During a time of challenge and potential change for Helena Public Schools, the community gathered to hear from candidates running for three open seats on the school board of trustees. These seats are for the elementary (K-8) district.
Key topics during the discussion include the district's budget shortfalls, retaining quality educators, and transparency.
Two current members of the board, Siobhan Hathhorn and Kay Satre, are seeking reelection, while trustee Jeff Hindoien is not.
(HEAR WHAT HATHHORN HOPES TO KEEP WORKING ON IF REELECTED)
Hathhorn has served two terms as a trustee, or six years, and Satre has completed one term.
(HEAR WHAT SATRE ON STRATEGY FOR THE SCHOL BOARD MOVING FORWARD)
Jenny Murnane Butcher is one of the new candidates for the school board trustee position. She has a Master's degree in Education Policy and is a former educator. According to her website, her priorities include putting teachers and students first, financial sustainability, and infrastructure needs.
(HEAR MURANE BUTCHER SPEAK ABOUT HER VISION FOR THE DISTRICT FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS)
Carrie Jones is another new candidate. She is a massage therapist and grew up with her father being an educator. Her website says she is data-focused, wants to build unity with the district and community, and to be as "transparent as possible within legal limits."
(HEAR JONES TALK ABOUT TWO WAYS TO ADDRESS DISTRICT FUNDING)
The third new candidate is John Klein III. He is a state employee whose wife works as a paraprofessional. Priorities listed on his website include planning for education after elementary school, fair leadership, and investing in students.
(HEAR KLEIN DISCUSS HIS THOUGHTS ON PINK-SLIPPING TEACHERS)
Hanna Warhank is the fourth new candidate. She is a lawyer whose mother was an educator. Warhawk is a founding member of Friends of Neighborhood Schools in Helena, which tracks school board meetings and legislation relating to education. Her website says her priorities are putting kids first, fiscal responsibility, and transparency.
(HEAR WARHANK'S TAKE ON THE CURRENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES)
Jones, Klein, and Warhawk are all parents of students at Hawthorne Elementary School, which is being looked at by the current board for possible closure.
Distrust of the district and the board is something Warhank touched on.
"I do want to say there were at least seven master facilities plans meetings that were closed to the public," she said." My husband found his way into two of them by tracking people down. Also, there was at least five budget consensus meetings that were closed."
But Hathhorn, the current board chair, said she believes that is all misinformation.
"I'm sad that some false accusations have come down," she said, "We have never had a non-published meeting. We have never broken an open meeting law. That has never happened."
The new or incumbent trustees could be sworn in before the end of the school year, as the oath must be administered "15 days after the receipt of the certification of election," according to the district board of trustees policy manual.
The board of trustees is expected to vote on the superintendent's recommendations, including the possible closure of Hawthorne, on June 10th.
Voters will choose from three of the six names listed on ballots, due May 6th.
