2023 Pikes Peak Region

D8 – Fountain 

School Board Candidates

Candidates presented in Alphabetical Order

Download or View PDF Voter Guide

On a PC:  Clicking the button will (most likely) download a PDF file of the Voter Guide automatically, then simply go to where your files download and open it from there.  If you want to view the Voter Guide online/on your browser, then you will probably need to:  Right-click -> Open in New Tab. 

On a Mac:  Clicking the button will (most likely) open the Voter Guide on your browser.  If you want to download the Voter Guide as a PDF file, then you will probably need to:  Right-click -> Save Link as…., and then designate where you want to save it. 

Please Note:  PDF versions of our Voter Guides are primarily designed for downloading and printing, or viewing on a large screen device (ie. desktop computer or tablet).  They do NOT work well on small screen mobile devices (ie. your phone).  Scroll down the page for the Mobile-friendly version of this Voter Guide.)

Mobile-Friendly D8 Candidate Listings

THE TOPICS
& QUESTIONS 

click each box to read answer

Candidate Information

Campaign Website URL: 

Email Address: 

Occupation/Vocation: 

Military Background (if any):

Resident of Colorado Springs: 

Political Leanings

As a candidate in a nonpartisan School Board election, you are not officially associated with any specific political party.  How would you describe your political leanings (socially, fiscally, etc.) and why do you define yourself in this way?

Your Experience and Vision

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as School Board Member that will benefit your district?  What is your vision to help ensure the highest quality education for your district’s students?

Improving Schools

What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

Curriculum

What types of curricula, including library books and materials, do you believe should be added or removed from your district’s schools?  Why?

Financial Stewardship

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

Securing Constitutional Liberties

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

Parental Role

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

Sex Ed

Why do you support or oppose comprehensive sexuality education, including LGBT health and relationship information, in public schools K to 12?  What are your positions regarding age appropriateness, curriculum transparency, and opt-out policies?

Gender Issues

Explain your positions regarding teaching and discussing gender issues in the classroom, including the use of “preferred pronouns”?

School Safety

As a School Board member, what will you do to help assure a safe and secure environment for both the students and staff of your district?

School Board Meetings

What do believe is the correct balance between the authority of School Boards and the rights of the public to present their views during School Board meetings?

JUSTIN BOWMAN

Candidate Information

Candidate Chose to Not Participate

Campaign Website:       None Found

Email Address:       Justin.Bowman89@gmail.com

JILL GRUBBS

Candidate Information

Campaign Website URL:       None

Email Address:       djmegbo4@gmail.com

Occupation/Vocation:       Administrative Assistant

Resident of Pikes Peak Region & District:       45 years and 28 years

Political Leanings

As a candidate in the Colorado Springs nonpartisan municipal election, you are not officially associated with any specific political party. How would you describe your political leanings (socially, fiscally, etc.) and why do you define yourself in this way?

Politically I consider myself conservative fiscally and socially I have traditional conservative values. As a Christian, the Bible is my source of truth.

Your Experience and Vision

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as School Board Member that will benefit your district?  What is your vision to help ensure the highest quality education for your district’s students?

I served on the District 8 School Board from 2007 through 2015 and was term limited at that time. I also served on the teacher assessment committee for District 8 from 2016 through 2019. District 8 has provided highly qualified teachers, schools and opportunities for our students that need to be permanent and increasing in the future. Continuity in the leadership of the School Board can facilitate providing a high quality of education.

Improving Schools

What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

I think that District 8 has supplied quality programs and negotiated COVID 19 with the least amount of interruption and negative effects, nevertheless all School Districts and students have been affected. The commitment District 8 has implemented to focus on meeting the students’ needs; educational, social, and mental has helped our students with setbacks from the pandemic. Continued focus on rigor in educating District 8 students and giving them the options for specific tutoring and learning opportunities need to be followed for full recovery.

Curriculum

What types of curricula, including library books and materials, do you believe should be added or removed from your district’s schools?  Why?

Curriculum materials from various sources are reviewed by committees of teachers and administrators before being adopted and have been available for School Board Director review also. Reading, writing, math, history, social studies should all be curricula that is germane to the subject studied. The arts, sports and all programs providing students with career preparation should be supported with library materials pertinent to those topics. Books that are explicitly sexual and/or are not appropriate for school libraries should be removed. School libraries should have material that is age/grade relevant and not pushing an agenda for transgender/LGBT or critical race theory.

Financial Stewardship

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

District spending should prioritize student’s learning needs to ensure the best education; teachers, administrators, student support (classified) employees, curriculum, safety, school buildings/facilities and extra-curricular activities. Working with other School Board members and the District Administration to ensure taxpayer funds are going to those priorities will be my focus. District 8 has NAFIS (National Affiliation of Federally Impacted Schools) due to housing on Fort Carson and the District has been able to construct new facilities and been able to keep teacher and employee wages more commensurate with the cost of living without having property taxes raised in several years or a necessity of pursuing school bonds.

Securing Constitutional Liberties

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

School Boards can legally opt out of some State policies which recently have affected free speech, exercise of religion, medical autonomy and peaceful assembly. Careful review of policies and making sure the policies meet the students, teachers, and community members (parents and constituents) Constitutional liberty rights is a responsibility I take seriously and plan to fulfill.

Parental Role

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

Parents’ concerns should be addressed to teachers initially and if not handled there, by administrators and the School Board as necessary. No information about a student should be withheld from a parent and policies that support withholding information from parents/guardians should be omitted or changed. Parents are the persons ultimately responsible to raise their children and to make sure the education of their children are receiving meets the standards they want for their children-no entity should supersede the rights of the parent.

Sex Ed

Why do you support or oppose comprehensive sexuality education, including LGBT health and relationship information, in public schools K to 12?  What are your positions regarding age appropriateness, curriculum transparency, and opt-out policies?

Sex education should only be taught in a sex education class, not in social studies, science, health, history, or math; all these subjects can be taught without sex ed being part of the curriculum. If sex education is taught within any other curriculum, the parent(s) should be notified ahead so that they can “opt out” their child for that period of instruction. There should always be an “opt out” choice for parents to remove their children from sex education classes and that is the reason to have Sex Ed class separate from other curricula.

Gender Issues

Explain your positions regarding teaching and discussing gender issues in the classroom, including the use of “preferred pronouns”?

Teachers, students, and other school personnel should not be required to use “preferred pronouns” as this practice is disruptive to classroom instruction and not necessary for students to learn. Pronouns which match the student’s birth gender should be used and no person should be under corrective or disciplinary action if they do not comply with a student’s specific preferences in this regard. Gender discussions should not be initiated by the teacher unless it is during a sex education class.

School Safety

As a School Board member, what will you do to help assure a safe and secure environment for both the students and staff of your district?

District 8 has implemented a very comprehensive program in conjunction with the Fountain Police Department, having SRO’s (School Resource Officers) in all City of Fountain Schools. The District 8 administration is constantly upgrading all aspects of safety provided, an example of excellence in the area of school safety. This was a focus of mine when I was previously serving on the District 8 Board and it will continue to be a focus for me as a School Board Director, should I be elected.

School Board Meetings

What do believe is the correct balance between the authority of School Boards and the rights of the public to present their views during School Board meetings?

Since School Board Directors are elected by their constituents (parents, grandparents, guardians and community members), the public should be able to express their concerns at School Board meetings in an orderly manner and with respect to a reasonable timeframe. A group represented by one spokesperson for an inclusive matter or a single spokesperson for their single concern.

ROSE TERRELL

Candidate Information

Candidate Chose to Not Participate

Campaign Website:       None Found

Email Address:       RTerrell132@msn.com

JOIN THE COALITION

Help us share the Voter Guide through your ministry.

JOIN OUR E-LIST

Stay informed on the election and other news.

Christian voting

Voting is a simple, yet significant way to do something about public policy in our country. As people of faith, we will be held accountable for our actions, as well as our lack of action. (Luke 12:48)

Biblical worldview

By diligently learning, applying, and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives, we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture’s non-biblical ideas.

Vote your values

The issues of the day change. Political parties and platforms change. God’s Word never changes. The vote of every Christian should be based on the principles of Scripture and not persuasive personalities.

Electing righteous leaders

Bad governance and our loss of freedom is the direct result of the church’s failure to disciple. When the citizenry do not seek to be obedient to God’s Law, they vote in wicked and corrupt candidates, who then trample underfoot the God-given liberties of the people.