The Flathead: School Board Elections

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• Yes

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• Yes

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• What I see as the most significant challenge in our district is striking the delicate balance between being a financially conservative steward of community funds, and ensuring we retain high quality teachers and staff. Achieving this benefits our students, and ultimately improves our community. While it is a difficult needle to thread, it is the exact kind of challenge I enjoy taking on.

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• Safety is a top priority. We have to trust our teachers, administrators and students when they communicate issues that require resources to solve. Then diagnose, and if action is required, find a way to get it done.

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• Students are the reason we have a school district, and it is important that we hear and listen to student ideas. Just as importantly, we also need to ensure we are providing ways for this to happen. Our board regularly engages student body representatives in board meetings throughout the year. As a board member (and parent of 3 kids in the district), I will prioritize active involvement and communication with students in order to understand their viewpoints, experiences and values, and incorporate them into my input in board discussions and decisions.

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• The quality of education, teacher retention, support, and pay, and the lack of parental involvement. I don’t see just one challenge. There are many combined challenges that are impacting our district right now.

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• It’s absolutely necessary to work with local law enforcement to establish a safety plan. I am also not opposed to implementing policy that would allow mentally and physically healthy teachers and administration to be professionally trained to carry a firearm. Safety upgrades to buildings and classrooms is extremely important.

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• The voices and perspectives of our students, parents/community and tax payers are of great value and are to be acknowledged by a board that was elected by them. I believe everyone should have a chance to be heard. The decisions of wise people are not often made on their own. I am for discussing the concerns and suggestions of our students with the board, and taking them seriously.

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• No Response

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• No Response

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• No Response

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• No Response

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• No Response

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• No Response

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• No Response

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• No Response

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• No Response

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• Yes

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• Yes

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• Passing operational levies for the high school district. We are also facing hiring a new superintendent.

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• We are updating visitor policies and securing entrances at all of our schools. I also support that school resource officer program.

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• I always encourage students to contact me, through my email or phone number, but to also come and speak to the whole school board. I know this can be intimidating for some youth, but it is important for elected members to hear from the students.

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• Yes

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• We are one of the fastest growing communities, so need to look for smart growth opportunities for our schools. This is both a short-term effort of un/under-utilized resources as well as long-term facilities planning. Also, we need to hire a capable, creative, and hard-working superintendent (as our current superintendent just took another position).

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• It is important that the School Board continues to support the talent, skills, and abilities of all of our children and provide them with a safe and supportive learning environment. Our School Board has implemented policies, which I support, to ensure the safety of our schools and to support the mental health and well-being of our students.

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• I am a mother of two children in elementary school. My husband and I are very involved in our community owning two businesses in downtown Kalispell and serving on multiple non-profit boards. I intend to have an open-door approach with students, teachers, parents, and the community so that I can best understand issues being considered by the School Board.

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• No Response

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• No Response

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• No Response

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• Yes
  

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• Yes
  

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• The population growth Montana is experiencing is putting a lot of strain on our school district. Class sizes are affected. We’re losing space to have science labs and art courses. Because of local economics, many in our community are seriously impacted by rising property taxes and school levies, so, as a school board, we have to be very strategic in how we allocate the resources we have available for our students’ educational needs.
  

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• This year we authorized a firm to do a comprehensive study of all our school buildings and report on how each building could be improved to provide better security for our students and staff. We will be using the results of this study to prioritize spending so that we get maximum return on the funds we spend.
  

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• Much of my first term was spent learning about the responsibilities of a school board trustee. Should I be chosen to serve another term, my plan is to make more visits to the schools and school districts within my high school district. I feel that just by showing up, I’ll make myself more available.

Will you commit to investing in mental health services for students?

• No Response

Will you support students’ first amendment rights in school libraries by preventing censorship?

• No Response

What do you see as the most significant challenge facing your school district right now?

• No Response

How do you plan to ensure that schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff?

• No Response

How will you ensure that students’ voices, experiences, and values are elevated to the school board when making decisions?

• No Response