Tapsuru Ba

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Tapsuru Ba

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Colorado State University

Personal

Profession

Community Advocate

Contact

Campaign website

Personal LinkedIn

Tapsuru Ba ran for election for an at-large seat of the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado. He lost in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Ba completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Tapsuru Ba earned a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University. His career experience includes working as a community advocate, education programs director, and organization director. He has been affiliated with CityYear and African Leadership Group.

Elections

2025

See also: Aurora Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2025)

General election

General election for Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Anne Keke (Nonpartisan)	19.8	22,411
✔		Tramaine Duncan (Nonpartisan)	18.3	20,685
✔		Kristin Mallory (Nonpartisan)	17.9	20,279
✔	Submit photo	Gayla Charrier (Nonpartisan)	15.0	16,952
		Tapsuru Ba (Nonpartisan)	11.3	12,732
		Nino Pepper (Nonpartisan)	9.8	11,055
		Hendrix Lewis (Nonpartisan)	7.9	8,947

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.	Total votes: 113,061
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ba in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tapsuru Ba completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ba's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Tapsuru "Ousman" Ba. I was born in a refugee camp in Senegal and emigrated to Colorado with my parents when I was six years old. I went to Denver Public Schools, where I embraced every opportunity to learn. I graduated from high school in 2011 and went on to earn a degree in International Studies and Political Science from CSU.

Although I graduated from high school 14 years ago, I still see students like me struggling and being left behind. That's why I completed a year of AmeriCorps working with low-income students in Miami, Florida, and now serve the African immigrant community as the Education Program Director at a local nonprofit, where I've spent the last seven years working directly with youth

My journey, from a refugee camp in Senegal to a student in DPS to a community leader, has prepared me to be a strong advocate for equity, opportunity, and excellence in education.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Inclusive Education - Expand opportunity, reject division, and support strong public schools that serve the whole community, recognizing families as partners in building stronger schools.
• Support Educators - Ensure that teachers, paraprofessionals, school leaders, and all other adults who support our kids have the resources they need to be successful.
• Fight for Equity - Increase the availability of resources for students with the most need and work to protect and increase overall education funding in challenging economic times.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education is very important to me and is the career I have dedicated myself to.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Community connection and being willing to listen to the people affected by policies and decisions.

Leadership and the ability to make hard decisions.

Standing up for the people who have traditionally been left out of success in our system, particularly in marginalized communities.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To make policy decisions that improve student opportunity for success and that make the education system more approachable and easier to navigate for families.

To manage and guide the superintendent in the implementation of policy.

To amplify the voices of students, parents, educators, and the community, ensuring they are included in decision-making processes.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

September 11th occurred very soon after my arrival in the United States.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

To make policy decisions that improve student opportunity for success and that make the education system more approachable and easier to navigate for families.

Who are your constituents?

My constituents are the people who live in Aurora or who work in, or attend Aurora Public Schools. To me, that is community members, students, educators, parents, taxpayers, and residents, whether documented or not.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I would start by listening to those needs, then work with communities to consider policy approaches that address those needs. Next, I would collaborate with my colleagues on the board to craft new or revised policies. Finally, I would work with the superintendent to ensure the district implements those policies in the way we envisioned.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I am deeply involved in the African community and have built my relationships there by showing up authentically, being available and reliable, and working hard to improve the lives of the people in my community. I will approach relationship building as a board member in a similar way.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

I will always be an advocate for additional funding for our schools, and to ensure that the resources we do have are distributed equitably - meaning that the students with the greatest need get the greatest support.

In Colorado, our limitations due to TABOR are real barriers to properly funding our schools. When elected, I will use my voice as an elected school board member to advocate at the legislature for more and better distributed resources.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

My primary principle is that students who feel unsafe in school will have a harder time learning. Whether this is because they are afraid to go to school because of bullying or a lack of supportive culture, or the threat that they or their families will be swept up in ICE raids, we need to make sure that we keep the things that make students feel threatened from entering the school doors.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

It is essential that students attend school so they can learn. I have seen how students fall behind when they miss days of school, so I want to do everything possible to get them back into the classroom. That includes providing on-site mental health support through trusted adults, including compassionate educators, school counselors, and school therapists. If our schools are unable to provide these supports, we should partner with external organizations in the community. My understanding is that APS has expanded these programs, and I would like to further expand them.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Colorado Black Women for Political Action
Colorado People's Alliance

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

A modern, comfortable, safe, and welcoming school looks like one that doesn't have any significant structural or maintenance issues, is cool in the summer and warm in the winter, has access to technology and physical media like books, greets students in their language, has educators and staff who look like and understand a child's background, and is focused on improving students academically as well as socially and emotionally.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I am deeply involved in the African community and have built my relationships there by showing up authentically, being available and reliable, and working hard to improve the lives of the people in my community. I will approach relationship building as a board member in a similar way.

Are there any areas of school curriculum you would like to see changed?

There is nothing in particular I want to see changed, but I do want to make sure that educators have a say in what they teach and that the curricula used are engaging and connect with students. Teachers are the experts in the room, and they know what works and what doesn't, so I will follow their lead, in addition to connecting with community members to learn about their interaction with the lessons.

What role should artificial intelligence have in your school district?

There is certainly a role, but my concern is that artificial intelligence is being used as a crutch by students to avoid critical thinking. We need to find a way to balance the fact that AI is here now, with the need to ensure students are learning deeply. I am not the expert on this issue, however, so I will be seeking additional thoughts and insight from community members and education leaders.

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.

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Candidate

Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large

Website

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