06/10/2026
Last night, the D11 Board voted to withdraw from CASB, making us the only school district in Colorado without membership in the Colorado Association of School Boards.
There are 178 school districts in Colorado. D11 now stands alone.
So what is CASB?
For 86 years, CASB has provided school board members with policy expertise, leadership training, legislative advocacy, governance support, and a professional network that helps districts serve students effectively. Simply put, it's where school board members learn how to do their jobs well—how to run meetings, understand budgets, interpret state education data, and advocate for laws that benefit students.
Membership isn't free. D11's projected 2026-27 dues would be $26,493. While that may sound like a significant expense, it's an investment in competent governance, informed decision-making, and strong advocacy for our students. We want D11 to remain one of the best districts in Colorado Springs. We want a board that is trained, informed, and prepared.
Now entering the chat…CLAS: Colorado Leaders for Academic Success.
CLAS was founded by Brad Miller and his son, Joshua Miller. While CLAS describes itself as nonpartisan, it operates as a conservative-aligned organization and is affiliated with the national group School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE). SBAE has promoted abstinence-only s*x education and has ties to organizations such as the Republican National Lawyers Association. CLAS networking and training opportunities often involve the Leadership Institute, an organization known for training conservative political candidates.
Unlike many elected offices, school board races are intended to be nonpartisan.
Currently, CLAS has just six member districts in Colorado, and all of them also maintain CASB membership. Its part-time director, Daniel Snowberger, resigned last month as superintendent of Elizabeth School District. Many believe the move is related to positioning himself for D20’s Superintendent job.
History matters. Woodland Park and Elizabeth School District both left CASB and aligned with CLAS. Both districts later returned to CASB after experiencing significant enrollment declines, teacher turnover, and academic challenges.
Is D11 on the verge of becoming a member with CLAS? We think it’s a good possibility.
Just as students need teachers to learn and grow, school board members also do- they need training, resources, and experienced guidance to effectively lead a district.
Without CASB they are students in a classroom without a teacher.
And that’s a problem.
Board members Leann Bartlett and Charles Johnson voted to remain with CASB. The rest of the board voted to end membership effective June 30.
If you believe D11 should remain connected to the professional organization that supports school boards across Colorado, contact your board members. Call. Email. Speak up.
Our students deserve a board that never stops learning.
Thomas Carey (President): [email protected]
Jill Haffley (Vice-President): [email protected]
LeAnn Baca Bartlett (Director): [email protected]
Dr. Michelle Ruehl (Secretary): [email protected]
Jason Jorgenson (Treasurer): [email protected]
Charles Johnson (Director): [email protected]
Parth Melpakam (Director): [email protected]
Colorado Education Association Colorado Springs Education Association - CSEA The Colorado Springs School District 11 Thompson School District Reform Watch The D20 Accountability Project
