District to host board candidate forum Oct. 2
The Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) has had a busy start to the school year. As students and teachers got back into routines in September, the RFSD Board of Education regular meetings saw full agendas. The district is also preparing for the election of two new members for four-year terms.
Board of Education elections
RFSD is hosting a candidate forum for the Board of Education this Thursday, Oct. 2. The forum starts at 6pm and will be cohosted by the district and the Roaring Fork Community Education Association at the RFSD office in Carbondale. Individuals elected to the board are called directors and represent regional districts.
For District A, which covers the area east of Highway 133 and south of Highway 82, the two candidates vying for the position are Jodi Barr and Tamara “Tammy” Nimmo. The seat is currently held by Kenny Teitler, who is not seeking reelection. In District E, which runs along the north side of Highway 82 and up the Fryingpan Valley, incumbent Kathryn Kuhlenberg is running for reelection, challenged by new candidate Elizabeth Cockrill Taylor.
Roaring Fork Community Education Association president, Charles DeFord, said, “What makes a candidate forum vital for teachers, students, families and administrators is that it offers all concerned stakeholders a chance to meet and hear from those candidates who will help steer the future of the district.” He elaborated, “Certainly candidates can convey their values and vision for our district through other avenues, but it is unique in that it offers all candidates an opportunity to directly address the challenges and issues our educators and students feel are most pressing.”
This month, The Sopris Sun is conducting interviews with all four candidates, which will appear in upcoming issues of the paper. Until then, contact information and relevant campaign websites for each candidate are provided on the RFSD website. RFSD encourages community members to get to know their candidates. Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole said, “It is important our community understands candidates’ positions, interests and goals.”
September board meetings
At the Sept. 10 meeting, Cole and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stacey Park, along with Director of Student and Family Services Kelly Medina shared updates on student enrollment, growth and achievement data and considerations for continuing to close testing performance gaps among students in the coming school year.
While declining enrollment is part of a broader trend influenced in part by an aging local population, RFSD has observed over 280 students exiting the district between the end of the 2024-25 school year and beginning of the current academic year. Cole and Medina shared data on this, demonstrating that some 89% of those withdrawals were transfers to other schools. Yet only 11.5% were transfers to non-public schools; the majority of transfers were associated with family relocations, with students transferring to different Colorado districts, schools in other states and even schools in different countries. The RFSD board will hear another report on enrollment at the Oct. 22 meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Park shared a detailed memo and key points of student growth and achievement data. Continuing to bridge student performance gaps and support for all students will remain a strategic focus for the district.
In the Sept. 24 meeting, Dr. Cole and the strategic leadership team presented the first year report on a five-year strategic plan adopted during the 2024-25 school year. They noted highlights including the launch of a strategic plan data dashboard, steady student academic growth and increased school performance ratings for most schools and the district overall. Per Cole, the district Family Advisory Council and Equity Advisory Council provided critical input on district policies, and RFSD families reported some of the highest positive feedback the district has received related to communication, trust and transparency.
RFSD administration noted room for improvement in the implementation of strategic initiatives and in ensuring clarity for district stakeholders. The strategic leadership also noted room for improvement in academic achievement gaps. They observed strong outcomes in student academic and English language proficiency growth, but student academic achievement is lagging and significant gaps between demographics remain.
Another presentation followed, sharing a review of the RFSD Special Education program. Director of Special Education Patrick McGinty and Park shared key details. Special education is considered an area for growth in the district, and McGinty and colleagues have a detailed plan for training staff and expanding resource offerings.
October RFSD Board of Education regular meetings take place on Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 at 6:15pm in the Colorado Room of the Carbondale District Office, 400 Sopris Avenue. The board will also have a special meeting and retreat on Oct. 15. RFSD board meeting agendas are always available on the board website. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube and recordings become available afterward for public accessibility.