Denver Mayor Michael Hancock isn’t mincing words when it comes to his beef with the Denver Public Schools board.

The term-limited outgoing mayor Tuesday took the gloves off during an appearance on the Mandy Connell Show on 850 KOA.

“This is a very dysfunctional board and it needs to be corrected,” Hancock said. “And the only people who can correct it are the voters.”

Hancock has sparred publicly in recent weeks with Denver Public Schools Board Vice President Auon’tai Anderson over the issue of school resource officers in Denver schools. Anderson in 2020 led a push to remove SROs from Denver schools. The board recently reversed that position after the shooting of two administrators at East High School.

Auon’tai Anderson, Michael Hancock in feud over return of SROs to Denver schools

“I’m disappointed that the mayor is criticizing the duly elected school board without having any conversations about how we can work together,” Anderson told The Denver Gazette in a phone interview Wednesday, speaking on behalf of himself and not the Denver Public School board.

Anderson cited what he described as successes achieved under the current board as evidence that it is a functioning board – dyslexia screenings for 21,000 students, raising the minimum wage higher than the city’s current minimum wage, “doing our part to make sure we’re not over policing,” and adding new protections for trans and nonbinary students.

Hancock told Connell he openly disagreed at the time with the 2020 decision to pull SROs from Denver schools.

“After we elect a new mayor next month and a new city council, the entire public needs to turn its attention to the board of education and move to make sure we get some responsible mature adults on that board who are focused on every child in every one of the buildings that they’re responsible for governing,” Hancock told Connell.

Anderson said he welcomed the next Denver mayor’s administration and looked forward to working together to find solutions.

“I have not had an opportunity to partner with city hall, especially not during a global pandemic, and would welcome that opportunity,” Anderson said.

The Denver mayor said he has already had conversations with candidates who intend to run for the Denver school board and he thinks they will be an improvement, if elected.

“We’re seeing people who are being elected who have no business being on the board, are being (entrusted) with that level of responsibility and we’ve got to find a way to correct the ship,” Hancock said.

Anderson believes Hancock is just upset because the candidates he’s supported in the past have lost their school board races, he said.

Anderson recently accused Hancock of threatening to use an executive order to reinstate SROs in Denver schools following the shooting at East High School – a claim the mayor rejected.

“The reality is, you don’t have to fabricate stories,” Hancock said. “Be responsible, show up, engage, address the issue, work with parents and students and the faculty and staff in those buildings and let’s make sure that everybody’s safe. That’s your ultimate responsibility, not playing a game of who said what. That makes no difference whatsoever. Address the issue. That’s where I think we’ve continued to see the continued dysfunction and immaturity of this board perpetuate itself.”

Anderson countered the Denver Public Schools board is very functional and has been able to deliver the highest graduation rate of any DPS board. He said having differing opinions is productive for democracy.

“Our city needs a functional democracy,” Anderson said. “It won’t come from dueling statements in the press, it’ll come from working together.”