Shawn Tucker sees the opportunity to serve on the Whitefish School Board as a way to serve his community.

Tucker, who owns the Towne Printer, grew up in Missoula and has lived in Whitefish the last seven years.

“I don’t have an agenda,” Tucker said. “I just want to help the kids and focus on the community. The schools are the future of our town.”

Tucker notes that both his parents are former educators and that influenced his decision to run for the board.

He also previously coached girls basketball at the high school. The Towne Printer frequently donates to the community and schools, he said.

“I want to give some of my time back too,” he said.

Tucker cites his business experience and work on the Whitefish Lake Golf Club board as qualifications for serving on the school board.

“I have a business here in the town that has to expand and contract as necessary,” he said. “I know we have to watch every single penny. I know it’s important to know where to cut and not to make cuts in business.”

Tucker was part of the committee that oversaw the recent construction of a new maintenance building at the golf course. He said the experience adds to his ability to guide the construction of a new high school.

“I vetted contractors,” he said. “I know how to stick to a budget. It was a great process that we went through and similar to the high school. That building was rundown and we needed a new building that we could take more pride in as a city.”

“We need a new high school, but we also need to have fiscal responsibility and spend the money correctly,” he said. “We need to create a new school moving forward to better educate our kids.”

One of the areas where the schools need to continue to improve is in technology, he noted.

“Technology is vital,” he said. “We need to make sure our students are ahead of the curve. It’s important they know technology to not only get a job, but also to be future entrepreneurs.”

Tucker says declining enrollment is “upsetting.” He personally employs Whitefish graduates in his business and says they are outstanding.

“We need to educate people that our school system is good,” he said. “Our teachers do a really great job.”

Having attended high school in Missoula, Tucker said he knows first hand what it’s like to be part of a large school where students can get lost in the shuffle. He’s an advocate for a smaller community education.

“There are so many kids in the big schools you can’t have one-on-one contact with teachers,” he said. “Here, you see teachers out in the community and can have more contact with them. Our teachers do a really great job.”