School districts across northwest Montana held elections on Tuesday in which voters decided on school board trustees, bonds and levies. Below are the unofficial results for local school district elections. Results will not become official until they are canvassed by the school board at an upcoming meeting. This story will be updated as results come in.
Columbia Falls School District #6
Voters in Columbia Falls approved two high school levies — a building reserve levy that will allow the district to replace a failing roof at Columbia Falls High School and a general fund levy that will bolster the district’s finances amid budget shortfalls.
The school district discovered problems with the high school roof during a ventilation project last August. Columbia Falls High School was constructed in 1958, and the roof was last replaced in 2010. Construction will begin this spring and will likely be completed by the beginning of next school year.
Voters rejected a general fund levy for the elementary school district.
Voter turnout was over 40%, far higher than in previous school elections when turnout was around 25%, according to the district.
Results:
High School Building Reserve Levy
- Yes (2,031)
- No (1,576)
High School General Fund Levy
- Yes (1,872)
- No (1,743)
Elementary General Fund Levy
- Yes (1,643)
- No (1,861)
Helena Flats School District #15
Helena Flats voters reelected incumbent Kevin Fritz and elected new trustee Chris Parson to the school board to serve three-year terms.
Results:
- Stephanie Brown (118)
- Brian Ek (103)
- Kevin Fritz (215)
- Amanda Keeland (99)
- Chris Parson (140)
- Write-in votes (9)
Kalispell School District #5
Kalispell voters narrowly passed a renewal of an elementary district technology levy and rejected a high school general fund levy that would have cost $1 per month for a homeowner with a home assessed value of $300,000. Funds from the elementary levy will continue to pay for cameras and cybersecurity software; communication tools like Google Classroom and Powerschool; learning programs for digital literacy; internet services and technical support. The district has not succeeded in passing a high school levy since 2007.
Voters also reelected incumbent trustees Sue Corrigan and Rebecca Linden and new trustee Heidi Hickethier to serve three-year terms as elementary district trustees on the school board.
Results:
Trustee Election
- Sue Corrigan (4,029)
- Heidi Hickethier (3,453)
- Rebecca Linden (2,814)
- Brian Putnam (2,792)
- Reynolds Cameron (1,922)
Elementary Technology Levy
- Yes (3,616)
- No (3,599)
High School General Fund Levy
- Yes (7,516)
- No (9,056)
Kila School District #20
Kila voters overwhelmingly rejected a bond to expand the rural elementary and middle school campus.
Results:
- Yes (103)
- No (516)
Smith Valley School District #89
Smith Valley voters rejected a bond to reconstruct a school building that was found to have mold and asbestos.
Results:
- Yes (239)
- No (361)
Swan River School District #4
Swan River voters elected Linda Stewart and Curtis Wisman to serve three-year terms on the school board.
Results:
- Linda Stewart (170)
- Curtis Wisman (145)
- Josh Turner (143)
- Marcus Burleson (115)
- Ballots returned undeliverable (31)
- Spoiled ballots (3)
West Valley School District #1
Voters in West Valley narrowly passed a general fund and a technology levy following a major campaign by the district to get voters behind the proposals. The general fund levy will allow the district to retain classroom teachers and support staff that would otherwise face layoffs, as well as repair and replace failing heating and HVAC units. The technology levy will fund software fees for standardized testing, cybersecurity tools, IT support contracts and computers. This is the first levy West Valley voters have passed since 2007.
Results:
General Fund Levy
- Yes (977)
- No (943)
Technology Levy
- Yes (959)
- No (958)
Whitefish School District #44
Whitefish voters approved a $108,337 permanent levy to fund teacher and staff salaries in the district.
Results:
- Yes (2,465)
- No (1,624)