This story first appeared in a Colorado Community Media newspaper. Support CCM’s neighborhood news. The Colorado Sun is an owner of CCM.
Three Elizabeth School District board members who say they’re tired of constant public comments and emails about critical race theory, social emotional learning and restorative justice have turned in letters of resignation.
The three conservative board members said in letters that will be officially submitted during the board’s regular meeting on Monday that the comments are unnecessary because they agree the programs should not be taught in the school district.
Copies of the resignations were made available to the public on Friday. The letters were sent from board members Craig Blackham, Kim Frumveller and Cary Karcher.
“Board meetings have become chaotic and have brought behavior unbecoming of the community,” the letter from Karcher said. “Public comment has become the priority for board meetings, which I believe is important, if constructive. But that cannot consume most of our meetings.”
Besides continuous public comments, resigning board members said they get up at 6 a.m. to an influx of emails complaining about the programs that are not taught or used in the district.
District spokesman Jason Hackett said in an email that at least three board members had said they would be submitting letters of resignation. A vote of the board is required to accept them. The board is expected to conduct regular business at its Monday meeting, including approval of the new superintendent contract, and then submit the official resignations with an effective date of March 14.
If all goes as planned on Monday, three members would be leaving the board, leaving only two to vote to accept the resignations, which does not constitute a quorum.
The two board members that had not submitted letters of resignation by Friday were Treasurer Rhonda Olsen and Assistant Secretary Heather Booth.