School board candidates discuss issues
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POLSON — “How do we bring a divisive school board and a fractured school system back together? In doing this how can we restore trust, bring healing and collegiality to the staff in our school system? How do we foster growth?”
This three-part question kicked off the school board candidate forum held April 24 at Polson High School. Polson Education Association and Polson Classified Education Association sponsored the forum, and district employees wrote the questions. Charles Bertsch, fifth grade teacher, mediated the event.
Candidates Caryl Cox, Jami Hamel, Bob Hanson, John Kelly, Michael LeaderCharge and Ashley Schweigert introduced themselves and answered questions. Former candidate Ivy McGowan dropped out of the race last week.
The candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for three three-year positions. Hanson is running for a high-school district seat representing Dayton and Valley View as is Andrew Learn, but Learn said he may not run. Mail ballots have been mailed and need to be received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8.
Bertsch first called on Hanson, an incumbent, to give his answer to the opening question.
“The best thing we can do as a board, as a faculty, as an administration,” Hanson stated, “is put the past in the past, forget it and move on; focus on those areas we agree on.”
Hamel agreed, saying, “I think the No. 1 thing is not to place blame anywhere; the No. 1 thing should be our kids ... that they’re getting the education they deserve.”
“Communication is the key when you want to establish or re-establish trust,” LeaderCharge said, adding that he talked to lots of people who don’t understand what’s going on with the school district.
He reiterated Hanson’s call to find common ground among staff, the community and administrators.
“I want an open-door policy,” Schweigert said. “We should be able to communicate properly, (show) common sense in our actions and practicality in our decisions.”
Cox, an incumbent, said the board got started last year on long-term strategic planning.
“I’m very, very interested in resurrecting that,” Cox said.
She added that conflict resolution techniques could be used to findcommon ground.
“The school board is your board; we represent you and the community,” Kelly said. “We need to hold people accountable for what they are responsible for.”
Kelly also urged the community to call or e-mail board members with concerns.
Other questions asked about a learning environment that meets the needs of all students, how to tell if Polson schools are successful, the role of the school board and the role of a superintendent.
Student Hannah Hobbs submitted a question about how everyone can affirm or support our great teachers.
Communication, embracing and working with different learning styles of children, and board transparency were all themes throughout the answers.
About 75 community members attended the forum.
