When Denverites vote on this fall’s election, they’ll assist determine who will lead Denver Public Colleges, the state’s largest Ok-12 district.
4 of the seven seats on DPS’s Board of Training are up for grabs this yr, which means the bulk may change relying on who voters elect to serve on the district’s governing physique.
The election has already generated greater than $250,000 in marketing campaign spending, as candidates have secured endorsements from the academics union and Denver Households Motion, a political group with ties to constitution colleges.
Whoever is elected to serve on the varsity board must assist DPS confront monetary challenges as Ok-12 enrollment falls, and as state and federal funds are curtailed.
Among the many selections candidates are prone to face is whether or not to shut extra colleges if the price range cuts go deep sufficient. The election additionally comes as DPS is within the crosshairs of the Trump administration over gender-neutral bogs and federal immigration insurance policies.
Colorado voter information: Tales and explainers for the 2025 election
The 11 candidates vying for seats on the board lately participated in a debate hosted by Chalkbeat Colorado, CBS Colorado and Educate Denver. Through the debate, candidates have been requested a few vary of matters, from all-gender bogs to having armed police in colleges.
They have been additionally requested about their stances on college alternative — which permits dad and mom to ship their youngsters to whichever college they need — and constitution colleges.
This is what the candidates stated:
At-large candidates:
Deborah Sims Fard
Fard instructed Chalkbeat Colorado that she dropped out of the race as a result of an damage, however her title will nonetheless seem on ballots.
Alex Magaña
Magaña is the manager principal of Denver’s Grant Beacon and Kepner Beacon center colleges. He must resign his place if elected to the board. Magaña is likely one of the 4 candidates endorsed by Denver Households.
Magaña stated he helps college alternative in addition to constitution and innovation colleges, however not vouchers that use public cash to ship youngsters to non-public colleges.
He stated throughout a latest debate that he helps utilizing college students’ most popular pronouns and names; letting dad and mom choose youngsters out of classes; and the varsity board hiring its personal legal professional to barter the superintendent’s contract.
He doesn’t assist banning cellphones in colleges or posting armed police inside college buildings.
Magaña stated in a latest interview with JHB that he would shut colleges for teachers or low enrollment, if wanted. “Extra work must be completed figuring out what number of colleges should be closed,” he stated. “Primarily based on the pattern that’s going, there’s going to be much less college students.”
Amy Klein Molk
Molk is a DPS guardian, an entrepreneur and has labored as a particular training paraprofessional. She is likely one of the 4 candidates endorsed by the Denver Classroom Lecturers Affiliation.
Molk stated she helps utilizing college students’ most popular pronouns and names; letting dad and mom choose youngsters out of classes; banning cellphones in colleges; and the varsity board hiring its personal legal professional to barter the superintendent’s contract.
She stated she would not assist closing colleges for both poor teachers or low enrollment. She additionally doesn’t assist armed police inside DPS excessive colleges.
“We have to rebuild belief and we have to do this by making certain that each single pupil has an important neighborhood college the place their wants are met they usually have the sources to thrive,” she stated throughout the debate.
District 2 candidates:
Mariana del Hierro
Del Hierro is a DPS guardian and the manager director of Re:Imaginative and prescient, a nonprofit targeted on meals insecurity in southwest Denver. She is endorsed by Denver Households.
She stated, if elected, considered one of her prime priorities as a board member could be to deal with tutorial achievement gaps that persist amongst Latino college students.
“We’re permitting the most important inhabitants of our colleges to fall by way of the cracks,” del Hierro stated throughout the debate. “For me, that’s unacceptable.”
Through the debate, del Hierro didn’t say immediately whether or not she would vote to shut colleges. She stated the board must have conversations with households, together with associated to falling enrollment.
Del Hierro stated she believes at school alternative and helps gender-neutral bogs in colleges.
Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán
Gaytán, an actual property agent, was elected to the varsity board in 2021 and had a stint because the governing physique’s president. She is working for re-election to characterize southwest Denver and is endorsed by the academics union.
Gaytán voted in 2023 to reinstate armed police in colleges after a high-profile taking pictures at East Excessive Faculty. She helps gender-neutral bogs.
She voted final yr to shut seven colleges for low enrollment, however this summer season supported a four-year hiatus on future closure selections.
“The neighborhood wants time to heal,” Gaytán stated of the pause on closures. She additionally opposes closing colleges due to low tutorial outcomes.
Gaytán is essential of constitution colleges, which she stated are responsible for falling enrollment as a result of they’re “siphoning away sources from our public colleges, with little to no accountability, abusive work situations, poor pupil outcomes.”
District 3 candidates:
Caron Blanke
Blanke is a DPS guardian and former director of the Jewish Neighborhood Middle Early Studying Faculty in Denver, in accordance with her web site. She is endorsed by Denver Households.
She didn’t immediately say whether or not she would vote to shut colleges.
“No person needs to shut any college,” Blanke stated. “I’d take an sincere and considerate strategy to those selections. We are able to anticipate an 8% decline in enrollment by 2029, so we should be proactive in the best way we’re fascinated about this.”
Blanke stated she opposes armed police inside colleges and helps gender-neutral bogs in colleges.
Constitution and innovation colleges are public colleges in Denver, a part of the district’s portfolio — and “essential to make sure that we’re offering equitable, high-quality academic experiences for all of our college students,” she stated.
Scott Esserman
Esserman was elected to the board’s at-large seat in 2021, however is now working to characterize the district that he calls “dwelling.”
He voted in opposition to reinstating armed police to varsities in 2023. Esserman additionally voted throughout his tenure to shut colleges due to low enrollment, however extra lately supported a four-year pause on such selections. He opposes closing colleges due to poor tutorial efficiency.
Esserman helps gender-neutral bogs in colleges, however not armed police.
Youngsters — and most dad and mom — don’t care in the event that they go to a constitution, innovation or district-run college, Esserman stated.
“This query is problematic,” he stated. “This query has grow to be a part of the. narrative of what we speak about in Denver public colleges and it doesn’t serve college students.”
Donald “DJ” Torres
Torres is a DPS guardian and former particular training educator. He’s endorsed by the academics union.
He stated throughout the debate that he doesn’t assist closing colleges for both teachers or enrollment. He opposes armed police inside colleges, however does assist colleges having gender-neutral bogs.
Torres acknowledged that constitution colleges are a part of the DPS system, however stated the district must do extra to carry the colleges accountable.
“It’s the accountability of the board to be sure that we’re interrogating the entire choices that our households have at an equitable degree,” Torres stated.
District 4 candidates:
Jeremy Harris
Harris is a DPS guardian and runs Harris Funeral Administrators in Aurora.
He opposes educating elementary and center college college students classes that embrace matters akin to sexuality, racism and gender id. He additionally helps historical past classes that promote “appreciation for American values,” in accordance with his web site.
Harris stated throughout the debate that he helps college alternative and DPS having gender-neutral bogs, however wouldn’t vote to shut colleges for both low efficiency or enrollment.
He additionally stated DPS colleges want steel detectors and will do random background checks at “high-need colleges” to guard college students in opposition to gun violence. Harris stated throughout the debate that he doesn’t consider DPS is on target.
“We now have misplaced belief not solely in our college board, however we now have additionally misplaced belief in our superintendent,” Harris stated. “It’s time for a brand new period in training.”
Monica Hunter
Hunter is a DPS guardian and taught within the district she is now hoping to serve, collaborating within the 2019 instructor strike. Hunter, who’s endorsed by the academics union, additionally began the DCTA Black Educators Caucus, in accordance with her web site.
Hunter doesn’t assist steel detectors in colleges, saying they “criminalize Black and Latino college students.”
“We now have to make sure that we take a look at it holistically,” Hunter stated about gun violence. “Security is a psychological well being concern.”
Hunter stated she helps gender-neutral bogs in colleges, however doesn’t assist closing colleges for both poor teachers or low enrollment.
She stated she helps dad and mom’ capability to select what college to ship their youngsters to, however that constitution colleges want extra accountability.
Timiya Jackson
Jackson is a DPS guardian and endorsed by Denver Households.
She stated she helps college alternative, saying all colleges — no matter their governance mannequin — should be held accountable by the board. She additionally helps gender-neutral bogs in colleges.
Jackson stated she wouldn’t vote to shut a faculty with low take a look at scores, however didn’t say how she would vote if the superintendent recommends shutting a constructing due to low enrollment. She stated the board doesn’t spend sufficient time discussing tutorial information.
“Too a lot of our college students are missing a way of belonging of their college environments, and due to this fact, they’re left to ask, ‘What’s the goal of training?” Jackson stated. “We should be targeted on participating our college students and their studying at a younger age in order that they discover their passions.”
Michelle Quattlebaum
Quattlebaum was elected to the board in 2021 and is now working for re-election.
She has voted to shut colleges for low enrollment, however this yr backed a four-year hiatus on such selections. She stated throughout an interview with The Publish that ought to wouldn’t vote to shut colleges due to poor teachers
“The objective is to not shut colleges,” Quattlebaum stated within the interview. “The objective is just not to surrender on educators and college students. I can’t assist that.”
Quattlebaum voted in opposition to reinstating college useful resource officers in 2023 and as an alternative proposed utilizing neighborhood useful resource officers to reply when wanted. She stated throughout the debate that she helps college alternative and gender-neutral bogs.
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