Voters To Choose From Among 6 Candidates for Columbia Falls School Board

Columbia Falls voters are faced with six candidates vying to fill two seats that have opened up on the Columbia Falls School District’s Board of Trustees after the expiration of three-year terms for trustees Heather Mumby and Larry Wilson.

The candidates are Corydon Albrecht, Alice Biel, Jessica Bostock, Justin Cheff, Heather Mumby and David Shaffer. The following information is from a questionnaire emailed by the Beacon to candidates last week. Information from the questionnaire was used for brief candidate profiles published in this week’s print edition of the Beacon. Full answers from candidates who responded can be found below. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Corydon Albrecht

Age 43. I grew up along the east coast from Florida to Maine in multiple states until attending college. I attended Montana State University – Bozeman, where I completed a Bachelor’s in environmental design and then Capella University – with a Master’s in Business specializing in Project management. After college in Bozeman, I joined the Army as a helicopter pilot and then became an Instructor/Standardization Pilot for the Army for 13 years of service. I met my wife in Montana during my military service and we both knew that we wanted to live in Montana, specifically Columbia Falls, to raise our family with two boys. I received my Honorable Discharge in 2015 and the family decided that it was time to move back to Montana to be close to relatives and raise our two boys. My extended family has been in the community area since 1976. I am a small business owner in Columbia Falls with an Architectural Design Company, C2 Enterprises LLC. I established the company in 2016 focusing on residential development in the flathead valley. Owning my own business allows me to have more time to be involved in the community where I volunteer in the school field trips, as well as local baseball programs and coaching soccer programs. Additionally, I teach skiing, during the winter months at Whitefish Mountain Resort. I have two boys in school where their attendance began at Ruder Elementary and will be continuing in the Junior High next year and High School. I am not an incumbent or previous school board member and I have not run for school board election before.

2. Why do you want to be on the school board?

3. What role do you see yourself playing on the board?

I am running for school board to volunteer my time and experience to help improve education in the community, so that we are planning for current and future generations educational success. To serve the people of School District 6, I am seeking a position as School Board Trustee so that I can influence a positive change in the process and quality that our educational system has on the children and our community. As a Trustee member of the School Board, it is one of the Code of Ethics requirements to communicate to the Superintendent expression of public reaction to Board policies, school programs, or staff and this would be one of my focuses if elected as a Trustee. It would be an honor to help improve our schools and our community as a school board trustee. I’m proud to live in Columbia Falls and will work hard to make our school system the best it can be for our children.

4. What are some of the major issues the Columbia Falls School District is facing right now?

The Columbia Falls District Schools are facing a major change in how education is used, viewed and implemented across all grade levels. This is not an issue that is specific to Columbia Falls but is affecting communities across the nation. Events of the last few years since 2020 with COVID and remote learning, have changed the way education can be taught, experienced and learned. With all the changes, both locally and nationally, in the education system that are introducing differing viewpoints,as to the content of material in academics, the Columbia Falls School District is challenged with making sure the students are provided the highest achievement in education that fits the needs and beliefs of the community. Staff shortages across the district are also a concern in the educational process, which is also not specific to our community alone. The community and educational system are currently dealing with this issue in which we need to adjust our procedures and policies to reflect a need that we must overcome to ensure our children and staff are provided all the resources needed for a successful educational process.

5. What role do you see the school board playing in addressing those issues?

The School Board is a group of people who live in the community who represent the concerns of all the members of the community to the school administrators. The School Board’s job is to set objectives, policies and goals for the district, based on input from parents, educators, taxpayers and other community members, which are then implemented by the Superintendent and administrative staff. The school board also represents the needs of the students and administrators to the community members. This puts the School Board in a position where it serves the entire community, while making student achievement a priority, in its decision making based on the input from all aspects of an issue, program, concern, etc.

Alice Biel

I’m a 51-year-old resident of Columbia Falls. I grew up in Ohio, where my parents were educators. My dad was a high school choir director for 25 years, and my mom was an attendance officer. Apart from helping kids, my parents’ passions were flyfishing and hiking, and we spent every summer camping in and around the Madison Valley, starting in the 1970s. My parents retired there about 25 years ago. So I’ve got a long history with that part of the state, and have seen a lot of change come to Montana over my lifetime. My husband and I work for the National Park Service. He’s a wildlife biologist. I’m an editor. We lived in Gardiner for a few years, then spent some time in Utah, Texas, and Wyoming before moving to the Flathead 12 years ago. When we landed here, we knew this was where we wanted to raise our daughter. She attended West Glacier Elementary and is now a student, musician, and athlete at Columbia Falls High School. I was a trustee and then vice-chair for School District 8 (West Glacier) in 2011–2012; I had to resign when we moved into SD6. As a volunteer, I also rebuilt the West Glacier school’s website, created its social media, and provided musical accompaniment for Missoula Children’s Theatre performances. Until covid hit, I volunteered at the junior high with the Writing Coaches of Montana program.

2. Why do you want to be on the school board?

I’m running because I care about ensuring our teachers and staff have the resources they need to provide quality education and learning in an environment of safety and wellness. And as a taxpayer and parent, I believe we need people on the board who care about the business of running the schools. When I was a trustee for SD8, I learned it’s not often an “exciting” or glamorous job—it’s not supposed to be. But it’s genuinely rewarding work if you’re invested in education and making sure our young people are prepared for the challenges of the future.

3. What role do you see yourself playing on the board?

I see myself being a trustee who’s not afraid to ask questions and consider things from multiple points of view—but always through the lens of what’s best for the students. I’m interested in focusing on the resources students need for success—not partisan politics. When I was a trustee for SD8, I don’t remember even knowing the politics of the people I served with. That’s not why we were there. Instead, we worked well together as a team, deciding each issue based on what was best for our kids and the school. In School District 6, I’d like to bring that same spirit of cooperation and local control to decision-making, and putting our kids first. I’d be a voice for quality academic and vocational programs, diverse extracurricular opportunities, and an environment of safety and wellness. And strongly supportive of the free flow of ideas.

4. What are some of the major issues the Columbia Falls School District is facing right now?

Rising fixed costs, and a cost of living that’s increasingly out of reach for teachers and other taxpayers, are going to be huge issues for local school boards over the next few years. It makes it hard to attract new staff to the district and makes it harder for everyone already living here to make ends meet. Staff retention is also a concern—we’ve all heard how difficult it’s been to keep bus drivers on the rolls, and it’s so hard to find subs and paraprofessionals that teachers are often using their prep time to cover other teachers’ classes. That’s not good for students and it further increases the burden on teachers who have been pushed to their limits over the past few years. Another major challenge is strengthening the mutual trust necessary for a functional, active partnership between students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Each has their own area of expertise and their own key role to play in student success. But the pandemic has been traumatic and divisive. All of us have felt powerless at some point in the last few years, and all of us have felt like our voices weren’t heard. For some people, those feelings are now spilling over into school business in new ways. Schools and parents are being cast as adversaries both locally and across the country—often with the backing of national groups with a strong political agenda. But wedges and walls between those key partners are the last thing we need. Our kids need us working together for their benefit. That’s why school board elections are nonpartisan. They’re supposed to be about local people doing the best they can to make sure their kids are set up for success and the community’s future is bright. A school board election shouldn’t be an ideological cagematch pitting one set of political values against another. That’s not what it’s about, and that’s not what I’m about.

5. What role do you see the school board playing in addressing those issues?

Well, the first two issues have to do with budget, which is directly within the board’s purview. The board’s going to have to be creative and open to lots of ideas about how to tackle those problems. The whole country is dealing with them right now, so there should be lots of examples to draw from. Collaboration and casting a wide net for solutions will be key. The last one, I think, is a question of communication and collaboration. School boards have a lot of power in Montana. They also have a lot of rules they have to follow. There are things they can and cannot do, and certain ways things have to be done. A lot of them don’t always make intuitive sense, and I think we need to be as open and transparent as possible about how and why decisions are made, and how they support student success.

Justin Cheff

Tell readers a little about your personal and professional background, including relevant experience. Please include your age, What community you live in, whether or not you have, or have had children, in district schools, whether or not you have served on a school board in the past, and whether or not you have run for a school board position in the past.

This is my first time running for the school board. I am a 1994 graduate of CFHS. I have attended North Idaho College, FVCC, and Montana State University. I am a Locomotive Engineer for BNSF Railway. Before starting my railroad career in 2005, I worked for my grandfather’s logging and construction business. As a family, if we are not at one our kids many sporting events, we enjoy camping, boating, skiing or any other outdoor activity that makes living in Columbia Falls so enjoyable! My wife Jenni and I have a son, Connor, a senior at CFHS, two daughters, Sadie, a freshman at CFHS, and Kensley, a 7th grader at CFJH. I have served as a board member and head timer for the Columbia Falls Summer Swim Team.
I have coached baseball, basketball (boys and girls), and youth football. I am also current member of the Columbia Falls Booster Club. I have been an Instructor Lead Rules Facilitator for BNSF, instructing and testing of railroad operating rules for conductors, engineers and switchmen. A position I was elected to by my peers. I am also an Assistant Local Chairman for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 499. From these experiences, I believe I’m ready and able to serve our schools as a board member. My ties to this community run very deep, my children are 4th generation students in SD6. I looked up to and respected both my grandpa Harry Cheff and uncle David Cheff for serving on SD6 school board, while running a family business and serving the community. I hope to be the 3rd generation of my family to serve as a trustee for Columbia Falls.

2. Why do you want to be on the school board?

My reason for running is for the youth of our community. Columbia Falls for years has helped cultivate some of the finest and brightest young adults in this state. I want to ensure that every student from elementary through high school continue to receive and expect a quality education at all of our schools. I would like to see School District 6 continue to hire the best and most qualified individuals for administration positions and teachers that are highly qualified in their subject matter. I feel it is an exciting time in Columbia Falls with our new elementary school scheduled to open during the 2022/2023 school year. The recent growth that our community and the surrounding area has experienced in the last few years, although exciting, is also going to bring challenges. From funding issues to finding and retaining qualified individuals to fill the many positions at SD6. Keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology and making sure our kids have access and exposure to the best technological advances SD 6 can provide. While continuing to be financially responsible for the tax payers of Columbia Falls.

3. What role do you see yourself playing on the board?

If elected, I will work with the other board members, administrators, teachers, and our community to ensure our schools keep moving forward. First and foremost, I’m going to be an advocate for the students of Columbia Falls school district.

4. What are some of the major issues the Columbia Falls School District is facing right now?

The new Glacier Gateway Elementary building is scheduled to open during the 2022/2023 school year. SD6 needs to be efficient in how they move hundreds of students and numerous faculty into this new facility, in order to limit any disruption to the educational process. Another issue I foresee is our recent community growth and upcoming teacher retirements – staffing all our schools is going to become challenging.

5. What role do you see the school board playing in addressing those issues?

The school board is just one piece of the puzzle. The board, the administrators, and the community are all responsible for keeping our district moving forward, which I feel have been working well together. Several examples of the way we are all working together include: approval of the technology bond in 2019; the remodel of Ruder Elementary; the new Glacier Gateway Elementary building; addition of junior high soccer teams; recent approval of funding the CFHS swim team and now the addition of a high school baseball team.. As long as all parties involved continue to work and put the students of Columbia Falls first, we will tackle the issues our district faces today and into the future.

Heather Mumby

1. Tell readers a little about your personal and professional background, including relevant experience. Please include your age, What community you live in, whether or not you have, or have had children, in district schools, whether or not you have served on a school board in the past, and whether or not you have run for a school board position in the past: Age 49. After graduating from Flathead High School, I attended Seattle University where I received my Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science. I then moved across the country and spent several years working in Washington DC. After living in different parts of the country, I decided the place I wanted to be was back in Montana. I moved back in 2000 and worked in various positions around the state before In the spring of 2007I was hired as the Cayuse Prairie School Business Manager/District Clerk. At the same time, I went back to school and received my Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from Colorado Technical University in 2008. Both my husband and I grew up in Western Montana and about 15 years ago we made the decision to settle in Columbia Falls where we could continue to enjoy the outdoors and give our son the experiences we have growing up. We have one son in 5th grade at Glacier Gateway. I am currently on the Columbia Falls School Board and running as the incumbent. This is the second time running for a Trustee position. If elected, this would be my second term.

2. Why do you want to be on the school board? Columbia Falls is a fabulous community and very supportive of their school district. Helping our district during these challenging times has been rewarding and exciting. I believe that these last three years have given me the depth and knowledge needed to help ensure that EVERY student has the opportunity to receive a quality and well-rounded education. I want to continue to be a on the board because I believe that we all have a stake in the education of our children and need to be involved and I feel that I can put aside any personal agendas and look at what is best for ALL students.

3. What role do you see yourself playing on the board? I am an advocate for students, parents community members and staff, My goal is to give our students the tools they need to be successful. As a parent and employee at another school district, I have the unique perspective at being to look at and understand the limitations and opportunities we are faced with as a public school. This knowledge enables me to see the whole picture and as a trustee. It is important to remember that it is not the role of the trustee to be involved in the day to day operations of a school . That is why we hire highly qualified staff and depend on our administration to manage the school district in a way that reflects the policies, philosophy and strategic planning that is set my the School Board.

4. What are some of the major issues the Columbia Falls School District is facing right now? Like many other schools in the valley, we are facing unprecedented growth, housing shortages and staffing shortages. We are going to have to look at non-traditional ways to educate our students without overwhelming our staff anymore than they already are. With advancements in technology and proficiency-based learning, we have so many opportunities to differentiate instruction that meet the individual needs of our students. The traditional methods of learning and teaching need to be balanced with new methods and figuring that out is going to be a major focus for parents, staff and students.

5. What role do you see the school board playing in addressing those issues? Schools need to work in conjunction with parents, staff and community members to make sure that the needs of the students are met. This has always been a delicate balance and there needs to be open communication and respects both ways. We have to remember that we are here for ALL the students, so it is the job of the school board to make sure that no child falls through the cracks or is forgotten. The Board’s focus needs to be what we CAN do to make sure our students become the successful future leaders of our community.

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