The Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education will look a bit different going into next year.

During the Nov. 4 elections, Jefferson County residents voted in three new board members in the five-person board, all while voting out incumbent School Board President Mary Parker.

The three open seats were within Districts 1, 2 and 5. The school board is made up of elected representatives for five different districts. Two of the representatives act as vice presidents, while one serves as the president. The board members are all volunteers. 

Denine Echevarria, Peter Gibbins and Tina Moeinian were elected as the new representatives for their respective districts.

During interviews after the election, all three discussed the importance of the role and the problems that need to be addressed during their terms — including transparency, budget cuts and student safety.

DENINE ECHEVARRIA — DISTRICT 1

Echevarria won the District 1 seat over Michael Yoccum with 64.48% of the vote. District 1 makes up the northern part of the district, including schools in Ralston Valley, Standley Lake and Pomona.

She will be the only representative on the board that was not endorsed by the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA).

Echevarria plans to be a “grounded” voice for the community and staff, she told The Denver Gazette.

The new representative has a rich history working within education, starting when she was just in high school. Echevarria then went on to become a certified teacher in 2005 when she became an English Language Development teacher in the Westminster-Broomfield area.

She has also worked as a instructional coach, district coordinator and mother — with one Jeffco graduate, a current 9th grader and a toddler in the class of 2040.

When her local school, Sheridan Green Elementary School, was shutdown in 2022, Echevarria realized something needed to change within the district: communication and transparency.

“It felt to our community that the decision was made without a lot of transparency to our community. We didn’t even know we were on the chopping block to be shut down,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of communication.”

To help combat that, she decided to take matters into her own hands and run for the board.

To her, it’s all about connecting with the community and staff to make sure every voice is heard when making significant decisions.

“I feel like I can at least bring a perspective of education and what we need to be able to serve our teachers and families appropriately,” she said.

PETER GIBBINS — DISTRICT 2

Gibbins, who was endorsed by the JCEA, won the District 2 seat with 68% of the vote over Samuel Myrant. District 2 makes up schools in Golden, western parts of Lakewood and northern Green Mountain.

Gibbins — a working litigator and trial lawyer — plans to be the “professional advocate” for the board.

“School boards and districts are constrained in a lot of ways in what they can do and how they can do it,” he said. “I can look at the statutes myself and form ideas of how we can work within that statutory restraint. I don’t have to take others’ word for it.”

Gibbins’ mother was a school teacher and then the executive director of JCEA starting in 2006. She worked for around 20 years in the district.

The new representative has worked as an organizer with private sector labor unions in the past, and said that though the groups are fighting for workers’ needs, they are always fighting for improvement in public services.

“Education associations in general are big advocates for students,” he said. “They’re not just representing their members’ interests, they’re representing the students’ interests themselves.”

Regardless, Gibbins said he puts the students and transparency first.

During the Denver Gazette’s Voter Guide, he said that all too often, district decision-makers work behind closed doors and don’t bother to meaningfully engage the community in decision making.

TINA MOEINIAN — DISTRICT 5

In the most heavily contested race, Moeinian was elected over incumbent Parker and Gloria ‘Teresa’ Rascon in the race for the District 5 seat. District 5 includes schools in Conifer, Chatfield, Columbine and Dakota Ridge.

Moeinian, also backed by the JCEA, won with 40.73% of the vote. Parker had 31.63% and Rascon had 27.64%.

The new representative has lived in Jefferson County for five years and does not have any children within the school district, but she believes her skills as a professional mediator will allow her to build trust between the community and the district.

“I bring folks to the table so they can share their perspectives and move on their own path forward,” she said. “It’s redirecting folks to find their common values and their shared goals.”

“Genuinely we have the best interest of all the stakeholders in mind,” she added. “We’re not going to make everyone happy all of the time, but we are going to do what’s best for the students in Jefferson County.”

TAKING UP THE ROLE

Jeffco Public Schools has been in the public eye over the last few years — and not always for positive news.

With roughly 77,000 students, Jeffco Public Schools is among the largest school districts in Colorado. It has closed 21 schools since 2021.

The district is currently staring down a $60 million budget deficit. Officials have also been under scrutiny for six separate sexual misconduct-related incidents over the past two years, including an investigation into David Weiss, the district’s former chief of schools, regarding child pornography.

Furthermore, a school shooting at Evergreen High School in September brought about various discussions regarding school safety in the district.

All the while, board members have taken heat for the issues as acting representatives, but the challenge of stepping into the difficult role hasn’t deterred either of the three new elects.

“I’m not deterred by the frustrations the community has. It’s my job to hear those concerns and do whatever I can in my power to make sure they’re addressed and heard,” Gibbins said.

“I love being of service to my fellow Americans. If I can bring and lend my skillset, I’m happy to do it,” Moeinian said. “I think it will be tough, but I don’t have any delusions about that. I’m not one to run away from something because it’s difficult.”

BUDGET CUTS

Regarding budget cuts, all three said the idea is to keep cuts as far away from students and classrooms as possible.

Echevarria said the concept of cutting school programs like music, swimming and theater is a no-go.

“Every kid, when they go to school, something there inspires them and gets them to return the next day,” she said. “We can’t cut those programs. That’s what’s giving them passion and excitement to show up every day.”

“There are cuts coming. We’re going to have to get in there and do everything we can to keep those cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” Gibbins said.

But, still, creating more transparency and a connection with the community is crucial, even for the budget.

If the county were to get a mill levy passed, they would need the full backing of the community — something the elects all acknowledged the district doesn’t have.

“We have the deficit in the budget that we need to address ASAP. In anything that we seek to accomplish here, we are going to need the trust of the community, the faith of the community,” Moeinian said.

TRANSPARENCY

“There is kind of a breakdown in communication,” Moeinian added.

“If we can get back to talking to each other and understanding each other. Like, ‘Alright, we had to make a crappy decision, but here are all the other crappier options we were presented with. Here’s why we went with this option,’” she laughed.

Gibbins echoed the sentiment of better communication. He spoke of moving back to the county and getting his child enrolled in classes, calling the process of communication both “incredibly challenging.”

“The district, as an entity, is really hard to interact with. Instead of being deterred by the frustrations the community has, I was motivated by them,” he said.

SAFETY

Safety is also a significant concern.

“Safe schools is a priority,” Echevarria said. “We need to work with law enforcement, work with (School Resource Officers) to make sure we are really serving our kids, and then the mental health services that our students really need.”

“Safety is very, very important,” Moeinian said. “I look at it from a big-picture standpoint. I look at it from physical safety, yes, but also the emotional, psychological, social aspect of it, as well.”

Regardless if the issue is budget or safety, Gibbins said no decisions can be made without full communication with the community.

“Whatever the issue is, if there’s not transparency, if there’s not trust, if there’s not real communication, none of these issues will go over well,” Gibbins said.