In Case You Missed Our District 2 Forum

Thank you to the candidates who took the time to attend our forum on Tuesday: Eileen Lynch Gonzales, Doriena Longmire, Aaron Simpson and Ryan Thompson!  We offered those candidates in attendance the opportunity to submit brief closing remarks for voters who missed the forum. Those that we received are below:

Ryan Thompson:

I have learned a lot in running for the Harrison school board, and I have met some very good people the last few months. I have observed that many of these school board elections can become contentious. Yet in Harrison I have come to know, and like five very qualified individuals. I am comfortable in stating that no matter who is elected to the board, Harrison will be in good hands.

Harrison is facing a fork in the road situation, there is a new Superintendent, and next month some very new faces will take their place on the school board. Now is an important time to research all the candidates and vote for the person you believe is best suited for the task at hand. As I said all candidates are well qualified, however we all see things from a slightly different perspective.

For me graduation rates must increase! We cannot be accepting of 20 – 30% of our kids facing adulthood without a high school diploma. In our economy these days it is difficult for a college graduate to find a job, so what hope does a high school dropout have? We can reach these kids who are struggling by placing a much larger emphasis on vocational programs. We can help our community and all our kids by partnering with local businesses to find summer jobs and internships that may turn into careers after graduation. We can and should prepare our kids for life outside of school, simple things like; opening a bank account, handling a credit card, to more involved things like doing taxes and even starting your own business.

I hope to represent you, but I want what is best for Harrison, so please research all candidates and make the choice you are most comfortable with.

Doriena Longmire

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to share my views as a school board candidate, with the citizens of Colorado Springs; particularly those who are Stakeholders in Harrison School District Two. It is important for voters to know what our ideas are, for improving the school and community environment for our students, their families and staff.