Dear Editor,

On Nov. 5, you will have the opportunity to vote to discontinue term limits for School Board directors. A “Yes” vote on Ballot Question 3A will allow School Board directors to serve for more than two terms.

People who volunteer to serve on School Boards give countless hours of their time to do so because they are committed to our public school system that strives to provide quality educational opportunities for all children. It is a worthwhile volunteer opportunity for those who are able to commit the time to such service. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find people willing (or able) to run for the School Board. Two years ago, Lon Winston completed his service, and no one ran to replace him. Following the election, the Board of Education advertised for the position and appointed Peter Delaney to serve in Lon’s seat. Bruce Matherly was also up for re-election that year and would have stepped aside had someone come forward to serve in his director district. I believe it is a mistake to force experienced people off of a School Board, if they are still willing to serve, especially when so few people are able to take on this responsibility.

Elected terms are limited when we exercise our voting responsibility. If we trust our election process, we should give the decision on who should continue to represent us on the school board back to the voters.

As a school board director who has served for nearly 2 terms, I would encourage others to come forward to serve the Roaring Fork School District in this capacity; it is an invaluable experience. It is my hope that many people will make the decision to run for the school board when my position becomes available. It is always healthy to bring a new viewpoint onto an elected board. However, I also believe that that determination should be made by the voters, and not by term limits.

Please Vote on Nov. 5, and Vote “Yes” on Ballot Question 3A.

Tresi Houpt

Roaring Fork Board of Education