During a recent board meeting of the Roaring Fork School District, community members voiced urgent concerns regarding the educational support for Latino and special needs students. Rosalba Tellez, a mother of a former student, shared a poignant account of her son's struggles within the district, highlighting a lack of adequate support for students with disabilities and the pervasive bullying faced by LGBTQ+ youth. Tellez emphasized that her son's experience is not an isolated case, but rather indicative of systemic failures affecting many families in the community.

Tellez called for the district to take responsibility and implement changes, including hiring more bilingual and bicultural staff who can better understand and address the needs of Latino students. She pointed out that the current staffing levels do not align with the growing student population, which is impacting educational support and performance.

Following Tellez, Katya Gonzales, a parent organizer with Bose Unidas, echoed these sentiments, noting that 60% of the student body in the district is composed of Latino students, yet they are, on average, two grade levels behind in critical subjects. Gonzales lamented that the challenges faced by Latino students today mirror those experienced in the past, indicating a stagnation in educational equity.

Both speakers underscored the need for systemic change within the Roaring Fork School District to ensure that all students receive the support they need to thrive academically and socially. Their testimonies reflect a growing demand for accountability and action to address the disparities in educational outcomes for marginalized communities.