Falcon District 49 School Board Watch

2021

D49 school board to vote on proposal to ban teaching of Critical Race Theory

  • Coloradan Explains How She Helped Ban anti-CRT In Her Local Schools | The Federalist
    • “Derrick Wilburn, the executive director of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives, made national headlines this month for an impassioned school board meeting address prior to the district outlawing critical race theory (CRT). Behind the effort is Ivy Liu, the board director.
    • “Liu, Moms for America Colorado Liaison, who served in the U.S. Navy and has volunteered in churches for 30 years, was elected to the Falcon School District 49 board in April. She prepared the anti-CRT resolution with board secretary Rick Van Wieren. As an Asian-American and mother of five, she felt obligated to outlaw what she saw as blatant discrimination of people based on the color of their skin.”
  • Yes, Colorado’s school board races are becoming more politicized. Here’s why | CPR
    • Conservative political action groups, sometimes with religious affiliations, like “Stand for the Constitution” in Grand Junction, are also weighing in on races. The 1776 Project PAC is backing a slate of candidates in Douglas County, District 51 in Grand Junction, and Academy 20 and Falcon 49 in El Paso County. The group is dedicated to electing school board members willing to promote “patriotism and pride in American history,” and says it opposes “critical race theory.”
  • Colorado Springs Forward spent $130,000 on school board races in October | KOAA
    • In District 49, the money is funding advertising for Ivy Liu, Lori Ann Thompson, and Jamilynn May D’Avola.
    • All three are running on conservative platforms as well. In 2021, Liu was one of the D49 board members who voted to ban CRT in D49 schools. Thompson supports parental choice for schooling, and believes the “premise of CRT is wrong because it divides people based on racial makeup.”D’Avola is against Critical Race Theory, which her website calls a “Marxist ideology that divides students by oppressors and victims,” LGBTQ+ curriculum or books in schools, and teachers’ unions.

2022

  • National watchdog group accuses D49 board of promoting personal religious views | KRDO
    • Following Thursday’s controversial quote reading, FFRF shifted its focus to Falcon School District 49’s School Board after receiving seven complaints from stakeholders in the community, the non-profit accuses board members of using the public position to promote their religions.
    • In the letter, obtained by 13 Investigates, the watchdog group accuses the board of holding prayer vigils outside the administration building before meetings.
    • The letter also alleges newly elected D49 board member Jamilynn D’Avola “proselytized a student in the District in an email sent as part of official District correspondence.”
    • “A board member using their position on the board to tell a student they need to believe in Jesus Christ, it’s just completely inappropriate and not something a school board member should be doing,” Line said.
  • Threatening Letters And Transphobia at D49 Board Meeting
    • D’Avola used her board comment time to read an excerpt from David Barton’s book, America’s Godly Heritage. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Barton as “a self-styled ‘historian’ who has acted as a key bridge between the mainstream political right and radical-right religious ideology.” D49 recently received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, alleging violations of separations between church and state, due to statements made by D’Avola about transgender people and the “Word of God.”

2023

  • School District 49 facing lawsuits due to disruptive behavior during school board
    • Schmidt is a D49 resident, grandmother and consistent Liu ally. Ohio resident Kohls is a conservative school board activist and a senior director for the national group Moms For America. It’s a movement that claims to “promote the principles of Liberty to restore the Republic, and create a culture of truth, family and freedom in our homes and communities.” Moms For America is anti-LGBTQ and promotes false narratives about Critical Race Theory, including that CRT (which is not taught in K-12 schools here) “promotes racism in the classroom” and “includes indoctrination on LGBT Agendas … and Comprehensive Sex Education promoting pornographic and sexual content to children.” The group also supports false claims that teachers’ unions encourage “pornographic sexual content under the guise of curriculum.”
  • Truth and Liberty Coalition Targets 30 School Boards, including Buena Vista, for what some call its “Rule the Godless” Initiative
    • “A movement led by Christian nationalist/dominionist televangelist and Charis Bible College founder Andrew Wommack appears determined to force a far-right version of education on Colorado school districts.“
    • “It is this movement, Transform Colorado, that has recruited and trained candidates and filled ballots across dozens of school districts with far-right candidates. According to its website and Wommack himself, they have a stated goal, “that unites Christian leaders to restore biblical values in the public square.”
  • D49 Adopts ‘In God We Trust’ Resolution | Colorado Times Recorder
    • “The District 49 Board of Education in Colorado Springs last night approved a resolution to encourage the display in schools and other public buildings of the national motto “In God We Trust.” The board voted 3-2 to approve the resolution, with newly elected board members Mike Heil and Marie Lavere-Wright opposed, and Lori Thompson, Jamilynn D’Avola and Deb Schmidt supporting.”
Moms for America Funding

2024

  • Jan 6 Insurrectionist Disrupts Colorado School Board Meeting | Colorado Times Recorder
    • “Tensions mounted during a recent Falcon School District 49 board meeting when January 6 insurrectionist Thomas Hamner accused Superintendent Peter Hilts and attorney Brad Miller of failing the district’s students and continued to disrupt the meeting after returning to his seat.

2025

  • DISTRICT 49 BOE February Meeting Wrap-Up
    • “Thompson attended the Colorado Leaders for Academic Success conference in Denver. She said the presentations were content rich on public education and encouraged district leadership to attend next year. “
  • “Thompson attended the third annual Teachers Freedom Summit and met teachers from across the United States. She said the recent court case lost by the district — Schmidt and Kohls vs. D 49 — exonerated the district’s security team. “
    • “Dan Snowberger, executive director of Colorado Leaders for Academic Success and superintendent of the Elizabeth School District, gave a presentation about the CLAS organization. He said its mission is to “advance student achievement by helping public school board members hone their leadership skills in governance, professional development, communications, legislative outreach, networking and policy.” He said the organization believes that leaders in the public school sector should be focused on academic achievement, parental rights and educational excellence. The introductory fee to join CLAS is $1,000 for the BOE and includes newsletters, networking opportunities, webinars and in-person training opportunities. The BOE moved it forward for a vote on joining CLAS at the next meeting.”
  • Colorado’s ‘first public Christian school’ faces state funding warning over religious curriculum | KOAA
    • Religious curriculum materials under scrutiny
    • “The state says Riverstone’s curriculum, according to the school’s website, includes Masterbooks and Berean Builders, which they describe as “sectarian in nature.”
    • “Yes, they use curriculum that has a religious framework. Some courses do, some do not. Berean Builders, I believe, is one of them, and Masterbooks is another,” said Witt.“
    • “The issue is that public schools are generally required to be nonsectarian, according to CDE. But Witt argues denying Riverstone funding because its curriculum would violate federal protections.”
    • “We’re confident that the U.S. Constitution and federal law prohibit discrimination based on religion, and so, we’re not going to discriminate based on religion,” said Witt.
  • This ‘public Christian school’ opened quietly in Colorado. Now there could be a legal fight.
    • “Over the summer, BOCES authorized the school and contracted with Riverstone Academy, a new nonprofit Friberg heads, to run it. Riverstone subcontracted with a two-year-old Christian education nonprofit called Forging Education, which Friberg also leads, to help run the school.“
    • “District 49, which is based near Colorado Springs, is one of the two school districts that belong to the Education reEnvisioned BOCES and serves as the groups’ fiscal agent. An hour south is Pueblo District 70, which is not part of the BOCES but approved an agreement to allow Riverstone to open within its boundaries.“

2025 School Board Election

Conservatives Clash in CO Springs School Board Race | CTR

  • School Board Roundup: Who Won, Who Lost, and Where it’s Too Close to Call | CTR
    • This year, two members of the board’s conservative majority bloc were up for reelection, Jamilynn D’Avola and Lori Thompson. While Thompson only had to face more progressive challenger, Chris Harrell, D’Avola was forced to fight on two fronts. To her left, she had Holly Withers; to her right, she had Ivy Liu, a former member of the board who has unsuccessfully sued the district since her controversial tenure in office.

  • District 1: Holly Withers defeated the incumbent, Jamilynn D’Avola, and Ivy Liu in a close race.

2026

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