In the Weld Re-8 School District, voters are selecting three school board members this year.
Four candidates are running in total: Brian Hardwick, Dez Packard, Erica Seegrist, and Cristian González. Only one candidate, González, is an incumbent seeking reelection.
The open seats represent Districts A, C, F, and G. Hardwick is running unopposed for the District A seat, a two-year term. Packard is running unopposed for the District F seat, a four-year-term. Seegrist and González are competing for the District G seat, also a four-year term. No candidates filed for the District C seat.
The election marks a significant transition for the Fort Lupton-based district, as current board President Matthew Adame, Director Gene Matsutani, and Secretary Michelle Bettger are not seeking re-election after their terms expire.
All Weld Re-8 voters will have the opportunity to select candidates in the Nov. 4 election.
The incoming board members will face ongoing challenges, including teacher retention issues, with the district experiencing a 25% average annual turnover rate, and facility needs at aging school buildings. The board will also need to address community concerns after voters rejected a mill levy override and a $70 million bond measure in November 2023.
To help readers learn more about the candidates, the Colorado Trust for Local News asked them each the same set of questions. Read their answers below. Responses may have been edited for formatting, but otherwise each candidate’s answers are as submitted.
This voter guide was produced by the Colorado Trust for Local News in collaboration with Chalkbeat Colorado.
