Enough Jefferson County voters signed a petition to force a recall of three school board members, the county’s clerk announced Tuesday.
Jeffco United for Action, against Republican board members Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk.
Verified signatures are 34,188 for John Newkirk, 33,900 for Julie Williams and 33,942 for Ken Witt — more than twice the necessary signatures for each of them.
“The message is clear,” said parent Tina Gurdikian in a news release from Jeffco United for Action.
There will be a 15-day protest period where any registered voter in the district can protest the conduct of petition circulators or any portion of the petition or circulator affidavit’s compliance with statute.
If nothing is contested, organizers expect the timeframe would allow for the recall to be placed on November’s general election ballot to avoid any costs to the district.
Witt said on Tuesday that he is not planning to file a protest, and asked that no else else does either.
“I am looking forward to this dialogue with our fellow parents in Jeffco,” Witt said in an e-mailed statement. “This recall will serve to highlight the accomplishments of this board, staff and students.”
Witt, Williams and Newkirk were running as a slate pushing for school choice and opposing a statewide tax increase for schools.
