Registered electors living within Yuma School District-1 get choose from among four candidates for two seats up for election on board of education.
The top vote-getters after all the ballots are counted on November 7 will join the board later this year, as current members Duane Brown’s and Thomas Holtorf’s service to the board is coming to an end.
One can find below interviews with three of the candidates, Tyson Brown, Ronella Noble, Heath Roundtree and Callie Kuntz DVM.
Tyson Brown
Tyson Brown has been a part of the Yuma community his whole life.
He is one of four candidates for two seats on the Yuma School District-1 Board of Education that are up for election.
Brown grew up in the family’s farming and ranching operation, and continues to do that now.
He graduated from Yuma High School in 2003. He attended the University of Northern Colorado for one year. He took one year off to serve as State FFA President, then returned to UNC where he earned his degree in business management.
His wife Lisa also is a lifelong resident. They have three children. Max is 10 and in fifth grade, Mya is 8 and in third grade, and Noah is 5 and in preschool. Brown is on the WY Groundwater Management District Board, has been on the Yuma County Cattlemen’s Association Board
He was asked why he wanted to serve on the board of education.
“I would really like to see the Yuma district be one of the best places to send your kids for an education, and for teachers to work,” Brown said. “I think we are doing a really good job, but we can always make improvements.”
The next board of education will be tasked with hiring a new superintendent, as Dianna Chrisman will retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year. He was asked what he would look for in a new superintendent.
“Ideally you would like to find someone with a little bit of experience,” Brown said. “You would like to have someone who is a good communicator, with the custodial staff, teachers and administrators, the board and the community. Someone who is personable and transparent.”
He was asked what he sees as the board’s role within the school district’s structure.
“Direct policy of the district,” Brown said. “Not involved in day-to-day operations, but set the direction of the district. It’s important to represent the community and what they believe. If you have good people, that’s all you should need.”
He said he would like to get to understand the district’s finances better before making any considerations on ways to spend funds to improve student outcomes. Yuma-1 is in good shape financially, with a healthy reserves, and has significantly increased salaries in recent years. Brown was asked if he would support continuing to keep staff salaries competitive with other schools in the region.
“You absolutely need to stay competitive,” Brown said. “If you want to have a good district, you need to have good people.
“People feeling appreciated and wanting to come to work, that’s the real work.”
As for a last comment, he said: “I think it’s really important for the teachers to feel appreciated, the public feels involved, and keep trying to improve.”
Ronella Noble
Ronella Noble has been active in education both as a parent and an active parent.
She is one of four candidates for two seats up for election on the Yuma School District-1 Board of Education.
Noble attended school in Limon from kindergarten through sixth grade. She said she is thankful for that because it helped prepare her living in a small, rural community like Yuma. She graduated from Falcon High School, east of Colorado Springs, in 1994. Noble earned an associates of arts at Northeastern Junior College, then her degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado.
Noble taught at Liberty School for eight and one-half years, then went to work focusing on working with her husband Ryan, a Yuma High School graduate, and her in-laws on Noble Ranch south of Yuma.
The couple has two children. Will, 16, is a junior at Yuma High School, and Addie, 13, is in seventh grade at Yuma Middle School.
Noble is on the District Accountability Committee, the new Building Accountability Committee, and the YMS Parent Advisory Committee. She was on the Morris Parent Action Committee when her children were younger. She is involved with the YMS Knowledge Bowl and is a leader for the Westerneers 4-H Club.
She was asked why she wants to be on the school board.
“I want to support our community, support kids, parents, teacher and staff,” Noble said. “The school is about more than the teachers, it’s everyone who works there. I want teachers to be proud to work in the Yuma school district.”
One of the first main tasks for the realigned board when it is seated, is to begin the process of selecting a new superintendent, as Dianna Chrisman is retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Noble was asked what characteristics she would look for in a new superintendent.
“They need to be financially savvy, and be up to date on education policies and laws,” she said. “It needs to be someone people respect and want to work with.”
She was asked how the saw the role of the board within the overall structure of the school district.
“The board is the connection between the community and the school district,” Noble said. “The board needs to hold the superintendent responsible for the financial well being of the district. Responsible for student achievement by setting strategic goals for the superintendent and administration to go out and execute.”
Yuma-1 is in sound financial shape. Noble was asked how some of those funds could be used to help student achievement. She said she would like to familiarize herself with the budget before having any specific ideas.
“The best way to affect student achievement is quality teachers,” she said.
High-quality recruitment pitches at job fairs would help, and maybe even have a care package available to potential teachers when they come to interview, and get them in touch with community members that could assist them, such as finding a place to live.
“Recruiting and then retaining quality teachers goes back to school climate and being a great place to work,” Noble said. “We also need to teachers how to improve achievement.”
Yuma-1 has increased salaries significantly in recent years. Noble said she absolutely supports the district remaining competitive in the region with a strong salaries and benefit package.
“I think education is important,” she said. “I have been attending (school board) meetings since 2020 so I am familiar with what is going on and how it all works.”
Heath Roundtree
Heath Roundtree is a lifelong Yuma-area resident.
He is one of four candidates for two seats on the Yuma School District-1 Board of 
Education that are up for election.
Roundtree grew up on the family’s farming and ranching operation. He graduated from Yuma High School in 2001. He attended Colby Community College for one year, then transferred to Colorado State University, where he earned his degree in ag economics.
He has continued the family farming and ranching operation ever since. He and his wife Tiffany, also a lifelong Yuman, have two children. Daughter Mesa is 10 and in fifth grade, while JW is 7 years old and in first grade.
Roundtree is involved with the Yuma County Cattlemen’s Association, and is on the board of the Kitzmiller’s Grazing Association.
He said he was inspired one day to run for the school board when he went to pick up Mesa from volleyball at the Yuma Middle School gym. He was looking at the plaque containing the school board members’ names when the facility was built.
“They were on the board when I was a kid, and they were just as busy as I am now,” Roundtree said, “so I thought maybe I can do it also. Yuma is home.”
He noted that when people consider moving here, their main questions are if they can get a house and how are the schools.
“The schools are very important to get people to come to Yuma,” Roundtree said.
The next board of education will be tasked with finding a new superintendent, as Dianna Chrisman will be retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Roundtree was asked what kind of characteristics he would look for in a new superintendent.
“Someone who demands excellence from themselves and then expect it from others,” he said. “You see the difference that makes in some areas of our schools.”
The candidate asked how he sees the board’s role in the overall structure of the school district.
“You provide guidance. You set policy,” he said. “Obviously you’re elected so you serve at the will of the voters. Do what you can to meet their expectations.”
Roundtree said he thought it would be good for board members to get to know all the teachers a bit.
The district has increased teacher salaries significantly in recent years, and is in good shape financially with a very healthy reserves. Roundtree was asked if he would support continuing to keep salaries competitive with other schools in the region.
“In order to attract good teachers, the money has to be right, the environment has to be right, the community has to be right, and you have to be able to hire quality people,” he said.
“This community has given me a lot through 41 years, and I would like to give back to it,” Roundtree said. “If I can help out, try to make logical decisions, that’s a good thing. I will be glad to do it if they want to elect me.”
Callie Kuntz
It has not taken long for Callie Kuntz, DVM, to become a well-known member of the 
community, owning and operating Prairie Winds Veterinary Clinic.
She is one of four candidates for two seats on the Yuma School District-1 Board of Education that are up for election.
Dr. Kuntz grew up in San Antonio, Texas, living only 15 minutes from The Alamo. Her family still lives down there. She described herself as a big city girl who always felt out of place.
After graduating high school, she went to Colorado State University. She earned a double major in animal science and equine science, then went to the CSU Vet School, graduating in 2017.
It was while at CSU that she met her future husband, Guy Kuntz, an Otis High School graduate who grew up on the family farm between Yuma and Otis. Guy was a vo-ag teacher for many years, and now works at First FarmBank in Yuma.
They have two children, TJ, who is 7 and is in first grade, and 3-year-old Ellie.
After graduation, Dr. Kuntz worked in McCook, Nebraska, for one year, then moved to Yuma to work with Dr. Tom Parks. She purchased his practice one year later. “He’s still such a good mentor to me,” she said of Parks.
She was asked why she wanted to run for the board of education.
“Obviously education is huge for me,” she said. “Supporting students, supporting staff is what I want to do. I want to provide equal opportunities for everyone.”
Dr. Kuntz has made it a practice of employing high school students at Prairie Winds. She said seven of the eight she has employed so far have moved on to a college of one sort or another.
“I think a big motivator too is my own kids going through school,” she said.
The next school board will be tasked with hiring a new superintendent, as Dianna Chrisman is retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Dr. Kuntz said she feels that was another factor why she wanted to run for the board, to help with such a big change coming up for the school district. She was asked what kind of characteristics she would look for in a candidate.
“Someone motivated to be here, grow staff morale and serve students and staff,” Dr. Kuntz said. “Having the energy to take on such a vibrant district is huge.”
She added that she thinks Chrisman will be a great asset in helping the board through the process.
She was asked what she sees as the board’s role in the overall structure of the district.
“The board is liaison between the community and the school,” she said. “Our role is to have a good solid budget, and create a good environment for everyone.”
Dr. Kuntz said she would like to know more about the district’s finances before making any decisions on spending toward further improving student achievement. The district is in good enough financial shape to significantly increase salaries in recent years. She was asked if she would be committed to keeping salaries competitive into the future.
“We have a huge draw of teachers of who want to be here and raise their families here,” she said. “We need to do all we can to keep them here. Education is really important, and having good teachers is the key.
“I am really excited to be running,” Dr. Kuntz said. “I am excited to invest my time to support the community, support the students, and the great faculty and staff that we have.”
