven by highly effective teachers delivering best instruction in quality neighborhood schools. During the last two budget cycles, I championed historic pay raises for all staff, including increasing starting teacher pay by 20%. I will continue to support staff with competitive compensation, effective professional development, and positive work culture.
- Parent Engagement: Parents are the child’s first and most important teacher, and as such are essential partners in their K-12 education. During my first term, I strongly supported Parent Partnership, a foundational board policy, that recognizes parental authority and involvement in schools.
Other core responsibilities include setting the goals/vision for the district, establishing policies/regulations, practicing responsible stewardship of the taxpayers' dollars (prioritizing and approving of the annual budget), analyzing curriculum. educational programs, and providing staff supports to meet the needs of every individual student. Hiring the right Superintendent and holding the Superintendent accountable is also an important part of the job.
A thriving school district in the heart of Colorado Springs will enhance the quality of life and business opportunity for all our residents. A well-prepared and educated student body will directly contribute to the critical growth and success of our region. It takes an entire community to meet the needs of a child. I passionately believe that schools are vibrant hubs of our community that bring together diverse groups and drive economic growth. I will continue to strategically collaborate with our community partners (businesses, non-profits etc.) to provide a network of supports for our students.
Tom Strand & Jill Gaebler – Colorado Springs City Council
Steve Durham, Deborah Scheffel, Stephen Varela – Colorado State Board of Education
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Melpakam completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
2019
Parth Melpakam completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Melpakam's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As an engineer, I fully appreciate the pivotal benefits of a balanced education and its inherent value to create unparalleled opportunities, provide choices, and unleash potential. Teachers and educators have profoundly influenced, nurtured, and guided my professional and personal life.
My daughter has attended D11 schools since pre-K and is currently attending a D11 middle school. As a parent, my daughter's and every student's safety, well-being, and quality of education was the compelling and driving reason I got involved in various school and district committees. As the Chair of the District Accountability Committee for the past two years, I acquired broad insight into the various educational programs offered to our students, the current operations of D11, and the financial realities of our district. My involvement both at the school and district level has helped me better comprehend all aspects of District 11, from budget to curriculum to staffing, which will enable me to hit the ground running if I am elected to the school board.
I am passionate about public education, committed to educating the whole student, and have a proven track record of building relationships. My educational background and extensive experience in District 11 make me uniquely qualified to do the right thing for the entire D11 community.
- Excellence in Education for ALL - Empower all our students to excel and reach their full potential in their chosen pathway (prepared for college, career, and life), so that they can be active, productive citizens in a rapidly changing world. Provide every staff member the professional development and resources necessary to meet the needs of our students.
- Responsible Stewardship - Advocate for transparency, communication, fiscal prudence, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer's dollars.
- Community Engagement - Ensure our neighborhood schools are safe, welcoming, and vibrant community hubs that drive economic growth. Strategically collaborate with our community partners to provide a network of supports to meet the social, emotional, cultural, and academic needs of our students.
We must eliminate disparities based on socioeconomic status, race, and ZIP-code so that our entire learning community, including all students and staff, can participate, excel, and reach their full potential. Each student is an individual with different strengths and needs. I am committed to developing policies and allocating resources to meet each student where they are academically, emotionally and socially to help them succeed. Bullying, harassment, and discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated.
My teachers. I am where I am in life because I have had the benefit of learning from some amazing teachers.
Mother Theresa. A caring, compassionate, loving servant of God.
As the Chair of the District Accountability Committee for the past two years, I acquired broad insight into the various educational programs offered to our students, the current operations of D11, and the financial realities of our district. My involvement both at the school and district level has helped me better comprehend all aspects of District 11, from budget to curriculum to staffing, which will enable me to hit the ground running if I am elected to the school board. Above all, I am always committed to keeping the best interest of our students in all critical decisions.
To do this job in an effective manner, the school board member must listen compassionately and interact with the community at large so as to provide the best possible educational experience for ALL our students.
We must eliminate disparities based on socioeconomic status, race, and ZIP-code so that our entire learning community, including all students and staff, can participate, excel, and reach their full potential. Each student is an individual with different strengths and needs. I am committed to developing policies and allocating resources to meet each student where they are academically, emotionally and socially to help them succeed.
A thriving school district in the heart of Colorado Springs will enhance the quality of life and business opportunity for all our residents. A well-prepared and educated student body will directly contribute to the critical growth and success of our region. It takes an entire community to meet the social, emotional, physical, and academic needs of a child. I passionately believe that schools are vibrant hubs of our community that bring together diverse groups and drive economic growth. I will continue to strategically collaborate with our community partners (businesses, non-profits etc.) to provide a network of supports for our students.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Parth Melpakam 2019 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 22, 2019
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