The Cripple Creek Victor School Board ended the year with two new board members and a third who was re-elected for a four-year term. The two replace Mary Bielz and Stan Conley. Amanda Young Wife and mother of four who works full time and volunteers at the Aspen Mine Center, Amanda Young added serving on the Cripple CreekVictor school board to her schedule. “I am passionate about serving kids and our community,” she said. For any issues that come up before the school board, Young promises to listen to all sides before voting for a decision.   “I have four kids and I hear all sides of an issue,” she said. In her leisure time, Young cooks meals for the volunteers who organize and manage the monthly commodities program at the center.  On weekends, she cooks for other groups and recently expanded her volunteerism to roast four turkeys for the Thanksgiving meal at the center, an annual social event for the community. In her working life Young works remotely in software sales. Kasie Hilfers Graduate of Cripple CreekVictor schools, Hilfers was born and raised in Cripple Creek. “My grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and my daughter graduated from here,” she said, adding that her son, an eighth grader, is a student in the district. Kasie Hilfers. Pat Hill, Pikes Peak Courier “I think we have a good board and I feel like it’s my turn to serve,” she said. “This district excels in many areas and I am thrilled to join the board, be a part of and witness positive change and growth in our areas of need.” In an email, Hilfers lists her priorities to include ensuring the safety of students and to promote transparency in the school budget and its benefits to both students and taxpayers. “Parents’ rights are of utmost importance to me. I believe parents should have the opportunity to be heard by school leaders, have access to school budgets and spending details,” she wrote in the email.  “I believe parents should have the ability to protect their child’s privacy, keep their children safe, and have access to information about their children’s education.” Hilfers is an equipment operator at SSR Mining Cripple Creek Victor Mining Co. Donna Brazill Elected for a second four-year term, Donna Brazill has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education, taught special and alternative education classes in rural Michigan, Fort Carson, District 11 and Cripple Creek. Donna Brazill. Courtesy of Donna Brazill “We’ve got good momentum going and I want to be sure we are stable,” said Brazill, who was elected president of the board at the meeting Dec. 1.   However, Brazill is concened about the difficulty of hiring staff.   “We do not have a full staff and only one science teacher,” she said. “There is no affordable housing up here. We have teachers who commute from the Springs.” With the voter-approved ballot measure 4A, which continues the existing property tax, the district made the final payment on the 20-year bond. As a result, the annual revenue can be used to address maintenance issues, such as replacing the boiler in Cresson Elementary School. “We want to be financially sound so we are not dependent upon other sources of income,” she said. “We are really close to that; the bond issue helped a lot.” But Brazill looks on the bright side for now.  “Our staff is excellent,” she said. “We had a board that worked well together and we included the new ones in the loop, sharing the packets and in conversations.”   A 34-year resident of Cripple Creek, Brazill is a real estate broker agent who specializes in helping seniors find homes. ...read more read less