Mini Mutiny: Pirate protest questions school board’s decision
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POLSON — “Hendrickson, Hendrickson, Hendrickson,” the 60 or so Polson High School students chanted. The group gathered in front of PHS on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 8 a.m. to protest the non-renewal of PHS vice principal Shawn Hendrickson’s contract.
Despite 27-degree weather and light snow, the students had an answer ready for why they wanted the school board to reconsider.
“Mr. Hendrickson has done so much for our band,” Laura Rost commented.
Mike Bourstein said he was at the rally because he believes Hendrickson’s a good principal and that there was no reason given for his firing.
“He’s a good guy, he benefits the school,” Aspen Many Hides said.
“We (Polson school district) keep firing people. A solid principal would help a lot,” Riley Roberts said.
“I’m a new student,” Devan Skelton explained, “and Mr. Hendrickson made me feel really welcome … even helped out my family.”
“He’s done a great job of making the school a great safe place to be,” Tyne Flannigan noted, “… he’s a fit here.”
“He did a good job,” Jimmy Bjorge said, simply.
One student commented that the group had originally planned to stage the protest at lunchtime but were told “we’d be handcuffed and ticketed so we decided to hold it before school.”
Kayla Duford, Dani Howlett, Sierra Pete and Mesa Starkey spearheaded the event, making signs for all the students to hold up.
Starkey said she was at the event “because I really just think we need to put aside the politics and think more about education. … Be there for the kids and not for the inner conflicts.”
PHS principal Rob Hankins said the students conducted their rally very tastefully and were exercising their first amendment rights.
Since the school board voted at the Feb. 14 meeting to not renew Hendrickson’s contract, the board’s decision already has been made.
Schoolboard chair Theresa Taylor said under statute 20-4-206 of Montana Code, trustees are allowed to not renew a contract of a non-tenured teacher without cause.
Even though Hendrickson serves in an administrative position, Taylor said in Montana, administrators have to be teachers.
“I appreciate their (the students’) efforts,” Hendrickson said.
