The four women vying for three open seats on the Manitou Springs School District 14 board of education shared similar messages and viewpoints during the district’s forum on Monday, Sept. 25, at Manitou Springs City Hall.
All four – Jill Bishop, Connie Brachtenbach, Marianne Rommerdahl and Magdalena “Maggie” Santos — feel a passion for the Manitou Springs community and its students.
Bishop described her background as a Cascade resident since 1996 and her professional and personal qualifications. She has been an elementary school teacher in the Harrison School District for 25 years and is the mother of two children who have attended D14 schools.
“I sat on building and district accountability committees throughout their K-12 education. And now I find myself with an opportunity to once again have a positive impact on both the students and teachers here in Manitou,” Bishop said.
“I look forward to working with parents, with staff and with my fellow board members toward ensuring the optimum learning environment for our students through relationships and data-driven decisions. I look forward to developing a budget using fiscal responsibility to further increase our teachers’ pay and to create a culture of transparency to build trust and community partnerships.”
Brachtenbach spoke about being a fourth-generation Coloradan who has lived in Manitou Springs since 1990. She and her partner have two daughters who went through D14 schools and two grandchildren they expect will follow their path.
“We love the school district and are very grateful that our daughters were able to experience the loving, caring, supportive environment that they did,” Brachtenbach said.
Most of her career has been in leadership roles, including a stint as executive director of TESSA. Currently, she’s a business outreach specialist for El Paso and Teller counties and is an alternate for the City Planning Commission.
“I’m running for the board because I love serving in this community. I’m actively engaged in local issues, and I believe that my knowledge of the issues and roots in Manitou will make me an excellent choice for this position.”
Rommerdahl moved to Manitou in 2015. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, she was an officer serving in airbase defense and anti-terrorism. She’s also worked in real estate, specializing in commercial properties renovation.
“As a parent of young children in District 14, I feel more compelled now to get involved,” Rommerdahl said. “I feel like my background and my perspective can be an asset to District 14 and the community. I’m boots on the ground.”
She would focus on creating a “reasonable” district infrastructure plan and increasing community outreach.
“We have great buildings here, but they need a lot of help. And our students can only succeed if they are in an environment that is healthy for them,” Rommerdahl said. “If we expect to pass a bond, we need to make sure that we have buy-in from everyone.”
Santos moved to Manitou Springs in 1999, specifically to enroll her children in District 14 schools.
“I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I had two children here, and they graduated together in 2013,” she said.
After college, Santos was a teacher and then served in law enforcement; after retiring, she was the campus safety director and emergency manager at Colorado College. She has coached track, been a substitute and worked on the front desk at D14 schools.
“I find the teachers and the staff fantastic, and I want to be here to support them in becoming the best school district in the area,” Santos said.
If elected to the school board, she would focus on the district’s infrastructure, staff and teacher pay, student recruitment and retention, and any liabilities that would impact the district’s budget.
Jill Bishop has lived in Cascade, part of District 14, since 1996. Both of her children received their excellent K-12 education in District 14. She has been a public school educator for 25 years as both a classroom and elementary art teacher.
Jill has long loved the Manitou School District and has a deep understanding of how the school board can best serve the Manitou community. If elected, she promises to stand up for our teachers, improve the lives of our students and encourage progress.
Everything starts with great teachers. Through fiscal responsibility, she said, we can offer more competitive packages to attract and retain the best and brightest. Transparency will help our school board build trust and community partnerships.
Most importantly, Manitou schools have long maintained a relationship-focused approach so, by augmenting this strength with data-driven decisions, the board can ensure success for all District 14 students.
Connie Brachtenbach believes in serving the community she loves and says that, as a school board member, listening and learning from staff, teachers, students and parents would allow her to explore opportunities to update District 14 facilities, making them more accessible and sustainable.
If elected, she intends to increase her knowledge of how to effectively recruit and retain teachers and staff, while expanding career opportunities for students through vocational/technical certification programs and partnerships with organizations throughout the Pikes Peak region.
Connie spent most of her career working in a variety of roles at Current/ Checks Unlimited and was plant manager at EduKit, a school supply company. She currently works at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Her knowledge of local issues, experience as a D14 parent, professional experience and roots in Manitou Springs make her an excellent choice for this role, she said.
Marianne Rommerdahl is running for a position on the District 14 Board of Education because she feels her background and perspective can be an asset to MSSD14. She is “boots on the ground” each day in our schools as a parent and as a volunteer, and sees the impact that policies can make.
She is a wife, a mother of two, an Air Force veteran and a small business owner with extensive experience in project management. Two areas Marianne hopes to focus on early as a board member are creating a reasonable district infrastructure improvement plan and engaging with the community. She would strive to make herself accessible to all stakeholders —teachers, students, parents, staff, administrators and community members.
Join Marianne and get to know her better at a meet and greet 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at the American Legion Eber Duclo Post 39, 634 Manitou Ave.
Magdalena (Maggie) Santos has lived in Manitou Springs since 1999. She moved here specifically so her children could attend a small school district and have the benefit of a community that revolved around it.
Her father retired from the Army in Colorado Springs, and she has lived here ever since. Maggie graduated from Colorado College with a teaching certificate and became a teacher/coach. She transitioned to law enforcement, then became the director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management for Colorado College.
Previously, she has served on the boards for Children’s Advocacy Center (now Safe Passage), Diversus Health and Rocky Mountain Women in Law Enforcement. After retiring, Maggie has been supporting Manitou School District 14 as a substitute teacher and coach for the past couple of years.