As November inches closer, so do the changes voters will have to make to decide the landscape of the Lewis Palmer School District 38 Board of Education.

The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosted a School District 38 Board of Education candidate forum Sept. 29 at the D-38 Administration Building in Monument. The event was a timed question-and-answer session which touched on school choice, curriculum, safety, teacher pay and funding.

Chief Meteorologist Matt Meister of FOX21 served as the evening’s moderator. Candidates were seated in ballot order and took turns opening, answering prepared questions within two minutes, and delivering one-minute closing statements. Student timekeepers Sawyer Moore of Lewis-Palmer High School and Shay Cox of Palmer Ridge High School enforced green, yellow and red cards to keep answers on schedule.

District 1 candidate Tim Bennett and District 3 candidates Ginger Schaaf and Jackie Burhans participated, with the two district seats being vacated by Kris Norris who is moving out of the area and Tiffiney Upchurch who has reached term limits.

During introductions, Bennett highlighted a 30-year U.S. Army career and long involvement in the community since moving to the district in 2010. Schaaf said her family chose to retire in D-38 because of the schools and added years of moving with the military let her see “what works and what doesn’t” in districts around the country. Burhans, a 33-year resident, cited 22 years of involvement in D-38 from classroom volunteering and PTO to accountability and facilities committees, bond or mil levy override efforts and coverage of local boards as a community news reporter.

On curriculum, social-emotional learning and book challenges, Burhans said school libraries must serve all students and noted D-38 has a policy and process for challenging materials, while Monument Academy has its own limits.

“Parents ought to have the right to choose what books their kids read,” she said.

She cautioned against censorship for everyone.

Bennett pushed to “get politics out of school,” prioritize core academics and evaluate materials by their educational value and safety, leaving sensitive choices to families. Schaaf said she relies on trained educators and librarians to select age-appropriate content but supports parents opting out for their own children.

Candidates generally embraced multiple pathways for students. Citing D-38’s vision of “elevating the futures of every student every day,” Bennett praised career programs.

“One size doesn’t fit all,” he said.

Schaaf, with a construction management background, said high school wood shop, drafting and math prepared her for her career. She added special trades fill a community need. Burhans tied the vision to a “safe and nurturing environment” which enables exploration in arts and at the Career & Innovation Center, where offerings include construction, robotics, aerospace and welding.

Managing resources to expand school choice, Schaaf proposed a project-management approach which includes understanding the budget, enrollment interest and staffing, then prioritizing growth in areas students want, like possible specialized focuses.

Burhans said her product-management experience emphasized bringing stakeholders together, weighing data, regulatory requirements and costs, and deciding what to start, what to grow and what to stop. Bennett said limited resources require a clear litmus test. This includes prioritizing based on community needs, including rising demands in special education, and coordinating with Monument Academy and others for “diversity of thought” in solutions, he said.

School safety drew agreement of which secure facilities and student well-being are fundamental. Burhans noted D-38 has invested in vestibules, upgraded communications and school resource officers, and recently adopted a goal to complete at least one security project per year.

“It’s a task that never ends,” she said in reference to the national pace of school-violence incidents.

Bennett advocated for secure and limited access, praised card-key systems at Monument Academy and floated ideas from armed, trained staff to contracted guards, stressing return on investment. Schaaf said she has experienced the present protocols while dropping off items or picking up her children and called them “pretty strict,” adding the district should also strengthen mental-health support so students feel safe seeking help.

On compensation, candidates acknowledged D-38’s pay falls short of many regional districts. Bennett said culture and climate attract many teachers despite pay differentials, but the district must still prioritize resources to retain them. Schaaf said not all value comes from salary, and she wants regular dialogue with educators to learn what other means of support, like class budgets to additional leave, would matter most.

Burhans said Colorado’s salaries trail the national average and shared an example of a friend who doubled pay by leaving for a district which recognized multiple advanced degrees. She suggested D-38 examine how peers credit prior service and credentials to improve retention without across-the-board raises of which the budget may not sustain.

The event’s questions regarding gender inclusion and facilities produced sharper contrasts between the candidates. Schaaf said students should use bathrooms and locker rooms based on sex assigned at birth and opposed males competing in female sports, saying it is not equal competition. Burhans emphasized the board’s recent unanimous decision not to join litigation against CHSAA while supporting safety and fairness for all athletes, and said the district already addresses eligibility and facilities case by case while broader legal questions play out. Bennett called for practical options such as single-user restrooms and said men’s and women’s sports should remain separate.

Closing statements echoed earlier themes. Bennett urged ongoing constituent feedback

Schaaf, who noted her stake as a present D-38 parent, said, “All of our students deserve success.”

Burhans said looming policy and budget challenges aside, D-38’s tradition of excellence can be sustained by supporting educators, expanding pathways and keeping students’ safety and opportunity at the center.

The election is held Nov. 4 of this year.