Cayuse Prairie School Business Manager Named Montana’s School Business Official of the Year

Nobody goes to college hoping to become a school business official, Heather Mumby said. But after a stint in Washington, D.C., putting her political science degree to use, Mumby returned to Montana — and a job as a school business official is exactly where she ended up.

For 22 years, Mumby has dealt with the ins and outs of school finance in Montana. For 19 of those years, she’s been the business manager and district clerk at Cayuse Prairie School, a rural K-8 school in the east valley.

This year, Mumby has added a feather to her cap. The Montana Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) named Mumby its 2026 School Business Official of the Year. The award honors school business officials who “demonstrate exceptional dedication to students, staff, taxpayers, and their communities while advancing the profession through active involvement in MASBO,” per MASBO’s July newsletter. Mumby received the award at the organization’s annual Awards Luncheon.

“I don’t think anybody ever thinks they’re going to get it,” Mumby said. “Even when they were reading some of the letters of recommendation, I still didn’t think I was going to get it. So, it was quite a shock.”

Mumby grew up in the Flathead Valley and attended Flathead High School before going to Seattle for college. She never anticipated returning to her home state. But after about a decade in D.C., life changed, and she began looking for opportunities in Montana.

Mumby moved to Great Falls when a job opportunity at Belt School came up, followed by one at the Flathead Special Education Co-Operative and, eventually, her current role at Cayuse Prairie. Her brother attended school in the east valley district, she said, and she’d gone through Creston. It was a return to her roots. She ended up getting a second degree in accounting and has never looked back.

Her job at Cayuse Prairie consists of handling the district’s finances, acting as head of human resources, dealing with policy and taking minutes at the school board’s meetings — and that’s just scratching the surface. She described it as a hard job, albeit a rewarding one, made more rewarding by the peers she has met through MASBO.

Still, Mumby cited several challenges faced by Montana’s schools as impacting the work of school business officials. Many schools across the state, Cayuse Prairie included, have seen budgeting difficulties spurred by a slew of factors including inflation, challenges passing levies, and a funding formula education advocates take issue with as outdated. Schools are also facing staffing shortages, including for school business officials, which Mumby described as a difficult position for recruitment and retention. She’s currently doing double-duty, working part-time at Cayuse Prairie and remotely as the school business manager for Gallatin Gateway School outside of Bozeman.

But from the start of her tenure in the position, MASBO has served as a critical support system for Mumby.

Often, school business managers are handling the job and its various duties on their own. The statewide organization provides opportunities for trainings and to connect with colleagues. Mumby said the organization has also developed a mentorship program, which she participates in.

“I think it’s the only avenue that clerks have and business managers have to talk to each other,” she said. “… I think that this is one of the few places that you can get the support that you need and understanding. So, yeah, I think MASBO’s been a saving grace for a lot of people, because it can be a pretty isolated job.”

In determining a school business official of the year, the organization evaluates nominees based on their “contributions to public education, leadership, service to their communities, commitment to students, and support of the school business profession.” The organization had seven nominees this year, including Mumby and Marion School’s district clerk, Shannon Kvaalen.

“I’ve known Heather since I got into the industry,” said MASBO executive director Shelley Turner.

Mumby served as a mentor to Turner through MASBO before Turner took over leadership of the organization. Turner said honoring her with the award marked a full circle moment.

“She’s been a guiding light for so many in this profession,” Turner said.

Mumby, in addition to her responsibilities in her role at Cayuse Prairie, serves on MASBO’s board. She also dedicates her time as a school board member in the Columbia Falls School District. It was her third time being nominated for the award, she said, and her first time winning it.

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