Community advocates press Roaring Fork board on equity; parent raises complaint about missed IEP mental-health services

Four members of the public used the district's public-comment period to press the Roaring Fork School District board on equity and accountability and to report a specific special-education service lapse.

Katya Gonzales told the board that a recent email by a director had misrepresented her and her organization and accused trustees of failing marginalized students. "Director DeFreitas, how can I believe that you personally adore me when you used my name, twisted our conversation to fit your narrative?" Gonzales asked, saying her organization works to "uplift brown communities" and demanding the board be held accountable.

Alex Sanchez, identified in his remarks as the president and CEO of Voces Unidas, said that community advocacy groups formed because the district has not delivered adequate results and urged trustees to accept accountability. "Our job as the governed is to hold a to hold you accountable even if you don't like it or it makes you uncomfortable," Sanchez said. He delivered three recommendations in a prior letter to the board and offered to work with the district.

Alan Munoz Balenciano, introduced himself as regional manager for Voces Unidas de las Montanas and called the district's failures "systemic," arguing the district's proposed 2025-26 budget offered no clear investments to close the achievement gap or diversify staff. He asked the board to direct the superintendent to return by December 2025 with a process timeline and budget needs for a multi-decade roadmap, to approve funding to hire turnaround consultants or a full-time employee, and to tie superintendent performance to progress on the achievement gap.

Parent Elizabeth Parra spoke about her son's IEP and said the school's mental-health provider was let go about a month before the school year ended, leaving students with mandated mental-health services without the specialized supports their IEPs required. "My son's behavior began to escalate during this time, which led to his suspension," Parra said. She said the district later provided a provider for the final two weeks of school but that families were not notified promptly of the service disruption. Parra asked the district to provide a written accounting of missed mental-health services for affected students, compensatory-education plans, and a corrective action plan to prevent future lapses.

Board members did not take formal action during public comment. The speakers' requests included deadlines and budget directives that would require formal board action to implement.