In a special meeting lasting less than 35 minutes, the Estes Park School Board interviewed two candidates for an opening on the board and made its selection without discussion.
Sarah Bertucci and Jennifer Roberts were both given 15 minutes to introduce themselves to the board and answer four questions from the board members: Why do you want the position of board member in this district? Describe the board’s role as it relates to the superintendent’s role in the district. Describe the kind of relationship you want to have with your fellow board members. How would you help the board become more effective?
Bertucci told the Estes Park School District board that her interest in serving comes from a deep commitment to students and public education. She introduced herself as the parent of a senior and a ninth grader in the district and said her entire career has centered on schools and young people.
In explaining why she wanted to serve on the board, Bertucci said she believes “there is brilliance and genius within every single person” and that an effective school district should focus on lifting up every child. She said she has never served on a school board before but has worked in nearly every other role within education systems. She also emphasized her enthusiasm for policy, governance, and assessment, joking that a graduate school professor once told her she was the only student who became excited about assessment work.
Bertucci described the board’s role as setting policy, defining district “ends,” monitoring progress, and maintaining strong communication with the community, while the superintendent handles day-to-day district leadership. She said the board’s responsibility is to support and empower the superintendent, especially during leadership transitions, while also holding the superintendent accountable if district actions drift from board policy or goals.
When asked about relationships with fellow board members, Bertucci said she values trust, collaboration and curiosity. She said effective leadership teams draw from each member’s strengths and perspectives and ask “deep and critical questions” to ensure alignment and challenge assumptions. She also highlighted her background in facilitation and leadership coaching, noting her experience helping teams navigate conflict and encourage constructive feedback.
Bertucci told the board she believes she could help improve board effectiveness through strong communication, data analysis, and community engagement. She praised the district’s strategic plan and said she enjoys helping parents and community members better understand district decisions and processes.
She also highlighted her role in helping to develop the district’s global outcomes process, describing work she performed in other districts focused on systems change, inclusivity, and multilingual community engagement. Bertucci said she worked with refugee resettlement organizations, multilingual liaisons, and community groups to ensure district conversations included diverse voices and could be translated effectively across multiple languages and cultures. She said the engagement model later used in Estes Park has since been adopted by several districts around the country.
Describing feedback as her “love language,” Bertucci concluded by thanking the board and saying it would be an honor to serve alongside them.
During her 15-minute interview, Roberts told the Estes Park School District board she was interested in serving during what she described as an “exciting time” for the district, particularly as the district prepares to transition to a new superintendent. Roberts said she wanted to help support that transition while also bringing additional parent perspectives to the board.
Roberts introduced herself as a lifelong Estes Park resident and a graduate of the district, noting that she and her husband both attended local schools. She said the couple now has three children enrolled in the district’s elementary schools, including one student preparing to move into middle school next year.
She told the board she believes her current role as a parent gives her firsthand insight into what is working well in the district and where improvements may still be needed. Roberts said she wants to help ensure all students continue to receive the opportunities and education necessary to succeed beyond school.
Roberts also highlighted her prior governance and leadership experience, including four years serving on the board of the Lifelong Learning of Estes Valley preschool organization, three of them as board president. She said she has also spent the past year serving on the district advisory committee, where she gained a stronger understanding of district goals, challenges, and performance measures, despite not having an education background.
In discussing the relationship between the board and superintendent, Roberts said she views the board as operating at a “30,000-foot level” by setting policies, goals, and accountability measures, while the superintendent oversees daily district operations and works with staff to implement the board’s priorities.
Roberts told the board her professional background as an engineer has required her to lead diverse teams and solve complex problems involving multiple stakeholders and perspectives. She said those experiences translate well to school board service because they involve collaboration, listening, data analysis, and decision-making. She added that even when disagreements arise, board members must continue working together cohesively for the district’s good.
Asked how she would help make the board more effective, Roberts said she believes the district has already demonstrated effectiveness through recent academic growth and progress in strategic planning. She said she would focus on building upon that success while remaining highly visible and accessible within the community. Roberts noted that her family’s involvement in many local activities allows her to regularly interact with a wide range of families and residents, giving her opportunities to hear diverse perspectives and bring them back to the board.
Immediately following the interviews, and without any board discussion or deliberation, Board of Education President Stacy Ferree asked for a motion. Board member Brad Shochat made a motion to appoint Roberts. The motion was seconded by Franco Wederski, and the board voted unanimously to appoint Roberts to the vacant board seat.
Roberts was sworn in, took a seat at the board table, and the meeting was adjourned. The board will meet for its regular monthly meeting on May 18 at 5:15 p.m. in the board room of Town Hall.