Five candidates run for board of education seats

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Poudre School District has three seats on the school board up for election this fall. Only one position is contested.

Candidates are Jim Hayes of Fort Collins in District C (uncontested); James Ross of Fort Collins in District D (uncontested); and Patrick Albright of Wellington, Lynn Borngrebe of Wellington and Susan Lorimor of Fort Collins in District E.

All ballots must be returned to the county clerk and recorder by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Ballots may be dropped off at several locations, which are listed on the county's web site. Go to www.larimer.org/elections or call 498-7923 for election information.

The League of Women Voters will sponsor a candidate forum on Oct. 7, 7 p.m., at the Fort Collins City Council Chambers, 300 LaPorte Ave. The public is invited to attend and may submit questions in writing to the candidates. The forum will also be shown periodically on Channel 14.

Information about four of the candidates follows. Hayes, the uncontested incumbent in District C, declined to respond to a written questionnaire.

The current board member in District D is Jana Ley, who is term-limited and cannot run for re-election. Larry Neal, who is not seeking re-election, is the current board member from District E.

District D: James Ross

James Ross, 42, is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Northern Colorado. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children who attend PSD schools. Ross said he is running for a seat on the school board because "public schools that inspire creative and enterprising 21st-century students are the foundation for strong communities and greater opportunity."

Ross has served as a board member for several community organizations, including the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University, the district advisory board for PSD and Fort Collins' Human Relations Commission. He also co-coached an Odyssey of the Mind team. He graduated from the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training earlier this year.

Ross said he would "work to make an excellent school district even better for every child."

District E: Patrick Albright

Patrick Albright, 32, said he wants to serve on the school board to "make certain that our children's education adequately prepares them for an economy that is becoming more of a global entity."

As an engineer with Advanced Energy Industries of Fort Collins, Albright has experienced the huge changes in the American economy, jobs and business in recent years. "I believe that my experience with industry and technology will bring a unique and valuable perspective to the Board of Education," he said.

Albright said he supports innovation in the classroom and transparency in conducting the business of the district. He also wants to hold students to high standards and make sure they are met before students are allowed to progress.

Albright and his wife, Bridgette, have a 2-year-old daughter.

District E: Lynn Borngrebe

Lynn Borngrebe, 47, said she is running for a seat on the school board because of her "passion for education." She has worked in classrooms as a classified employee, and she has been a parent volunteer at Wellington Middle School and Fossil Ridge High School.

"I know first-hand the impact one person can make on the success of a child," she said. Serving on the school board "feels like the right next step for me," she added.

Borngrebe has two children who attend PSD schools.

Currently an employee in the Department of International Education at Colorado State University, Borngrebe has worked as a business manager of a county health department and in financial and administrative support at four universities. She served on the planning commission for Ellensburg, Wash.

Borngrebe supports innovation in the schools and wants to "preserve and expand the excellence of the Poudre School District."

District E: Susan Lorimor

Susan Lorimor, 44, said she has been "frustrated by some school policies" and wants to participate in making necessary changes. In particular, she thinks PSD lacks policies "across the district" that factor in the needs of all children in special education. She has a son who receives special education services.

"We must act as a community to improve graduation rates and the support we give all our students," Lorimor said.

She stated that she is surprised that only 54 percent of Hispanic students graduate from PSD. She also said the district must recognize "the many funding challenges ahead" and wants to encourage all citizens to volunteer in the schools.

Lorimor previously worked as an attorney with a nonprofit legal aid office. In Fort Collins, she has volunteered in PSD schools for three years, serving in parent-teacher organizations and on school committees.

Lorimor has one adult son, two children attending PSD schools and a 1-year-old.