St. Vrain Valley School Board showed gratitude to old board members and new

A calm sincerity filled the school board chambers last night, as St. Vrain Valley School District showed gratitude to old board members and new.

During a special meeting of the SVVSD school board, Superintendent Don Haddad gave thanks to exiting board members Paula Peairs and John Ahrens for their service to the district. The sentiment of gratitude was echoed by other members of the board as well.

Both Peairs and Ahrens spoke from the heart about their time of service, with Peairs calling the experience “a very easy honor to serve on the board,” highlighting the work of her fellow board members and the administrative staff in the district.

Ahrens said the journey was an incredible opportunity to work with students, teachers and administrators and imparted words of kindness to the newly elected board members.

“You’re going to be entering into an environment … with trepidation. You don’t know what you’re going to expect. Expect to be embraced by the best,” Ahrens said.

After the remarks from the exiting board members and a standing ovation from the audience, Chief Financial Officer Greg Fieth confirmed the election results from the four counties

During the 2021 coordinated election, Karen Ragland ran unopposed to retain her seat in SVVSD District B. Meosha Brooks also ran unopposed in District D after her opponent, Tyler Gearhart, dropped out of the race before the election. For District F, recently vacated by Peairs, Sarah Hurianek won the election over Natalie Abshier.

The new board members took their oaths of service to the board in front of witnesses and their families, before assuming their seats. The board, with members Jim Berthold and Dr. Richard Martyr in absentia, proceeded to cast votes for board officers and appointments through 2023.

Joie Siegrist retained her seat as president of SVVSD’s school board, while Ragland was elected to serve as vice president. Though absent from the meeting, Berthold and Martyr both sent in emails in advance, giving their willingness to serve. Berthold was elected as the new secretary, while Martyr was elected the new treasurer. Ragland was also appointed to serve as assistant secretary to the board, reprising her role from the previous term.

After the meeting adjourned, Hurianek said she was excited and her nerves had dissipated once she took her oath of office.

“I’m preparing to get my feet wet, get acquainted with the process and dive into what role I can have here in the district,” Hurianek said.

Brooks expressed her gratitude for the support she received during her campaign, sharing her enthusiasm in joining the board. Brooks said her priority would be continuing to work for the safety and opportunity of all students in the district.

“I think the district is doing a great job already, but making sure we have equity for all of our students is a priority of mine,” Brooks said.