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Susan Payne
Susan Payne is an at-large member of the Academy School District 20 school board in Colorado. She assumed office on June 2, 2025. Her current term ends in 2025.
Payne is running for re-election for an at-large seat of the Academy School District 20 school board in Colorado. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Payne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Payne was appointed to the board in May 2025 to replace Aaron Salt.[1]
Biography
Susan Payne was born in Denver, Colorado. She graduated from Roy J. Wasson High School. She attended the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and Pepperdine University National School Safety Center. Her career experience includes working as a Colorado Springs police detective, special agent in charge of school safety for the state, executive director of Safe Schools for the Attorney General’s Office, founder of Safe2Tell, and author.[2]
Elections
2025
See also: Academy School District 20, Colorado, elections (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Academy School District 20 school board, At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates are running in the general election for Academy School District 20 school board, At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Susan Payne (Nonpartisan)  | |
 | Brandon Clark (Nonpartisan) | |
| Cynthia Halverson (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Renée Ludlam (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Jennafer Stites (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Holly Tripp (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Eddie Waldrep (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = 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
To view Payne's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Susan Payne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Payne's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Since being appointed to the District 20 School Board in June, I’ve worked to ensure fairness and safety in school sports, championing a policy that affirms the biological differences between males and females. I also supported a legal challenge defending local control to promote fairness, safety, and equal opportunity in athletics. As the founder of Safe2Tell, a nationally recognized student safety program, I’ve worked with leaders across the country, including the White House to keep students safe. My background includes serving as a Colorado Springs Detective and as Colorado’s first Special Agent in Charge of School Safety. I’ve been deeply involved in our district for years, serving on the District Accountability Committee, chairing the Safety Committee, and leading county efforts to prevent youth suicide through awareness, prevention, and crisis response.
Now, I’m running to continue this work, to protect parental rights, uphold community values, and build safe, academically strong schools that put students first. Trusted by parents, respected by school and community leaders, and proven through decades of service, I am committed to ensuring every child in District 20 has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.- Strengthen Student and School Safety As a national leader in school safety, Susan knows that learning can’t happen unless students feel safe and respected at school. She will champion best practices for prevention, safety, and crisis response and recovery strategies. Student and staff safety are not negotiable.
- Increase Academic Achievement District 20 students deserve a strong academic foundation built on high expectations. Susan is committed to raising reading and math proficiency by championing best practices and age-appropriate curricula and instruction. She will advocate for more focus on core subjects to include reading, writing, math, history, civics, and STEM while mitigating distractions. In addition to academic achievement, Susan believes students should graduate with essential life skills including financial literacy, critical thinking, and responsible decision-making. By prioritizing real-time data and measurable academic growth, Susan will work to ensure every student meets or exceeds grade-level benchmarks and is prepared for success
- Advocate for Parents and Teachers Susan believes that parents are essential partners in student success and their voices must be heard and respected. As a School Board member, she will defend parental rights, promote transparency in curriculum and policy decisions, and ensure families have clear, timely communication and easy access to information. At the same time, Susan recognizes that strong schools rely on dedicated educators. She will work to attract and retain high-quality teachers, counselors, and staff by fostering a culture of respect, professionalism, and collaboration. That includes supporting professional development, boosting morale, and ensuring that those who serve our students feel valued.
2. Removing sexually explicit materials available in schools.
My commitment is to fairness, accountability, and open communication with parents, educators, and the community. I will always stand firm in my convictions, even when it’s not politically convenient, and work to unite our district around shared values of respect, opportunity, and excellence. Our schools should be places where every student feels safe, supported, and prepared to achieve their full potential — built on trust between families, educators, and the community.
John Suthers
I created Safe2Tell because, during my years in law enforcement and working directly with schools, I saw that students often knew about threats, bullying, or self-harm before adults did, but didn’t have a safe and protected way to share that information. They had to trust that if they said something, adults responsible would do something with accountability. What began as a local pilot program in Colorado Springs grew into a statewide and national model for school safety and early intervention.
Safe2Tell has become an essential part of Colorado’s school safety infrastructure, helping to prevent suicides, acts of violence, and other crises by empowering students to use their voice to protect themselves and others. Today, it’s recognized nationally and has been shared with states across the country and even discussed at the White House as a best practice for prevention.
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
- ↑ Academy District 20, "Susan Payne Appointed to Board of Education," May 20, 2025
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2025
