The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Three seats opening up in November
The Gunnison RE1J School District is looking to fill three vacancies on the Board of Education starting in November, immediately after the election.
The departures of MJ Vosburg, Terri Wenzlaff and Jim Perkins are leaving one seat open for a county resident living north of Round Mountain and two seats for residents living south of there. All three positions are four year terms.
“I think the right candidate has to be someone who values public education in our country, our state and our community,” current school board president MJ Vosburg says. “For me it’s all about the kids and trying to provide an education to the children in this valley that we’re proud of and trying to shape how that is going to look in the future.”
According to its website, the Gunnison Watershed RE1J school district’s mission is “to provide an education of exceptional quality in a safe environment of mutual respect, high expectations and genuine achievement…”
Vosburg says it’s the school board’s responsibility to make sure that mission is being met while reflecting the values of the community in the decisions being made. They also work with the district staff and administration to make sure budgets are balanced, policies are adhered to and the superintendent has the direction he needs.
“We’ve got a fantastic administrative staff right now that are all very dedicated and qualified to do the work that they’re doing,” Vosburg says. “So I feel very good about the state of the district right now.”
The amount of time a board member spends on school business depends on the task at hand, but involves preparing for and attending evening meetings twice a month and bi-annual retreats as well as any special projects that the board takes on.
“Additionally, there are a number of boards and committees on which individual board members volunteer related to the field of education and the business of the school district,” says Vosburg. “These appointments are typically made from within the board and attempts are made to match individuals to their strengths and interests.”
Some examples of special projects one or more board members might be involved with are bond and mil levy elections, strategic planning, conducting the appeals processes for staff, and student issues, among other things.
“We’ve got a good thing going in our schools and it has been a positive experience to be a part of that,” Vosburg says.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens who live in the appropriate area and must have been registered to vote in the district for a minimum of 12 months. To be eligible to run in November’s election, a potential candidate must return their forms, including a petition with the signatures of 50 registered voters, to Stephanie Juneau no later than August 28, 2009 at 4 p.m.
People considering candidacy can visit http://co-gunnisonschools.civicplus.com to look over the school board policies, which are under the “B” listing. They are also encouraged to email any of the current board members to get a first hand account of the Board of Education experience. The email addresses board members are:
MJ Vosburg – mjvos@roadrunner.com
Terri Wenzlaff – twenzlaff@western.edu
Bill Powell – wpowell955@aol.com
Jim Perkins – sperkinsfamily@q.com
Anne Hausler – abhausler@mac.com
For more general information or start the process of declaring candidacy for one of the open board seats, call Stephanie Juneau at 641-7760 or stop by the school district offices 800 N. Boulevard in Gunnison.
