Four PSD board spots up for election in November

Voters in Poudre School District will be electing four board of education members this fall. The election will be held on Nov. 1.

Ernest Cienfuegos-Baca of Wellington is the first to announce his intention to seek the spot on the board currently held by Garth Rogers, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Cienfuegos-Baca, a bilingual Latino and senior employment specialist with the Larimer County Workforce Center, said he believes a fresh and diverse perspective will be a welcome addition to the board. He is married with two children, one of whom is in public school at Eyestone Elementary.

Cienfuegos-Baca indicated Wellington, which is experiencing above-average growth, is one example of the need to have representation on the board from rural community members. "Poudre School District will be challenged on how to deal with this growth and provide the best possible options for our children and community," he said.

Serving as a PSD Board of Education director is a volunteer position. Directors serve four-year terms; however, the candidate for District F will serve the final two years of the four-year term vacated by John Fooks. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.

Directors with terms expiring in November are Bill Wawro (term limited), District C; Jana Ley, District D; Garth Rogers (term limited), District E; and Nancy Tellez, District F.

Petitions for nomination will be available at the Johannsen Support Services Center, 2407 LaPorte Ave., in Fort Collins on Aug. 3. Petitions and other documents must be completed and returned to Debbie Hackney, board secretary, no later than 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Signatures of 50 eligible electors are required on the petitions. Candidates are encouraged to return the completed documents prior to the deadline to allow time for verification of signatures. This will provide the candidate with extra time to obtain additional signatures if the petition is deemed insufficient.

More information about the election is available by calling 490-3602. Information also is availabale at the web site for the Colorado Association of School Boards www.casb.org.