School Board election: Megan Upton

Editor’s note: Four candidates are running for three seats in this year’s upcoming Columbia Falls school board election.

Megan Upton (incumbent)

Background: I am 46 years old and a 1999 graduate of Columbia Falls.  I was raised in Columbia Falls and have lived in our wonderful community for 45 years.  My husband Andrew and I have two children, Emma, 22, and Noah, 18, who is currently a senior at CFHS. 

I was a stay-at-home mom while raising our kids and I am now a business owner.  I previously owned Columbia Mountain Massage and I am presently co-owner of 406 Soap & Candle Co.  I have been actively involved in our schools and community, serving as secretary of the Booster Club for over 10 years and currently finishing my first term as a school board trustee.

The $84.4 million high school remodel bond was rejected by voters, but the school still needs upgrades. What improvements would you like to see and what do you think is an appropriate budget that will pass muster with voters?

  It is time to improve our high school building and make it a safer place for our students.  The safety aspect of the building in its current state is a very big concern to me.  I worry prolonging the remodel will only have negative consequences and impacts for our students and staff.  I am excited about the possibility of adding to and improving our Career Technical Education programs!  Every child learns differently and when we can offer them diverse pathways we promote a love of learning and set them up for successful futures.  While, of course, the dollar amount of this project is important to our taxpayers and community, it is not the “end all, be all,” determining factor, in my opinion.  I believe: our community is asking for absolute transparency in the numbers; asking us to account for exactly where their hard earned dollars are going and why; and what exactly our kids are getting for the price tag.  As the design currently stands, we aren’t cutting any programming and we are adding and expanding exciting opportunities for our students. This remodel project addresses and provides solutions to safety, energy costs, and infrastructure and modernizes classrooms and educational spaces to better support teaching and learning.

High school enrollment is down this year and kindergarten enrollment has been down the past couple of years. What can the district do to encourage families to send their children to school and what can be done to encourage those that are here to stay?

Families today have more educational choices including homeschooling, online programs, private schools and charter schools.  Public schools can’t assume students will attend because it’s the only option. We have to make sure our school is a place families actively choose.  That starts with strong academics and a positive school environment.  With declining proficiencies in reading and writing and math nationwide, our families want confidence that their children are learning the foundational skills they need to succeed.  Education has changed and the traditional model doesn’t meet the needs of our kids today.  We do need a better balance between technology and proven methods like reading from books, writing, discussion and critical thinking.  If the district wants students to enroll and stay we have to focus on creating environments where students feel safe, supported, and challenged.  This is the work I enjoy being a part of and hope to be able to continue to improve upon. 

Talk a little bit about your educational philosophy and what you see are the top needs of the students and staff in the coming years.

 My educational philosophy is grounded in making sure every student has a strong foundation in the basics, especially early literacy, writing and math.  When students learn to read well early, it opens the door to success in every other subject.  In the coming years we need to support teachers by ensuring manageable class sizes, maintaining clear authority in the classroom and addressing behavioral challenges so learning time is protected.  Our classrooms include many different learning needs, so we have to provide teachers with the tools and support to meet students where they are.  Also, strong parental involvement is essential and assessments should provide meaningful feedback to help teachers understand student progress and help guide them in instruction.  When we focus on strong fundamentals, supported classrooms, and encourage families to be involved we create a school atmosphere where students and teachers can succeed.

What are your goals as a school board member?

My goal as a school board trustee is to ensure our district provides a high quality education built on strong foundations like reading, writing, math and critical thinking. I believe in supporting our teachers and staff with the tools they need and the classroom environments needed to help students succeed.  It’s also important to offer different learning opportunities and maintain a healthy balance between technology and traditional hands-on learning involving books, writing and discussion.  Partnering with families and sharing the commitment to help students feel supported and prepared for the future is also something I am committed to working on as a trustee.

If there’s anything else you’d like to add, please do so...

I would appreciate your vote and would be grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community and serve our schools for another term.