DIVIDE • The second of four Woodland Park School District RE-2 Board of Education candidates’ forum took place on Oct. 19 at Summit Elementary School. Well over 100 people came out to hear Director District E candidates Suzanne Patterson and Dale Suiter field questions from moderator Carrol Harvey.

In her opening statement, Patterson said she moved to Woodland Park in the spring of 2020. She described herself as a wife, mother and grandmother. She said she volunteers for different charities and has found the Woodland Park community to be hardworking, resilient and proud of their mountain heritage.

“I’m running because of extensive research into the district’s declining enrollment — the dissatisfaction and complaints,” she said. “I want to reverse that trend.”

Suiter described himself as respectful, purposeful and proud. He said Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project are not part of the district’s curriculum and that the district follows Teller County Public Health policies when it comes to masks in school.

He is married and has two adult children. He worked for AT&T for 30 years.

Each candidate was asked what makes them qualified to serve on the board.

Suiter said he served on a school board in Kansas for seven years. “I know how to work with people, to be on a team and find solutions,” he said.

Patterson has 15 years of equestrian teaching experience, has worked for the Department of Defense and has worked with disabled children. “I taught them to strive for excellence, self-esteem and discipline,” she said.

Suiter said he attended the last four school board meetings and has helped with the district’s baseball team.

Patterson has attended three in-person meetings and has watched many of the board’s virtual meetings. She noted that she hasn’t been in Woodland Park for very long but has already volunteered for Choices and the Phoenix Center.

There was a question about interweaving the curriculum so that students gain the skills they need in one grade to progress to the next grade.

Patterson said this should be happening, but she didn’t think it was. Because of the district’s Summit Learning Platform, parents are leaving, she said. “It doesn’t work,” she said.

Suiter said he knows interweaving of curriculum from grade to grade is being done. When it comes to the Summit Learning Platform, he said: “I’ve talked to teachers who love it and to kids who love it. They aren’t on the computers 100 percent of the time. At most, screen time is only 50 percent.

The kids are making it a success.”

Former Board Director Carol Greenstreet said after the forum that the Summit Learning Platform is designed to make sure students have the skills to progress through the grades. Also, over at least the past 20 years, meeting minutes and newspaper articles show that whenever district officials consider changing the curriculum, progression through the grade levels has been part of school-board discussions.

On the district budget, the two-month reserve that is standard and what to cut if the budget changes, Suiter said the school reserve can cover almost three months of operations in an emergency. As for closing a school or making cuts, he said that would be a discussion for the entire board.

Patterson said the district is over-budgeted. “The school budget is determined five years out,” she said. “Funds will lag when enrollment increases.”

“The budget is fine,” Suiter said. “We have more money now, but we’ll use it eventually.”

On school security, Suiter touted closed circuit cameras, secured doors and school resource officers.

Patterson said the school resource officer should be in uniform and said a good anti-bullying program builds student self-esteem and self-discipline.

Suiter used his rebuttal time to list all the good things he sees happening in the district and at Summit Elementary School.

Both candidates were asked whether endorsement by and a donation from the Teller County Republicans could be considered a conflict of interest, especially since the school board is supposed to be nonpartisan.

“It isn’t a conflict of interest, they did nothing illegal,” Patterson said. “I’m proud that the local Republicans endorsed me. They see a vision for this community and the town can see that I have community support.”

Suiter said he hasn’t taken donations. “Politics doesn’t belong in schools,” he said.

Suiter said the school board can best support students by being visible. “We need to get out and talk to teachers and students,” he said. “In Kansas, the board would take bus tours to each of the schools. I would like to bring that here.”

“A responsible, active school board impacts the children, helps them prosper and brings back parents,” Patterson said.

She also said the current board needs to know the Constitution and the district needs to promote diversity while teaching American exceptionalism. “You can’t defend the law if you don’t know it,” she said.

“The board doesn’t know the Constitution? Give me a break,” Suiter said. “The board knows the Constitution. We grew up with discipline and dedication.”

Patterson also said the district and the board need a vision and that board members should not have to compromise. “Stick to the vision,” she said.

Both agreed that attracting and retaining teachers requires paying them better, especially new teachers. Patterson added that cutting the number of administrators will provide more funding to pay teachers enough to afford to live in Woodland Park.

Del Garrick, the district’s director of human services, said the district reduced its administrative staff about five years ago and administrative hiring remains flat.

In closing, Suiter said: “They say students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I will be fair and advocate for student success. Student learning is a top priority.”

He said he would collaborate with administrators and teachers and would advocate for budget transparency. “The whole world is moving forward,” he said.

Patterson said the district needs to teach students to be proud of their American Heritage and to think for themselves.

“An active school board is fiscally responsible,” she said. “We need to make Woodland Park a place where parents want to bring their children. Parents are speaking, are we listening? Vote your conscience.”