District Seeks Second Board Appointee
The City Council isn't the only one with an empty seat to fill.
The Westminster School Board is searching for someone to fill board member Lynn Covey's seat after she announced her resignation in September. Covey is the second to resign from the board this year, following Sondra Harvey's resignation in July.
District spokesperson Trish Montgomery said she's received a total of five applications seeking appointment to the board - one from Judy Ahrens and Sergio Contreras, both who ran and lost the school board race to incumbent Helena Rutkowski and teacher Jo-Ann Purcell.
The names of the three other candidates won't be announced until the board meeting on Dec. 7th.
Ahrens, who came in with the third highest number of votes after Rutkowski and Purcell, said she hopes the board members will do the fair and right thing by appointing her.
"I want to be optimistic but I know my chances aren't good," Ahrens said.
She attends nearly every board meeting and often goes before the board to speak on several issues. Ahrens describes a somewhat strained relationship with the board.
"When I'd go before the board to speak, those who speak favorably on whatever the subject may be, get more time to speak," Ahrens said. "When it's my turn and I bring up concerns that I may have, I've noticed I don't get the same amount of time to speak."
Ahrens also ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat two years ago.
"Even though it's a given that the board doesn't favor me, my heart is still with the kids and I still want to try," she said.
Contreras came in fourth out of the six candidates in the election but he also still wants to try to get on the board.
"I think my chances are good, " the 26-year-old Contreras said. "I think I'm a great candidate."
For a district that is predominately minority students, nobody on the board is bilingual, Contreras pointed out.
"I would bring diversity to the board," he said. "I don't want to pigeonhole myself but I'm also well-qualified for the job. I'd bring my energy and open-mindedness to the board. The question is, is the school board ready for someone like me?"
The district will hold a special meeting on Dec. 14th to conduct public interviews of the five applicants.