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Townsend Teachers' Association Hosts School Board Candidate Forum
Author: mt43news staff reporter

Townsend Teachers' Association Hosts School Board Candidate Forum

MT43 News Staff Reporter

In a well-planned, well-publicized Candidate Forum, Townsend Teachers’ Association members grilled three candidates for two School Board seats up for election on May 5.

The one-hour forum, held at the Library Community Room on Wednesday, April 15, included several pertinent questions that incumbents Chase Ragen and Jason Kool, along with Jean Hodges, answered with clarity and conviction. About 25 people attended.

Of the thirteen questions asked the candidates, three will be discussed here. To the question “what do you believe is the primary responsibility of a school board member,” Candidate Ragen emphasized that student learning should be at the center of every board member decision: “Is this decision best for the student?”

Jason Kool said a member is tasked with balancing financial dictates and legal and policy mandates. “In the end, it is about being student centric,” he said.

Jean Hodges gave a general outlook of guidance and oversite, not trying to micromanage. "I will work with the teachers and administration to lead the way,” she said.

“What one specific step would you take to improve physical and emotional safety in our schools?”

Ragen pointed out emphasis on making the school a safe and a fun place to learn. Throughout the questioning, both Ragen and Kool stressed the need to rehire the SRO position, which they felt would engender a climate of trust between the officer and students. This opportunity for students to confide in someone would add a better mental health outlook for them. Kool pointed out the “Bulldogs Don’t Bully” program already instated in the school as an improvement in emotional safety. Hodges emphasized making students feel valued and wanted in the school setting.

“How do you think the district can better attract and retain families who might otherwise choose private or homeschool options?”

Kool emphasized the district should improve its website so families could access information and personnel easier. If the district could “think outside the box,” giving families more options, such as where to go for housing options and answering their critical questions about school safety. Ragen discussed more positive experiences for students, including growth in classes and extracurricular experiences. He pointed out 463 young people were involved in the new baseball program, which has fostered a high school team, and the new E-sports team which won at the state tournament this year.

The candidates’ answers to a second question about whether homeschool students should be allowed to participate in BHS activities gave a better picture to the controversial subject of students not in the system. The law, mandated in MCA20-5-112, requires Townsend Schools to allow participation in extra-curricular activities by homeschooled students, but the District may limit participation in student organizations and social events.

Both Kool and Ragen stressed the district must follow the law about students not in the system, but they felt those students should have access to school opportunities. “We might be able to coax them back,” Ragen suggested.

Hodges had a stronger opinion:” Homeschool students should have access to our school’s activities because they are peers of our students. This would foster better relations between the two groups. Besides, those families pay school mill levy taxes, the same as we do.”

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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 1 Caption: School Board candidate forum April 15 at the Library Community Room. Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 2 Caption: School board candidates from left: Chase Ragen and Jason Kool, who are incumbents, and Jean Hodges. Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 3 Caption: From left: forum timekeepers Jami Lawson and Shayna Gillespie and moderators Jeremy Bartlett and Lyndsey Moldenhauer. Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer