Aspen Public Education Fund (APEF) is currently looking for a new board member.

A selected individual or individuals will begin a four-year term in March 2025.

Factors for consideration include, but are not limited to previous board experience, financial and/or legal expertise, and school district involvement.

APEF Board Member Roles and Responsibilities:

In November 2012, voters within the City of Aspen approved a 0.3% tax increase for the purpose of supporting public K-12 education in the Aspen School District.

Voters approved an extension of the tax in November 2016 and again in November 2020.

Revenues from this tax total approximately $3.25 million per year and are used to support programs; technology; special education; professional development; and, the recruitment, training and retention of staff.

APEF was formed to act as the recipient and disburser of the designated sales tax revenues. As a Colorado non-profit corporation, the Fund operates exclusively for educational and charitable purposes pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Fund is governed by a 7-person Board of Directors. APEF was established as an instrument for collecting and disbursing sales tax revenues from the City. It does not receive, or transfer gifts or donations intended for the District.

The Board meets two to three times per year to review the District’s grant requests pursuant to the amount of projected income realized by the annual sales tax.

The APEF Board exists to serve only in an oversight role as it relates to accountability of monies earned through the 0.3% tax allocation. The Board is prohibited from unilaterally adding any item to the District’s list of grant requests or from distributing proceeds for any item not requested by the District. It does review financial information to ensure that the district’s grant expenditures are in the areas approved by the voters and are not unreasonable.

It does not review or comment on district policies, curriculum, administration, alternative funding mechanisms, and so forth.

Conflict of Interest & How to Apply

As a non-profit board that oversees the disbursement of public funds, it is important that members do not have any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. As a result, we will not accept applications from individuals with any of the following:

current district staff or members of the Board of Education, and their spouses or partners; and, members of district-affiliated groups including the District Financial Advisory Board, District Accountability Committee, School Accountability Committees, and Aspen Education Foundation.

Applicants must reside within the Roaring Fork Valley.

For more information about APEF, click here.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of intent and current resume by March 30, 2024, to hwkenny@verizon.net.

Photo: Front row L to R: Mike Timme, Heather Kenny, and Peter Waanders. Back row L to R: Elizabeth Parker, Gwen Levy, ASD Superintendent Tharyn Mulberry, and Community School Principal Casey White.

It was the trifecta of assignments.

Eighth -graders were asked to think about a favorite moment from their recent three-day Outdoor Education trips.

Then, they did some research on artists, their styles and their mediums and chose one they would like to emulate.

Then came the tough part, said eighth-grader Jozy Swallows. She wanted to paint the reflection of the mountains in the lake. "But that was kinda hard,”she said.

She did a slight pivot and focused only on the mountains. But instead of choosing one -- she did a mountain mash-up of sorts. She used both pencil and watercolor. 

“It’s a mix of Maroon Bells, Snowmass and Capital,” she said.

The eighth-grade core was a buzz this week with students showing their art and talking about the inspiration behind it with fellow students, parents and teachers.

“This is me coming out of my solo,” eighth-grader Sloane Alexander said about her painting. “It was one of my favorite moments. The sun was shining and it was just so beautiful.”

She chose artist George Seurat to emulate – she had seen his work in the Art Institute of Chicago. She liked how his paintings were a series of dots and were continuous on the canvas. 

“I don’t know if we will be graded," she said. "But for me, it was about remembering our ODE. If we put effort and thought into (the assignment)  it will be rewarding whether it’s graded or just saving a memory.”

Karl Klavins likes artist Megan Coyle, who uses mixed media for her art. He used Aspen leaves to create the illusion of waves in his artwork. 

Silas DelGrasso liked Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans and Emmy Nelson chose artist Roy Lichtenstein and emulated his graphic art. 

Cat Saul’s self portrait received high praise from visitors. She used spray paint and oil pastels to emulate the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

“I like the materials and his style and his use of the materials,” she said.

Her parents are fans of his art and, “they thought this was cool,” she said of her self portrait in the woods. “They said they would put it up.”

If you go: 5:30 p.m. Monday Nov. 4 in the Aspen High School Library. Parents and students welcome!

Aspen School District Aviation & Aeronautics instructor Kate Short wants to inspire future aviators.

She comes back to ASD this school year as the Aviation & Aeronautics teacher. She taught aviation at ASD 2019-2021.

She is excited to partner with Aspen Flight Academy (AFA) – together they are training future pilots and aeronautical engineers, she said.

“It’s really great being back here,” Short said. “I want to have really engaging and informative classes; I want students to leave knowing more about aviation and aeronautics; and I want them to be curious about the possibilities.”

Short and AFA board members and instructors are hosting an information meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Aspen High School Library for parents of current aviation students and aspiring aviation students. Both parents and students are welcome to attend.

They will talk about the ASD and AFA programs, what is involved, how students can become pilots by the end of high school, and all of the aviation possibilities.

  Then, Short will show parents and students the classroom and simulators. 

“Once you get in the plane, you are hooked and you are off on a new adventure,” she said about her first time flying with a flight instructor.

ASD has a Diamond DA40 simulator – the same type of plane students would eventually learn to fly in the AFA.

“It’s a beautiful, turbo charged diesel that performs well in this altitude,” Short said.

She knows. She’s flown a variety of planes for corporate and private businesses and has been a flight instructor for students at all levels. Her ASD classes are for students in grades 7-12.

In her classes students get their first “flight experience” on small simulators where they learn the process, learn how to deal with emergencies, and practice stalling the plane and then recovering - something they will have to perform for their pilot license exam.

  Advanced students can further their aviation schooling through AFA. Short gives them the theory where they learn to think like pilots and engineers. AFA gives them hands-on flight instruction. Some students, Short said, are taking her class and flight lessons simultaneously.

  “We are really lucky to partner with the Aspen Flight Academy ,” she said.“This is something special that is not available to many teens, she said.

Completing ASD courses and AFA pilot training sets students up to be private pilots and go on to further their training at university, with the Air Force Academy and beyond.

Short hosts open lunch hours on Wednesdays for students who want information on the program and scholarships available for flight school, which include local, state and federal resources.

Photo: ASD's new Aviation & Aeronautics Teacher Kate Short talks with an Aspen Times reporter about the aviation program.

Take a break. Put on your headphones.

Listen. Enjoy!

(stay to the end for awesome John Denver music)

 ASD Superintendent Tharyn Mulberry is excited to introduce a new ongoing feedback form click here. 

This is a platform for you to share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. The form is anonymous unless you choose to attach your name, and submissions will be reviewed weekly.

Each quarter, we will issue reports that outline how we addressed the suggestions or concerns raised. Your continued participation is invaluable in shaping the future of our district.

A three-pack goes for $15 and a single pair is priced at $5. The club will sell socks Oct. 14-18 at lunchtime in the AMS Cafeteria.

It’s that time of the year to ditch the sandals and flip-flops and jump into a pair of cozy socks.

Aspen Middle School students can help you out. It’s Socktober!

The 8th Grade Leaders Club is hosting its annual “Socktober” – a fundraiser for the Shining Stars Foundation.

“Shining Stars supports kids with cancer,” explained Hayden Bailey, 8th Grade Leaders Club student leader.

The club will be selling, wait for it . . . SOCKS!

They will set up a table at AMS with all colors and styles of socks. This year, they are working on a little more public relations to raise the interest, they said.

“Last year, we just said, Ok – It’s Socktober. This year we were more involved,” said Elijah Knight, 8th Grade Leaders Club student leader. “We had a great presentation (at the AMS school pep rally) and we threw socks out to the kids. It makes getting involved exciting.”

Children diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses will participate in a variety of activities, including the Aspen Winter Games Program where they hit the slopes in Aspen and are given everything they need to ski or ride, including lift tickets, gear, lodging, meals, transportation, and one-on-one adaptive lessons. 

More than 200 participants -  including children, their medical team, instructors, and volunteers - participated last year in the adaptive snowboard and ski recreation program hosted by the Shining Stars Foundation.

“It shows them they are not alone with cancer,” Hayden said. So, buy a pair, or three, of socks, Elijah said. “Socktober does not Sock.”

** For more about the Shining Stars Foundation** click here.****

National experts and local therapists will present strategies for discussing substance with children of all ages 

Details: 5:30 - 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Aspen Middle School

ALL are welcome.

Click here for more details.

National substance prevention experts and local therapists will discuss strategies for preventing substance use and misuse for parents and guardians of children of all ages at a workshop hosted by Aspen Family Connections.

The event, titled “Building Family Resilience: Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Strategies for Families with Children of All Ages,” will feature experts from the Soundcheck Prevention Network—an organization inspired by students of all ages who express a genuine desire to be healthy, support their peers and learn unbiased facts about alcohol and other drugs. Local therapist and addiction specialist Coulter Burch will also join the discussion.

“We invite all families in the community to join us for an open and compassionate conversation about substance use, substance misuse, and how we can set our children up for success in a complex and pressured world,” said Katherine Sand, Director of Aspen Family Connections, a family resource center on the Aspen School District campus. 

Issues that will be discussed:

• Parenting strategies for our youngest children to prevent early initiation and later substance use - because it’s never too soon to think about these issues

• Understanding how family history, environment and modeling can impact children’s attitudes to substance use

• How to talk to children about substance in an age-appropriate way

• Setting kids up for connection, engagement, success and healthy choices

• Preparing ourselves with confidence for our children’s futures 

• Understanding the connection between substance use and mental health

• What are our local resources?

School Bus Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility

Every fall, you see us back on the roads: big yellow school buses filled with students, a sign that school is in session and that slow-moving student transport is back on the roadways.

After a few months without school bus traffic, it’s easy for motorists to forget bus-related laws, so here’s your annual reminder.In the United States, around half of our children rely on school buses for transportation.

These buses are among the safest vehicles on the road, but there’s a critical time when students are particularly vulnerable—loading and unloading. Strict traffic laws exist around bus stops for precisely this reason. School buses are allowed to control traffic with alternating flashing red lights and a stop arm to protect students during these moments.

Bus drivers aren’t just responsible for transporting children from point A to point B; they also ensure that young students are met by approved guardians, verify pickup lists, manage student behavior, and direct safe crossings. This process takes time, and we understand that waiting can be frustrating. Our routes overlap with peak times for commuting to work and returning home, adding to the pressures of a busy day. But whether these children are yours or your neighbors', they are the future, and ensuring their safety is a collective responsibility.

The law is clear: all motorists—including bicyclists—must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. In Colorado, vehicles are required to stop at least 20 feet away and remain stopped until the lights are turned off. Unfortunately, passing a stopped school bus illegally is not uncommon, either nationally or in our community. Across the U.S., there are around 100,000 illegal school bus passings every day, leading to roughly 2.4 student fatalities annually. In our community alone, we see 5-10 illegal passings each week, with bicyclists increasingly among the most frequent offenders, often passing on the door side while children are disembarking.
We know that waiting for buses can feel like an inconvenience. But no one wants to live with the tragedy of injuring a child because they didn’t take an extra minute to wait. Please help us keep our community's children safe by always stopping for a stopped school bus. Even one incident is too many, and with dual-facing cameras on every bus, violations are actively being reported.
Let’s work together to ensure the safety of all our students—whether we know them personally or not.