The announcement comes after more than a month of speculation that the former University of Montana president might jump into the race. In his announcement video, Bodnar argues Montanans ‘deserve an independent voice.’

In letters submitted to the board, faculty and staff members called for transparency when it comes to administrative pay and promised to document any indicators of a hostile work environment on FVCC’s campus

Karas will finish her 25-year tenure as the president on Dec. 31. The board said it will develop a presidential search process and timeline in the coming weeks and months.

Candidate filing for 2026 officially opened last Tuesday. After the first week, a handful of Flathead County state House and Senate seats, along with the Public Service Commission district, have competitive primaries taking shape.

Like other districts in the valley, without a levy, the rural school is facing a potential budget deficit in the wake of COVID-era funds drying up, high inflation and decades since it last passed a general fund levy.

After months of deliberation, the district settled on an amount that would maintain current programming, provide a cost-of-living adjustment to its teachers and allow it to bring more support staff onboard. Without the levy’s passage, the school could face programming cuts.

The three finalists will go through an interview process and community “meet and greets” before the board makes a final decision on the district’s next top administrator. It intends to make its choice March 5.

The trio, who linked arms to stop a vehicle they believed was transporting a mother and daughter from the Whitefish Customs and Border Protection station, received fines and suspended prison sentences. They painted their actions as a moral cause after the hearing.

A panel of school leaders from across the state, including Evergreen’s superintendent, told the School Funding Interim Commission the need for mental health support is growing, and demand outpaces available resources

The report from the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research focuses on data showing how short-term rentals in key areas have impacted the housing market

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will contribute to the effort to flip the seat from Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, who has held it since 2022, but didn’t endorse a specific candidate in the crowded Democratic primary this week

The lawsuit highlights two cases in which the DOR used comparable sales data from outside a designated 12-month valuation period for 2025 to determine property assessments, which resulted in heightened valuations and tax bills

Montana’s Sen. Steve Daines, who serves on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, co-sponsored the annual resolution to honor the contributions of tribal colleges, whose leaders emphasized the importance of having their mission championed at the federal level.

The resolution, a memorandum of agreement between the union and the district, provides a one-time lump sum payment for teachers for their work on the course from August to January, and more clearly outlines expectations for the course moving forward

The board expects to approve a final figure for its levy at its March 10 board meeting, following the Office of Public Instruction’s release of districts’ maximum budget authorities near the beginning of March. Those maximum budget authorities are dependent on biannual student enrollment counts.