NAME: Mary E. Meyer

OCCUPATION: retired

1. What is unique about you that would benefit the school board?

As a retired District Clerk of Trout Creek School, I possess a unique skill set and perspective on the daily operations, financial requirements, and the Board’s role in supporting the teachers, families and students of this community. Trout Creek school is a family-centered educational culture and my experience affords me the understanding needed to function as a liaison between daily school operations and the Board of Trustees. I also have a working knowledge of the funding processes, and the OPI Guidelines that drive the ‘how and why’ of education across Montana that would be beneficial to the current Board.

2. What makes a school board successful?

I believe that it takes engaged and participating school board members who value accountability, and who appreciate and support education in this ever-changing world. Board members should serve as a resource to the school and should provide both guidance and support to administration, teachers, families and students to ensure that “the system” offers the best possible opportunity for students to receive a thorough, effective and useful education.

3. What is your vision for education in your community?

I see education as a collaborative effort between families, teachers, support staff and the Board Members that support those efforts. I envision Trout Creek School as a central facility, offering education to both students and adults that will enhance our community. Trout Creek taxpayers supported this shared vision when they approved a levy a few years ago that allowed Trout Creek School to design and equip a computer lab for use by both students and the community. That lab continues to function today, allowing our students to learn and use the most current technology available in this ever-changing world.

4. What are the current challenges facing education and school boards?

There is a continual shift from the traditional classroom method of teaching, to a world of remote, electronic learning. The current challenge for the School Board is to determine how to continue to respond, educate and support student learning in this distance learning environment. It is not difficult to imagine that in the very near future, as students return to the classroom, teachers will utilize both the distance learning model while still teaching in the traditional ways. The challenge is to allocate resources to support both methods of teaching, while ensuring teachers receive the tools and education needed to succeed.

NAME: Ernest Scherzer

OCCUPATION: Retired

1. What is unique about you that would benefit the school board?

I have already served 5 years on the School Board of Trustees.

I have an extensive background in education with 34 years teaching in Ohio and serving as an administrator for two years. After moving to Montana, I taught science enrichment – for free – in four of the Sanders County school systems for 15 years. I also coached Robotics and Science Olympiad for fifteen years in Sanders County. I have served for six years on a joint teacher/administrator advisory board at Cleveland State University which served over twenty school districts embracing more than 50,000 students.

2. What makes a school board successful?

To be successful a School Board’s main focus must be on student achievement and it needs to wisely allocate all the resources available to it. The Board needs to make these two approaches of high concern to its citizens, so they strongly support those concepts.

3. What is your vision for education in your community?

Trout Creek, like all school districts in Sanders County, needs to get its local Representatives and Senator in the Montana Legislature to support all facets of public education so we provide a “good education” for all Sanders County students. In Montana rural education is sadly lacking compared to education in the large cities.

4. What are the current challenges facing education and school boards?

Rural schools face a severe lack of adequate funding by the state for school infrastructure repair and funding of education. This lack of funding has existed for over a decade. In the meantime, inflation and additional repairs and needs have made the problem even more crucial. Making the situation even worse was the complete lack of concern displayed by our elected Representatives and Senator to the Montana Legislature.

Candidate Zachary Hannum did not return answers.