Dawn Shieldt is challenging the incumbent candidate, Eric Kelley for Montrose County School Board in District F for the November 2, 2021 election.

Dawn Shieldt has lived in Montrose for 27 years and has five kids. Eric Kelley is a business owner, dedicated father, and has served one term on the school board. Family is important to both candidates. Dawn Shieldt promotes giving the parents voice back.

Dawns Shieldt believes that Montrose is a good community with a variety of students which creates a higher competition and various test rates.

“Montrose is a great community. When you provide more options for the parents we can reach higher competition and academic success rates,” Shieldt stated at a recent school board forum meeting.

“I also believe firmly that any classes teaching or talking about sex in a classroom needs to be an opt-in class only,” Shieldt said.

Shieldt proposes that mandates for students wearing masks and requiring sex education classes are unconstitutional. Shieldt hopes to change sex education classes to strictly opt-in only and make it a choice for student and parents. Shieldt also suggests that the use of vaccines should not be required or forced on children.

”We believe the power needs to go back to the parents,” Shieldt said.

Kelley is committed to the success of District F and believes that quality of school facilities is a rising issue. With more and more students, Kelley states that school building capacity cannot hold and educate students effectively. Kelley has come across this issue first hand his first term serving on the school board.

Kelley also wants to gain more control over District F for ideas such as mandates and mascots. He would like to bring more money into our schools, as he sees school funding is low. Kelley believes that bringing more money into school will help the facilities and control over the district.

“The school board is not a political position,” Kelly said. “The school board should be made out of a diverse reflection of our community. This position is to represent division and don’t come to that with an agenda you got to come to that with open eyes and open ears.”

Kelley believes that the school board is not a political position and may adversely affect the schools without general unity. He believes the position is solely about the children and should be kept as various as possible.