The sound of whistles and upbeat raised voices from sports fields herald the turn of the summer. Autumn sports practices have begun, and the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) is preparing for the start of a new school year, just two weeks away. High schoolers return to classrooms on Wednesday, Aug. 20, while elementary and middle school students will begin classes the next day, Thursday, Aug. 21.
Updates from over the summer include details on this autumn’s school board director elections (for which two seats are open), updates from RFSD’s June special budget meeting and reminders for the beginning of another academic year.
School board elections
This year, two of the board’s five seats are up for election. District A covers the area east of Highway 133 and south of Highway 82, approximately east Carbondale, Emma and sections of El Jebel and Willits. District E, also east of Carbondale, runs along the north side of Highway 82 and up the Fryingpan Valley. Each of these seats is up for a four-year term.
Per RFSD, the board is a non-partisan elected governmental body that establishes and revises policies for school districts to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students in the district. Candidates must be registered voters within the district for which they are running for at least the past 12 months, and may not be full-time employees of the school district. While employees can run for the positions, if elected, they would be required to relinquish their previous position. Being a board member is not a salaried position, though members do receive a small monthly stipend.
To run, eligible candidates must file an official petition with at least 50 elector signatures by Aug. 29. Additional details are available on the RFSD website. As of late July, only one person had officially declared candidacy for either seat. Elizabeth Cockrill Taylor is running for the District E seat. Her son recently graduated from the Aspen School District.
June board meeting
On June 25, the RFSD board met virtually to review and pass the final 2025-2026 school year budget. The fiscal year runs from July 1 this year to June 30, 2026. Total appropriated funds approved are $211.6 million, with about $16 million for special revenues like food services and student activities, $46 million for the district’s housing fund and $118 million for the various facets of the general fund that cover education.
A letter from Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole and Chief Financial Officer Christy Chicoine was included in the meeting packet. It offered a summary of the challenges in the previous year’s budget and the way the new school year budget aims to address and prevent those issues moving forward. The presentation accompanying the letter included details on how district strategic goals factored into budget decisions including specific quantifications of teacher-student ratios and use of property taxes to support the district’s schools.
The budget presentation in the packet included flags of challenges the district wants to observe closely over the year. For example, uncertainty about federal funding in the coming years, declining enrollment due to population decline and concerns about health insurance expenses. The packet included extensive graphics and tables demonstrating allocations, funding sources and the projected expenditures.
During the meeting, board director Lindsay DeFrates led the move to approve the 2025-2026 budget as presented, and was quickly seconded by board member Kenny Teitler.
Back-to-school reminders
Given that sports practices are back in session, community members are encouraged to slow down and pay extra attention while driving near campuses and athletic facilities. Garfield County library locations have a variety of resources for students preparing for the new school year and completing summer assignments. A website called Colorín Colorado has bilingual checklists and other resources for families. Children’s Hospital Colorado also provides recommendations for transitioning into the school year and advocating for one’s children.
The next RFSD board meeting will take place on Monday, Aug. 25.