The Durango School District (DSD) Board of Education is building on the success of last school year by continuing its expanded Student Board Member program. With five student members — including four active members and one returning member serving in an advisory capacity — the Board has hit maximum capacity for student representation and is now the largest such program in Colorado, according to Board President Kristin Smith.
In hopes of helping other school boards develop similar student programs, the DSD Board is preparing to share its model nationwide.
Smith and Board Secretary Andrea Parmenter will present on the Student Board Member program at the Colorado Association for School Boards conference in December, addressing both general attendees and a student strand of roughly 180 youth from across the state. They have also submitted an application to present the model at the National School Boards Association Conference in Washington, DC, next spring.
The incoming student members of the DSD Board include returning 12th grader Coulee Fox from Durango High School (DHS), who steps into the advisory role. Joining the Board are DHS 12th graders Isabella Lecuna, Pierson Spain, and Bettie Stivers, and Durango Big Picture High School 11th grader Lyla Manansala. They will be sworn in this month and will be seated alongside Board members at bimonthly meetings throughout the 2026-27 school year.
"I wanted to be more of a leader this year," said Fox, reflecting on his decision to serve a second term. "Since I'm returning, I just want to be able to contribute a lot more."
For new members, the position offers insight into district governance and an opportunity to champion peer concerns.
"I thought it'd be really cool to see how the dynamics work behind the scenes," said Stivers. "Learning how the decision-making works behind such big things that have such huge impacts on students, and overall just how it runs properly, is really important."
Manansala echoed the commitment to student advocacy.
"Advocating for other people who are my age is a big thing for me," Manansala said. "Being able to advocate for the students, be helpful, and give the Board members a student perspective is something that I want to do."
The students do not vote during Board meetings, but they do provide valuable insights to the Board, present a group project, and act as representatives for their peers.
Board leaders emphasize that having students at the table reshapes district governance in the best possible ways.
"They make us better," said Smith. "They give us insight and direction that we would not have otherwise. When we make policies or the district puts forward initiatives, they also let us know how they land. If we're not closing the loop and circling back with our students' feedback, we don't know if we've missed the mark."
Parmenter, who oversees the Student Board Member program, underscored how student involvement keeps Board discussions focused.
"Their voices are instrumental in decision-making. They get to the heart of the matter a little quicker than maybe grown-ups do," Parmenter said. "It's very grounding to have the students you're representing and serving in the room with you as part of your team."