Ellen Thompson
Havre Daily News
ethompson@havredailynews.com
Election results are in across the Hi-Line. Some freshmen and many incumbent board members will be continuing to tackle the challenge of making the most out of school budgets.
Budgets grew some, as mill levies passed wherever they were proposed.
Havre voters re-elected Denise Thompson, Teresa Miller and Joe Marino. Challenger Mike Barts failed to unseat an incumbent. Havre's elementary and high school mill levies, which will raise $98,000 through local taxes, passed with about two-thirds of the voters' support.
"It's great," assistant superintendent Dennis Parman said today of the mill levy results. "I think the voter turnout rate was a little off from last year but we're pleased with the results." Only 15 percent of eligible voters participated in Tuesday's election.
"Waiting for the election to be done ... has kind of been difficult because we've been holding off our budget planning," Parman said. "That's probably the biggest relief for us."
Newly re-elected board members were all thankful to Havre voters for supporting the schools. The combined Havre elementary and high school district levies will come to about $14 per $100,000 home in one year.
"It's actually pretty cheap when you put it in everyday terms," Marino said. "It turns out to be (equal to) four gallons of gas, so it's money well spent for our children's education. I actually think it's too bad it couldn't be more. The challenge now is to apply that in the most judicious way and make sure we maintain our educators."
The Havre school board will hold a reorganization meeting Tuesday and elect a board chair. Thompson is the current chair.
Here are results in other area school districts:
In the Harlem district, incumbents Matt McCann and Cheryl L. Morales were re-elected over four challengers.
Chinook voters supported a $32,000 mill levy for the high school district, 170- 30. Voters in the Cleveland Elementary School district elected Travis Liddle to the school board over two challengers.
In the Hays-Lodge Pole district, challenger Betty D. Campbell defeated incumbent Robert L. Fox and two others.
Big Sandy voters approved two mill levies for the elementary school district, one for the general fund and the other for technology.
Two new consolidated districts have their first school boards in place.
The combined Chester and J-I district elected five board members: William Harmon, Loren Hawks, Glenn Wolfe, Dena Fritz and Brett Earl.
Joplin-Inverness residents also voted to transfer funds from a bus reserve fund into the transportation and miscellaneous fund categories.
The consolidated North Star district elected five board members: David W. Miller, JoHanna Kapperud, Terry Hybner, Charles R. Chvilicek and Michael W. Lipp.
Eight candidates competed for two school board positions in the Rocky Boy School district. Joseph J. LaFramboise Jr. and Athena L. Galbavy were elected. Incumbent Russell T. Gopher and five others were defeated.
Davey School district voters supported levies for the elementary district general fund and the building reserve.
Big Sandy voters approved two elementary district mill levies, one for the general fund and one for technology.
In Turner, voters approved a $25,020 mill levy for the elementary district general fund and re-elected two candidates for two school board positions - Donna Barber-Schneider and Kellie Rasmussen.
Cottonwood School administrators could not be reached for comment this morning.
