The Roaring Fork School Board has a new chairperson. 

Roaring Fork School District board chairperson Kathryn Kuhlenberg announced she is stepping down from the leadership position in an effort to spend more time with her family during the last regularly scheduled board meeting of the 2024-25 school year, held on Wednesday at the Carbondale District Office. 

Kuhlenberg will remain as a board member and is currently undecided whether she will run for re-election in November.  

“I’m just super grateful for all of you for this opportunity to be here,” she said as she announced her resignation. “I’m at a point where I’m ready to step back. I’m ready and confident in handing this over and hearing, ‘We’ve got this, we’re going to continue to move forward.'”

Board members unanimously voted for Jasmin Ramirez to take over chair responsibilities until the four-year term ends on Nov. 4. In compliance with state statute, the board moved immediately into the vote after Kuhlenberg announced her decision at the end of Wednesday’s meeting. Board member Betsy After was unanimously voted as the new vice chair. 

Ramirez’s first action as board president was to enter a school resolution honoring Director Kuhlenberg for “exemplary services.”

“Now, therefore, it be resolved that the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education, on this 11th day of June formally recognizes and expresses its deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to director Kathryn Kuhlenberg for her extraordinary service, tireless efforts and profound contributions as board chair,” the resolution reads. 

The announcement was made in wake of a four-year stretch as RFSD chairperson in which the school district successfully navigated financial turmoil in 2024. Kuhlenberg, elected in 2021, couldn’t help but point to the ones who helped her along her way. 

“I think the greatest honor for me in this journey over these last couple of years has been to be a partner with you and to be able to learn from you,” new RFSD Board President Ramirez said to Kuhlenberg. “To have you to lean on, and have you to calm me down, to be able to grow in this leadership role, and to share our successes together has been amazing. I don’t think I can say thank you enough for all the amazing work you’ve done as chair.”