The Mesa County Valley School District 51 Board of Education is on the verge of a significant transformation following Tuesday's election. Preliminary results show two incumbent board members trailing their challengers by substantial margins, signaling a potential shift in the board's majority and educational priorities.
Challengers Kaci Cole and Vicki Woods hold commanding leads in their respective races for the District D and District E seats. Meanwhile, Board President Andrea Haitz is holding onto a narrow lead in the District C contest. If the current trends hold, the composition of the board could change dramatically.
Key Takeaways
- Challengers Kaci Cole and Vicki Woods are leading incumbents Will Jones and Angela Lema by thousands of votes in the D51 school board election.
- Board President Andrea Haitz is in a tight race, narrowly leading her challenger, Mike Rathbone.
- The election results could shift the board's political majority, altering its direction on key educational issues.
- Voter turnout in Mesa County was reported at 39%, with over 46,000 ballots cast as of Tuesday evening.
A Night of Surprising Results
As election results began to populate on Tuesday night, a clear pattern emerged in the races for the Mesa County Valley School District 51 board. Two challengers, both with extensive backgrounds in education, established early and significant leads over their incumbent opponents.
In the District D race, former D51 teacher Kaci Cole was ahead of incumbent Vice President Will Jones by more than 4,000 votes. According to the latest figures, Cole secured 23,287 votes, or 54.7%, while Jones received 19,256 votes, representing 45.3% of the total.
The margin was even wider in the District E contest. Vicki Woods, a former principal with three decades of experience in the district, led incumbent Secretary Angela Lema by over 6,000 votes. Woods garnered 24,583 votes (57.5%) compared to Lema's 18,156 (42.5%).
Election by the Numbers
As of 9 p.m. on election night, the Colorado Secretary of State reported that 46,513 ballots had been cast in Mesa County. This represents a voter turnout of approximately 39%. The preliminary results were based on the counting of more than 42,500 of those ballots.
While comebacks are technically possible until all votes are certified, the substantial leads held by Cole and Woods make such an outcome statistically improbable.
Challengers Outline New Priorities
At their respective election night watch parties, the leading challengers shared their vision for the district's future. Both emphasized a renewed focus on students, teachers, and practical classroom issues.
Kaci Cole on Collaboration and Classroom Needs
Speaking from her gathering at Cruise Control Kitchen and Cellar, Kaci Cole outlined her immediate goals if her lead holds. She stressed the importance of addressing fundamental challenges within the school system.
"I hope that we can address things like class sizes in a meaningful way and we can address the unsafe behaviors happening in our classrooms in a meaningful way," Cole stated. "I think both of those things will translate into really high academic performance."
Cole also spoke about unifying the community around its schools. "Our teachers are also community members. Our parents are community members. Our district administration are community members. We’re all in this together," she said. "We can’t be three separate entities anymore." She credited the endorsement from the Mesa Valley Education Association, which represents around 900 teachers, as a key factor in her campaign's success.
Vicki Woods Targets Student Readiness and Absenteeism
Across town at Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza, Vicki Woods celebrated her strong lead, attributing her campaign's resonance to its focus on students over politics. "We’ve lost our focus on what’s important in schools: kids and our teachers and educators," she remarked.
A Potential Political Shift
The current D51 school board has a majority of members who openly identify as Republicans. If Cole and Woods are officially elected, this dynamic would change. While neither ran on a party platform, the shift could move the board's composition from a 4-1 Republican majority to a board where only two of the five members are registered Republicans.
Woods laid out ambitious long-term goals, including expanding school choice options within the district. She specifically mentioned creating a K-12 STEM program and increasing bilingual programming to meet high demand.
She also highlighted a critical area for improvement: post-secondary and workforce readiness. "When you look at our achievements statewide, we’ve made some needed improvements in our achievements and growth, but... what’s happening in our career readiness?" Woods asked, noting that three of four indicators are below the state average.
In the short term, Woods plans to tackle the district's 36.7% chronic absenteeism rate and address student behavior by supporting staff and listening to students' needs.
Incumbents Face Uncertain Future
The mood at the incumbents' joint watch party at Warehouse25-Sixty Five was reportedly subdued as the initial results came in. While Will Jones and Angela Lema face significant deficits, Board President Andrea Haitz is positioned to retain her seat.
Haitz Holds Slim Lead in District C
In the most competitive race of the night, Andrea Haitz led challenger Mike Rathbone by just 1,429 votes. Haitz had 21,940 votes (51.6%) to Rathbone's 20,561 (48.4%).
Speaking about her campaign, Haitz said, "We worked hard. We did everything we could. We left no stone unturned." If her lead is maintained, she plans to focus on continuing the momentum in student achievement and navigating the district's budget challenges. Her goals include working on academic outcomes as part of a new five-year strategic plan.
Incumbent Will Jones reflected on his campaign, stating he focused on a message of safety and security. "I’ve done the things I said I was going to do four years ago when I campaigned," he said. "I’ve stayed steady with that and I’ve done the best job I could do."
Other Local and State Ballot Measures
Voters also weighed in on several other important issues affecting the region and the state.
- Clifton Fire Protection District: Ballot Issue 6B, which proposed a 1% sales tax to fund new fire stations, was on track to pass easily with a lead of over 2,000 votes.
- Plateau Valley Fire Protection District: An issue to approve a property tax increase for operational expenses also held a lead.
- Glade Park Fire District: Residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating their own fire protection district.
- Statewide Propositions LL & MM: Both measures, which extend and fund the state’s Healthy School Meals for All program, appeared poised to pass with strong statewide support.
Final, certified results for all races are expected in the coming days, but the initial numbers suggest a new chapter is about to begin for Mesa County's largest school district.