Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to provide some additional information.
Four of the seven school districts in the valley will hold school board elections. Ballots were mailed out on April 19th and are due back by May 7th at the latest. Corvallis, Darby and Florence-Carlton will not be holding school board elections, as all the open positions are being filled by incumbents, with no challengers. (However, Corvallis and Darby voters will still receive a ballot to vote on the Bitterroot Valley Community College levy issue. Florence-Carlton is not within the college district.) Hamilton, Lone Rock, Stevensville and Victor will be holding school board elections and those ballots will also include the community college levy election.
Here is some information provided by the candidates and presented in their own words.
HAMILTON
The Hamilton School District has three 3-year positions open on the school board. Five people, including three incumbents, are running. Drew Blankenbaker, Tim Campbell and Patrick Hanley are the incumbents, and Michael Doleac and Denette L. Duncan are the challengers.
Drew Blankenbaker
Drew Blankenbaker is running for re-election to the Hamilton School Board, with trusted leadership as Vice Chair for the last six years. Drew currently manages a real estate investment trust working in 19 states with over 60 farmers across 30,000 acres. He previously was a farmer with Lifeline Produce and the co-founder and CEO of a community-based farmland investment company.
Drew currently serves on the City of Hamilton’s Board of Adjustments, the North Hamilton Urban Renewal District Advisory Board, and the federally appointed Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee. He is the proud parent of three children, two current and one future Bronc! He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Idaho.
Drew is running to make certain that we continue to prioritize the single most important predictor in our students’ success: attracting and retaining the best teachers and educators that we can responsibly afford. Serving on the Negotiations Committee, Drew has delivered on his promise to recognize and support the impressive and inspiring work of our teachers, staff, and administration.
A persistent champion for transparency, Drew has worked tirelessly to make sure our community is confident that their hard earned tax dollars are being spent wisely. That includes holding the Board and Superintendent accountable and to see to it that we don’t squander our two biggest property assets in an undervalued sale of the Washington Elementary and Westview properties. That also includes executing on a plan to build a middle school, consolidating campuses, making upgrades to our High School, and taking responsibility as a District for our performance in academics, athletics, and activities. Drew is equally focused on ensuring continued support for a Farm to School program and to keep the tradition of agriculture strong in our Valley, as well as working with our state lawmakers to find prudent solutions to offset the burden of property taxes on our fixed and low-income neighbors.
Drew is confident that the Hamilton School District can give every student the opportunity to succeed and is ready to work together for Our Kids, Our Schools, Our Town!
For more information, visit www.drewblankenbaker.com
Tim Campbell
I’m running for Hamilton School Board Trustee. I’m a born and raised Montanan and have lived in Hamilton most of my life. I have been married for 25 years to my wife Suzy. I am a graduate of Hamilton High and I have four girls and one boy: Jenna, Kylie, Chambray and Kenedy, who all attended and graduated from Hamilton. Reese is currently a sophomore at Hamilton High. I have a long history with the Hamilton School District, volunteering in each school over the years and being a board member feels like a great investment into our community.
As a local business owner I have interned over 40 High School students.
I have served 3 terms with HSD3. Like many things in life, your ability to contribute in a meaningful way happens once you gain enough knowledge and experience. I can certainly say that there is a learning curve to being a good school board trustee. Contributing to the new Daly School and the Athletic Stadium were very rewarding. Many people have expressed their enthusiasm for these improvements to our district. These additions have greatly enhanced the school experience for students, parents, teachers and our community.
There is still unfinished business to attend to: an aging Middle School; better resources for all of our students and teachers; alternative career education and training for students who don’t see college as the best direction for them and accelerated advanced placement classes to facilitate much lower college tuition to those who do wish to pursue college.
Michael Doleac
My family and I are new to the valley, having moved here in November of 2020 to switch gears in life and start a farm. My wife is a nutritionist, and we found ourselves frustrated with the current mechanized, chemical food production system that dominates our country. Instead of complaining, we thought we’d see if food can be produced with less machinery, no synthetic chemical inputs, and by working more within the processes of nature.
I studied biology and played basketball at the University of Utah from 1994-1998 (finished my undergrad in 2002!), then continued my basketball career in the NBA for 10 years, playing for Orlando, Cleveland, New York, Denver, Miami, and Minnesota. After retiring from basketball, my wife and I returned to Salt Lake City, Utah (she was a gymnast at the University of Utah) to raise a family and figure out what was next. I went back to school and got a Masters in Physics Education from the U of U, and then taught physics and coached basketball at Park City High School for 5 years.
My experience as a young teacher and a student athlete helped develop my perspective of how our school district should run. We have 2 boys, 16 and 14, who attend the high school and middle school here in Hamilton, so I also have experience with the way the district is currently running. During my playing career, I was the team representative to the Players Union and participated in collective bargaining two times. I also was part of the Teachers Union in Utah, so both of those experiences developed my ability to try and reach consensus for groups of people with relatively diverse interests.
I am running for the Hamilton School Board because I see a gradual erosion of expectations we have for our kids. Most of what I see happening in our district is very positive, and I am pleased with many of the teachers that are helping to educate our boys, and I think I can be a voice on the board to raise expectations. Here are a few examples from our personal experience might help illustrate what I mean.
This year, our son got an English test back with a score of 98/100. Pretty good! Then I read it. The questions were good and thought provoking, covering a book they had read. My son’s answers were good, and showed some quality thinking for an 8th grader. However, his spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and penmanship were all horrible and nothing was mentioned about any of those things in the feedback. I believe an 8th grade boy should know how to capitalize the first letter in a sentence, and how to finish a sentence with a period. Penmanship is just about taking pride in anything and everything you do. We can and should expect a little more out of our kids.
At the high school, we have what are known as “GO” days. This is a “golden opportunity” day in which students who have D’s or F’s, or missing assignments, are required to come to school to get that work made up. Students who are all caught up get the day off. While I see the intention behind this as positive, I believe that creating an environment in which the expectation is that you do what you are supposed to do the first time, is a better way to go.
As a final example, our current attendance policy for participation in high school sports requires students to attend at least half of their classes in a school day to be eligible to practice or play in a game that day. I believe students should be required to attend ALL of their classes, everyday. Keep in mind, if a kid has to miss school for a doctor’s appointment or a family emergency that absence is excused with a note. Teachers deserve the respect of being in class, on time, everyday that school is in session. Every kid is going to miss because they are sick or have appointments, we should just minimize that in order to keep the kids learning and the extra work of getting them caught up to a minimum.
Thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself, and I look forward to serving on the school board if enough of the community agree with some of my ideas.
Denette Duncun
I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana. I left MT when I was 18 to pursue my college experience, receiving a BSRN from the state of WA. I returned to MT two years ago to raise our family. I am the mother of 6 children, ages 27-8, and have been a wife for 17 years. I am always busy being active outdoors, love to travel, and am constantly learning as I have a thirst for knowledge. My favorite time spend is with my family and friends.
As a mother of 6, I have experienced single parenting as well as parenting with a partner. I have raised a baby with disabilities and health issues and can relate to many walks of life. Our family is also multi-cultural which adds to another relatable factor to our constituents.
Our family has experienced all sectors of schooling, including private, public, home schooling, Montessori, preschools and college. I have also served on Sunrise Preschool Board as a secretary and then as president.
I have a strong passion for quality public school and feel it vital that there is a connection to the school board and community. I would love to have a positive impact for our school district and will be a voice that is mindful of all children, families and educators.
Patrick Hanley
Patrick Hanley, 47, is a clinical veterinarian at Rocky Mountain Laboratories. Bachelor of Science (Texas A&M University), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Colorado State University), Veterinary Residency (University of Washington). He has a recent graduate from Hamilton High School and a sophomore at Hamilton High School with his wife, Kelly.
I have been on the Hamilton School Board of Trustees for nine years and have been the chairperson for the last five. While on the board, I have served on several committees including Governance, Negotiations, Communications, and Curriculum. In addition to those duties, I am a volunteer assistant tennis coach at the high school. During my tenure with Hamilton School District, I have also been a board member and treasurer for HMS Families For Education (FFE), a volunteer with both the middle school and high school Science Olympiad teams, a chaperone on middle school ski trips, an instructor for the RML BRASS (Biomedical Research After School Scholars) program and have given multiple talks to students ranging from elementary to high school about veterinary science and infectious disease research.
I am running for school trustee to continue contributing to the excellence at Hamilton School District. We are fortunate to have hard-working, dedicated administrators, teachers and staff who provide the best education and experience to our students. As a trustee, our role is to ensure that we provide the necessary resources to allow for these professionals to perform at their very best which, in turn, maximizes the potential of our kids. Furthermore, I am excited for the new opportunities that are coming to our district. One such opportunity is the newly approved charter school, Bitterroot Polytech. This school will allow for students to join the workforce earlier in a trade or career of their choice, with possibilities of gaining certifications prior to graduation. Overall, what explains my true reason for running is that I want to volunteer my time to provide the best educational, athletic and social experiences for our kids. Hopefully, this will allow them to continue to pursue their dreams and aspirations, whether in college, trade schools or in the workplace.
Although there are always mainstay issues that most school districts face, such as facilities and funding, an issue that is currently front and center is the mental health of our students. It is not a new issue, but recent events have definitely put a spotlight on the critical need to help students mentally and emotionally. This issue doesn’t only affect a select few students. It is a struggle affecting a significant portion of our student population, from kindergarten to seniors in high school. As trustee, it is imperative that we dedicate the resources necessary to help our teachers and staff in dealing with the mental and emotional needs of our students.
Furthermore, in our current economic climate, it is important that we continue to manage the finite resources that are provided to our schools to improve facilities, provide programs to students, and improve the salaries of all staff.
In closing, I want to reiterate my commitment to the Hamilton School District community and my goal of continuing to build on our successes.
Go Mustangs! And Go Broncs!
LONE ROCK
Lone Rock Elementary School District has one 3-year position open. Two candidates are vying for the position, Ross Eberlein and incumbent Cody Houtchens. Houtchens did not respond to the Star’s request for information. A third candidate, Ryan Gilberts, withdrew from the race.
Ross Eberlein
I own and operate two small local businesses. My wife and I have lived in the Lone Rock School District for the past five years and have two young sons; our oldest is in pre-K at Lone Rock and our youngest will be in enrolled there a few years. I am a proud product of public education – not only for K-12 but for my undergraduate degree and for law school.
Prior to running for the Lone Rock school board, I served on a community foundation leadership committee and was a founding member of the board of directors of a community land trust focused on creating more affordable housing. In addition to board service, I have experience working as a project architect, project legal counsel, and bond counsel with public schools on infrastructure projects–from bond campaigns to facility design and construction.
I am offering my energy, interest and skill set to help Lone Rock continue to be the excellent school district that it is and ensure my children and other children in the community receive a first-class education.
As in every district, budgetary constraints and differing viewpoints on appropriate curriculum are ever-present. My foremost interest is in ensuring the children attending Lone Rock, now and in the future, have the facilities and support they need to be successful in high school and beyond. This, along with the community’s goals and priorities for its young people, will inform my decision making as a board member.
Cody Houtchens
STEVENSVILLE
The Stevensville School District has two 3-year terms open on the school board. Four candidates have filed for the elementary/high school spots, Nathan A. Bean, Mandy Conrad, Anne Marie Overstreet and Frances ‘Frannie’ Schmitz. Two candidates have filed for one board position to represent Lone Rock on the Stevensville board.
Nathan A. Bean
I am proudly running for a position as a Stevensville School District 2 Trustee. I am a Stevensville resident for over 30 years, Stevensville High School graduate, local business owner, and father of one Stevensville Primary student and one Stevensville Middle school student. Thus, I have a vested interest in serving our community as a Stevensville School Board Trustee for multiple reasons.
Being a long time Stevensville resident, I have great pride in our community and strongly believe it is the best town in which to raise a family. Owning and operating local businesses for over 10 years, I understand the significance of communication, organization and efficiency, as well as working together toward a common goal. As all parents do, I want to provide my kids and future generations with the best opportunities to include a quality education in a safe, positive, and enriching learning environment that properly prepares them for their futures as young adults.
In order to provide such an environment for our youth, I believe we need to advocate for adequate funding to offer teachers competitive pay along with providing full spectrum extracurricular programs for students. I believe reasonable pay and support from board members can help encourage employee retention of quality educational providers. Extracurricular programs not only help each participant as an individual, but also stimulate student enrollment and engagement. Accomplishing these things will require transparency and communication amongst the school system, parents, and community members, which I believe I can effectively facilitate.
As a first time Stevensville School Board Trustee, I am excited to learn the Board’s current processes and procedures to help better connect the community and our school system. I have seen this community come together for some incredible things over the years, and I believe our community members are proud to get involved and support our school system when they know how and when they can do that. I look forward to helping with that as a Stevensville School Board member.
Mandy Conrad
I am running for the Stevensville school trustee position in district 2. I come from a proud military family with a passion for athletics. My husband grew up here in Stevensville and we moved our family back 8 years ago to give our two boys the same upbringing he holds so highly. Raising two young men today is not something we take lightly, and we strive to give them and all the kids in this community the best opportunities for a successful future.
I have enjoyed being an active member in this community and coaching youth sports through the years. It was a privilege to sit on the Stevensville Youth Baseball and Softball board, and I also currently hold a board position with my family’s business. These opportunities along with my degree in human communications have expanded my experience in managing budgets and making decisions in the best interest of its members. I also own and operate a small windshield repair business here in the valley where I’m able to connect with many members of the community.
I am choosing to run for the Stevensville school board to help make this community a better place for students, teachers, and community members alike. Stevensville was once regarded as a premier district in the valley. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. We are losing students at an exponential rate and continue to face enrollment decline, and ultimately a funding crisis.
We are at a crossroads here in our district. We can take steps to move forward or continue the downward spiral of resistance towards interscholastics and academic advancement. We cannot continue the constant pushback of fundraising and backing for our student athletes, activity programs and facilities. Our teachers deserve our respect and support, and need to trust that they will be valued and given the best environment to teach in. Our parents need to feel they are being heard and respected, and our taxpayers need to know their hard-earned money is being used appropriately.
I have a strong commitment to doing what is right, bringing transparency to the board, and will consider all viewpoints and concerns this community may have. Being on the school board is essentially helping run a business. The most important aspect of running any business is understanding the people you serve. If I am elected, I promise to do just that. Thank you for your consideration.
Anne Marie Gurney Overstreet
I am running for Stevensville School District.
I am a Montana native. I have served as a school board member for a public charter school. In the past I have lobbied for parents rights in education for eight years.
As a teacher in the Stevensville School District, I have a front row seat to view things to be improved upon.
Some issues facing this district and policies I believe in regarding my district include teacher retention of local, homegrown talent, transparency and public trust in our local school district.
Frances ‘Frannie’ Schmitz
I am running for Stevensville Elementary and High School District position.
I have 5 children/stepchildren who have graduated from Stevensville and my youngest son will graduate in 2025. As an active community member, I have served on the Stevensville Youth Soccer Association Board, Stevensville Booster Club Board and North Valley Public Library Foundation Board. Currently I serve on the Coding For Kids Board and was on the Scarecrow Festival Committee for 2023. I founded Stevi Food Program in 2022 and got non-profit status in April, 2023. I also created a program that gives prom dresses to girls in our community that may not be able to afford them. I feel strongly that as we support and uplift the children/youth in our community we are investing in our future. I care deeply about the children in our community and hope they know that as they get to know me. A personal goal I set for myself was to attend as many Stevensville school board meetings as possible and have missed very few.
As a community member I attend most Stevensville School Board meetings. While I have never served as a trustee, I feel I have learned a lot attending meetings and participating through public comment as well as asking questions. I have run for trustee during 2 previous elections and have applied to hold a trustee position when there was a vacancy.
Running for school board is another way I can serve my community and help give a voice to our teachers as well as our student body. I feel it is very important that our district continue growing towards community involvement for the betterment of our students. As a volunteer of 9 years in the Stevensville School District, I have gotten to know the staff very well and think the relationships I have built will be useful in helping to improve our school district.
Teacher pay is an issue in our district. In order to keep and recruit good teaching staff we must have a competitive pay matrix. Our teachers are the backbone of our district and without them we would no longer be able to educate the children of our community. Additionally, we need to continue finding ways to connect our students with their community. Some of the ways we do this is through community service hours and senior projects that went away several years ago. It is important that our staff and students feel connected to, as well as vested in, our community as the community continues to support our school district. Stevensville School District has made positive moves toward community involvement and as a trustee I will help to foster those effects.
Candidate forum scheduled for Stevensville school board candidates
The American Legion Fort Owen Post 94 is sponsoring a forum for Stevensville School Board candidates on Monday, April 29 at 6 p.m. in the high school multi-purpose room. Four names are on the ballot for two 3-year positions. Write-in candidates are also invited to participate. The forum will be moderated by American Legion Post 94. Attendees are encouraged to participate by asking questions of the candidates. If time permits, the candidates will make themselves available for a meet-and-greet following the forum.
STEVENSVILLE (LONE ROCK REPRESENTATIVE)
Two candidates are vying for one 3-year position to represent Lone Rock on the Stevensville School Board, Janet Depee and incumbent Jennifer Gunterman. A third candidate, Ryan Gilberts, is running as a write-in candidate.
Janet Depee
Janet Depee did not respond to the Star’s request for information.
Jennifer Gunterman
I am the incumbent candidate for the Lone Rock School District Representative on the Stevensville School Board.
I am a proud parent of two Lone Rock School graduates: one who went on to graduate from Stevensville High School in 2022, and the other who will be graduating from Stevensville High School this June.
I am a University of Montana graduate with over 15 years of experience in the Childcare field. I learned a lot over the years while working with very diverse families and children from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. This experience lends itself to helping me to understand the needs of our diverse community. Currently, I work at a local financial institution, Clearwater Credit Union, and have found it to be a great way to meet many of the residents of our valley and learn about the needs of our community as well.
I have been a member of the Stevensville School Board for the last 3 years representing the Lone Rock School District. During my time on the School Board, I have been an active member of the Policy and Calendar Committees, and acted as a liaison between the Lone Rock and Stevensville school boards. I have been an active volunteer in both school districts. Some of my favorite activities have been the Lone Rock PTM & Booster Clubs, the Rocket Vision 2020 committee, Stevensville Speech and Debate Team, and the Stevensville Choral programs. Our family has loved being a part of Lone Rock community as well. Being able to support Lone Rock families as they transition to Stevensville High School is very important to me.
I believe in our public school system and the education it provides for the children of our community. I am running for the school board to be an active part of this organization and serve the needs of our teachers, staff, and students. I want to serve my community and be a part of the conversation—not just an observer.
As with many other school districts, Stevensville schools are facing budget shortfalls. This makes managing our programs and ensuring that we can provide living wages for our teachers and staff a high priority for the school board.
A continuing concern for me is that our teachers and staff still do not feel supported by the school board or community and with that we may lose our best teachers to other schools in the valley. We need to do what we can to keep the best teachers here to educate our children.
I also feel that we need to make sure that our community and families are aware of the issues facing our school system and are a welcomed part of the conversation in solving the issues our district faces.
VICTOR
The Victor School District has has one 3-year term open on the school board. Two candidates have filed, Sam Fawcett and Jessica Holt.
Sam Fawcett
I have been involved in the Victor School district for over 12 years. My wife is a Victor school alumni and has been involved in the Victor School for thirty years from student to coach. Currently I am the voice of the Victor Pirates, announcing sporting events, parades, Grand March and more. Last year I was the selected as the one of the recipients of the Victor School Distinguished Service award. My family and I are committed to the Victor School and the community.
I have been attending the Victor School Board meetings for the past 3 years and take an active role in school strategic planning meetings, along with bringing school safety training to the district. I was recently able to bring a school safety training to the school free of charge through the “I Love u guys” Foundation.
With the ending of an era of Steve Wilson stepping down from the school board after 35 years of service on the school board, there is an opening that needs to be filled. After long consideration and input from current board members, staff, administrators and community members of the Victor school and community I have decided that this is where I can help the most.
Our school district like many in the state is facing a variety of issues. There is work to be done and having people that are part of the solution and the community will help in reaching solutions.
Jessica Holt
I am running for Victor school board this May. I am a mother of three and a business owner. My husband and I relocated to Montana and to Victor because of the beautiful scenery and the close-knit community. I am a volunteer fire fighter for Victor fire and hope to get my EMT to help our community even more. I graduated college with a degree in occupational therapy and have continued my education working toward my degree in business. For several years I travelled the west coast as an occupational therapy assistant and ended up as a director of rehab for several years. I have always volunteered without hesitation when it came to developing programs and trying to improve the communities I have worked in and lived in. I am choosing to run for school board because I have two small girls in the Victor school district and want to be involved in the school as it grows. One of the biggest issues our district faces right now is that we do not offer the same classes that are in other close schools. I would love to increase local attendance in Victor and one thing I have heard when speaking to other parents is that we do not have the same programs and extracurricular that their children are interested in. I can relate, my 17-year-old son attends Corvallis because he is into metal working, welding, and carpentry. When it comes to policy my main goal is to promote education, these days there is too much social justice being forced into our schools, when academics should be the main focus. If I get elected to school board, I will do everything I can to promote development of programs that excite children as well as emphasize the importance of education.