Never have school board elections been more important, especially in the Pikes Peak region’s two largest school districts. Children are the future, and the public has seen too many examples of public schools turning students against this country and their parents.

We have seen the National Education Association boldly wage war on capitalism. We’ve seen middle-school libraries stocked with age-inappropriate and racist materials that undermine parents.

Thankfully, NEA bosses run public schools only when the public allows their chosen board candidates to win. With the ballot, adults who love children and their country can take back the schools from and contend with far-left ideological indoctrination disguised as academic instruction. On this basis, The Gazette endorses only those candidates who have pledged to restore common sense and order to education by putting children first.

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The Gazette also reminds readers of our opposition to statewide Proposition HH – a deceptive scheme to neuter the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights – and our support for Colorado Springs question 2A. We hope our endorsements help voters in conducting due diligence when filling out ballots.

Colorado Springs School District 11

? Parth Melpakam is the sitting D-11 board president. An Indian-American immigrant, Melpakam came to this country to pursue the American dream and earned his doctorate in petroleum engineering from the University of Wyoming. In his first four years on the board, the last two as president, Melpakam led the district with a rigorous and disciplined focus on improving student outcomes. The district’s accomplishments speak for themselves as D-11 hired a fantastic superintendent, improved enrollment for the first time in over a decade, expanded trade programs, created scholarship opportunities to promote academic excellence, passed historic teacher pay raises and much more.

? Thomas Carey is a D-11 father of five, Ph.D. in chemical engineering, and teacher at the Air Force Academy preparatory school. After seeing the lack of college readiness in the classroom, Carey decided to run for the D-11 board to help equip students to be better prepared for their futures. His classroom experience, specifically tailored to college readiness, perfectly positions him to help District 11 succeed. His performance in recent forums has shown him to be an unusually intelligent, articulate and thoughtful leader.

? Jill Haffley is a newly retired, award-winning 27-year U.S. history teacher in D-11’s Coronado High School. As D-11 improves, it is pivotal that school board policies effectively translate into the classroom. Haffley brings a much-needed teacher’s perspective to the boardroom. Beyond being a teacher, she serves as the announcer for Doherty basketball games, runs the scoreboard for Coronado football games, and even in retirement hosts that school’s annual Veterans Day parade. Her passion for students and lifelong dedication and accumulated wisdom in District 11 make her a strong choice for the school board.

? Jason Jorgenson is the sitting D-11 vice president and shares credit for D-11’s recent successes. He has been a strong voice for parental involvement, student outcomes, and political neutrality in the classroom since his election in 2019. During COVID, he advocated for students to get back into the classrooms as quickly as possible. In April, he introduced and passed a resolution expressing D-11’s disagreement with the Colorado Education Association resolution condemning capitalism.

Academy District 20

? Amy Shandy is a D-20 mom, speech-language pathologist, and award-winning small-business owner. In 2005, she founded the Shandy Clinic. When she retired in 2019, the clinic had grown to become one of the country’s largest privately owned outpatient pediatric therapy clinics. After retiring from a life’s work of serving kids in D-20, Shandy decided to continue that service by running for school board. Shandy wants to make student outcomes the primary focus of the board and to take D-20 to a higher standard of academic excellence.

? Derrick Wilburn is the father of three D-20 graduates, and like Shandy, is a small-business owner and longtime leader in our community, including as the founder of Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives. He runs a nonprofit helping minority college students become legislative aides in Washington, D.C., and is a strong voice for building character and better outcomes in the lives of young people.

Proposition HH: ? No

Proposition HH is bold-faced deception by Colorado’s governing class. Deceptive wording could lead voters to believe the measure cuts property taxes. In truth, it guts Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. If passed, the new law would “lower” property taxes by offsetting them with TABOR returns that would dwarf the proposed short-term tax reduction.

Colorado Springs 2A: ? Yes

This question offers voters the chance to enhance public safety as Colorado Springs progresses toward becoming the safest large city in the United States. The ballot asks voters whether the city may keep $4.7 million in revenues estimated above the 2022 fiscal year revenue cap established by the local and statewide Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). The money would fund the planning of a law-enforcement training center, which is far more a need than a want.

Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Board