Dear Editor,

As a community, we often look to successful businesses for lessons on strong leadership. One of the clearest lessons is this: When something is working, you don’t change it. You don’t replace effective leadership during times of growth; you build on that success. The same logic applies to our school board.

Our current school board has shown strong leadership. The 2024 graduation rate was 83 percent, which was the highest rate in the history of District 51. Test scores continue to climb. From an article in The Business Times on September 2, 2025: “We were able to exceed the state average in five out of the six elementary CMAS categories, which is not something we’ve done before,” (Superintendent Brian) Hill said. “At the high school level, we were outpacing the state in nine out of 12 areas. That’s a highlight and something that we haven’t really been able to celebrate in the past.”

Whether it’s student achievement, responsible budgeting (Grand Junction High School was built under budget thanks to Director Angela Lema’s attention), or school safety, we’ve seen clear progress. Why would we risk that by replacing leaders who are delivering results?

Look at companies like Apple, Microsoft and Costco. When their leadership is strong and business is thriving, their boards stay the course. They don’t disrupt progress by gambling on untested leadership. They double down on what’s working. That’s what we should do here.

In times of dysfunction or decline, change makes sense. But right now, our schools are moving in the right direction. Let’s keep the momentum going. I urge voters to re-elect Andrea Haitz, Angela Lema and Will Jones to the school board and let them continue the important work they’ve already started.

– Jenny Dalley, Grand Junction