Five candidates are running for three vacant seats on the Summit School District Board of Education during an election slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Board members Chris Guarino, Johanna Kugler and Lisa Webster will be leaving their seats. Webster is the only one who is currently term-limited and unable to run again. Candidates running include Dillon resident Jacqueline Zheleznyak, Breckenridge resident Tom Day, Frisco resident Kimberly Dyer, Dillon resident Jenniffer González and Dillon resident Whitney Horner.

Each candidate has provided the Summit Daily News with an overview of their platform and plans upon taking office.

For more information, visit Summitk12.org/about-ssd/board-of-education or SummitDaily.com/election.

Tom Day

Day said he is very concerned about “the declining quality of education” he witnessed while his two sons attended Summit School District between 2003 and 2024. 

“I know how good our schools were in the past. I know our schools can return to that higher standard,” he said in a recent press release.

He said he is encouraged by the resounding defeat of Summit School District’s $195 million bond referendum because it did not include any funding for teachers or curriculum. He said he believes the community has spoken and is aware that the district needs a different direction, one Day said he feels he can achieve.

Day holds a degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University and has been a realtor in Summit since 1989. He has been a Realtor in Summit since 1989. He also said he has been a ski instructor locally “for even longer” with a particular involvement with youth. He also has been a volunteer music teacher for Summit students and a sculptor with the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpting team. He coached 93 third graders with their first snow sculpture.

Kim Dyer

As a retired school counselor, Dyer said she’s trained to listen, reflect and help resolve conflicts and has supported students, staff and families throughout her career. She said she plans to use those skills if elected. 

“Specifically, I have been a youth advocate for over 30 years, both professionally and as a parent volunteer in schools through (parent teacher organizations) advisory councils and parent information networks,” she said. “I understand that parents are entrusting the schools with their most treasured humans, and that open communication and opportunities for parents to be an active partner in their child’s education are vital.”

Dyer said her goal after retiring from Summit Middle School was to get more involved in the community, and she’s been volunteering with Breckenridge Mountain Rotary Club and is a mentor at Colorado Mountain College, Mountain Mentors and Summit High School. 

Becoming a school board member would allow her to “advocate for two things that (she) cares deeply about: our youth and public education.”

The Summit County Education Association, a teachers union that support Summit School District staff, endorsed her in the election.

Whitney Horner

Horner is the community nutrition manager at Summit County Public Health and has been a resident of Summit County for 16 years. She’s a registered dietitian and lactation consultant and has spent 14 years with Summit County’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly called WIC, she has worked with several community partners to alleviate hunger. 

Her priorities, if elected, will be focused on literacy, safety and valuing good humans. Her platform includes ensuring students are proficient at reading, writing and mathematics while also making sure students feel safe, both mentally and physically, which includes combatting bullying and promoting social-emotional learning, she said. 

“I want all of our students to leave our district as contributing members to society who are proud of where they came from,” she stated. 

Horner was endorsed by the Summit County Education Association, a local teachers union representing the interests of district staff members. 

She said she’s running to become more involved in the community and to “celebrate success, tackle challenges and strive to make Summit School District the best it can be.”

Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Zheleznyak

Zheleznyak moved to Dillon in 2023 with her family after spending more than 20 years in Denver. She said her background as a public affairs leader for more than a decade gives her a unique perspective on challenges that Summit School District faces. Her professional experience includes public policy, health care and education. She also has experience with working on complex budgets amid continuously evolving dynamics.

She said she’s running for an open seat due to concerns with “the sustainability of our schools.”

“I believe the current financial challenges our district needs to address will only become more serve with the realities of the close to $800 million dollar Colorado state budget deficit,” she stated in a press release. “I believe our schools have the potential to be the highest achieving schools in the state, and top-down pressures have made the achievable goal of fostering an environment focused on education more complex than (necessary).”

She said by focusing on improving academic achievement, providing supportive services and ensuring Summit School District is the most desired employer in the county, “we can fulfill the trust the community places in our schools.”

Jenniffer González

González describes herself as “qualified” for the role of school board member and “particularly passionate” about education. Her announcement said she is very concerned about the “poor academic performance” in Summit School District schools.  

The press release stated that “parents are the primary decision-makers in their child’s upbringing and education.”

“I will ensure transparency to our parents,” she said in a recent press release. “I want to assure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed in life after high school.”

González was born and raised in Panama, where her mother lives as a retired teacher. González became a U.S. citizen in 2010. She has been a Summit County resident for 21 years.

González works for Summit County Youth and Family Services currently and previously worked for Summit Community Care Clinic for 15 years. Her past responsibilities included preventative education, operations, grant management and case management. 

She has served on several board positions, including Family Intercultural Resources Center and Women of the Summit. González also describes herself as a “very active voice” in the Hispanic community.