Four candidates running for Whitefish School Board

Four candidates are vying for three opening positions on the Whitefish School District’s Board of Trustees.  

There are seven trustees. Terms last three years. Shannon Hanson, Jerrie Boksich and Katie Clarke’s terms end in May.  

Hanson and Boksich are running for reelection and are challenged by Gloria Nelson and Karin Hilding.  

The May 5 school district and special purpose election is mail-in only. Ballots will be mailed on April 17. Sample ballots are available online at https://flatheadcounty.gov/department-directory/election 

The Pilot asked the four candidates to share information about their background, their reason for serving, and what they can do to improve Whitefish School District. The following is in their own words.  

Shannon Hanson  

I am a Montana Native who first came to Whitefish in 1984 to work at the Viking Lakeshore Inn and have lived here since 1985. I have a varied background including driving and operating a septic pump truck, a chef, and a millworker, among other things. I have owned and operated a technology consulting business since 1993, and although I have stepped away from that business almost completely, I still keep my hands and mind in technology.  Currently I manage a transportations company and spend my days driving. I also teach at FVCC part time.  I live outside of Whitefish with my wife and two dogs. I have two adult sons and two grandsons.   

At the end of the current term I will have served the Whitefish School District for 15 1/2 years.  I am honored to serve as the Board's representative on the committee overseeing the high school Expansion and construction of the sports complex. I feel it is important that we have continuity of representation on that committee. I bring not only a wealth of experience, but have also attended multiple continuing education opportunities to stay current on best boardsmanship  practices. I am certified at the highest possible level of training for Montana Board Members by the Montana School Boards Association. 

Whitefish has an amazing administration and staff dedicated and committed to the kids. We also enjoy a supportive community which thankfully holds the Board and the entire district to a high standard of excellence. We are a high performing district, dedicated to growth for every student and continuous improvement of the district. I have been a consistent voice for the marginalized kids and kids who don't or can't play school the same as everyone else. I believe this is an area that not just Whitefish, but the educational model for the state could address more completely.     

Jerrie Boksich 

As a teacher in Whitefish for many years, I belonged to several professional organizations and served in various leadership roles on those boards. I have a Bachelor's in education plus 100 additional hours. I have served two terms on the Whitefish School Board, one year as the vice-chair, and on the boards of the Whitefish Education Foundation and the Alpine Theatre Project Board, as the secretary. I also volunteer for Meals on Wheels weekly. I am married to Ray Boksich; we have two children, Merika Barbieri and Garth Boksich, and five grandchildren who all attend school in Whitefish. 

Having taught in and retired from SD#44 and later working extensively as a substitute, I have real experience with the workings of this district. I am running to continue the excellent instruction that has guided our students to grow academically and socially, placing Whitefish schools among the best in the state. My goal is to facilitate new ideas, methods and initiatives to support and enhance our solid foundational skills and classes to help students grow yearly. 

An issue facing Whitefish Schools and schools nationwide is balancing books, pencil /paper and screens for optimal education and mental health. Between phones, computers and tv’s our students are constantly jumping from one device to another interrupting concentration and continuity of thought. The rise in mental health issues among teens has also risen along with the ever-increasing use of social media websites. Finding a healthy and educational balance for students is our challenge.  

Screen devices are good for many tasks. Some information/processes are more effectively learned and retained when read in a book or done with pencil/paper. Recognizing this conflict our district has written a Screen Initiative requesting all teachers use books and pencils/paper whenever possible. Further, phones are no longer allowed in the classroom. Now managing AI presents another serious issue for student learning. Purposeful supervision of devices and sites for appropriate usage at school is necessary.  

As a district, we must continue monitoring our screen-book usage and do further research on how best to match educational opportunities with the most effective tools for optimal academic progress and mental health for students. 

Gloria Nelson  

I hold a bachelor’s degree in child development and a master’s degree in occupational therapy and have worked part-time for more than 20 years as an Occupational Therapist in The Flathead Valley. I currently serve as the executive director of Project Whitefish Kids, the nonprofit that maintains the Smith Fields Youth Sports Complex, supporting youth sports and community recreation. I am married to Leif Nelson, who grew up in Whitefish, where his family has operated Nelson’s Ace Hardware for 78 years. All our kids have worked at the store as soon as they were old enough. We feel incredibly fortunate to raise our family in this strong and supportive community. Our three children include a 26-year-old stepdaughter who graduated from Whitefish High School, a sophomore son at WFHS, and a sixth-grade daughter at Whitefish Middle School. Our family loves the outdoors and spends as much time as possible skiing, hiking and camping in the mountains. On most weekends you will find us outside recreating and enjoying all the outdoor opportunities available in this incredible place we live. 

I want to serve on our local school board most importantly because I value public education and believe that the greatest gift we can give our children is a good education to set them up for success. I believe every child in our community deserves equal access to a strong public education. I was raised in a family that values community service and I believe that it is important to give back to the community where you live. I think it is key that the school board includes members with students currently enrolled in the school district so the board can get a feel for some of the real time issues facing our children today. As a parent with older children in the district, I feel this is the right time for me to serve on the school board. The people of Whitefish working together is one of the things that makes this such a special place to live, and I look forward to being a part of the school board. 

One of the current challenges facing our school district at this time is issues with transportation. There is definitely room for improvement in both safety and convenience for our students. Student safety should be the highest priority along with transparent communication with parents.  Our students should not be stranded for 3 hours on the side of the highway in the middle of winter. Developing safety protocols and a sustainable transportation system that performs reliably in winter conditions is paramount to being able to confidently send our students to participate in out of district events for sports, academics and extracurricular activities. 

Karin Hilding 

I was the engineering and sustainability project manager for the City of Whitefish after 29 years, and retired last March. My husband is Ron Gordon, and my daughter Maya Gordon (30) and son Ani Gordon (28) went through the Whitefish public school system. My education includes: Utah State B.S. Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering, and U.C. Davis Masters in Water Resources Engineering. I Serve on the Flathead County Transportation Advisory Committee, volunteer with the City of Whitefish Climate Action Plan committee, volunteer with the City of Whitefish Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory committee, and volunteer with Safe Routes to School events. Also, I have helped the City of Whitefish receive several Montana Safe Routes to School grants for pedestrian safety improvements around the schools. 

There are two main reasons why I would like to serve. 

One, to improve the vocational training opportunities for high school students. All students can benefit from courses that teach practical skills. With the upcoming high school addition there will be better facilities available for vocational training. Woodworking, home construction, automotive care and repair, welding, electrician basics, plumbing basics, AutoCAD intro, surveying, solar energy intro, GIS. 

And two, to provide more experiential learning opportunities. The Center for Sustainability and Entrepreneurship is a great facility for learning by doing. The students get to learn about growing and selling produce. There may be opportunities to job shadow at the City of Whitefish in the Parks, Planning or Public Works Departments, at Logan Health, or graphic design studios. During my tenure as a city engineer, I supervised six college graduate interns. When I was in high school experiential learning was emphasized. In part because I was able to help build a solar water heating collector system in the 1970’s, I became an engineer. 

The school district could better serve students who might benefit from a different type of education than preparation for traditional college. Education has changed immensely because of the internet. You can learn to play an instrument, how to make minor repairs, languages, history, science, etc… on the internet. You can also sign up for free or inexpensive courses from the country’s top universities. 

Meanwhile, there are few opportunities for young people to learn practical hands-on skills. Not everyone learns best in a classroom setting. Science and engineering can be more understandable for some people in a hands-on setting. From my experience on construction sites for almost 40 years, I notice that many construction managers are extremely intelligent. They have developed the skills to fix complex problems that arise in the middle of construction. Most of the local contractors we worked with have had trouble finding young people to take construction jobs. We should not look down on the people that have skills to fix our roads, water, sewer, drainage, electricity and plumbing. Our schools should reflect the needs of our community for skilled workers. And we should provide opportunities to students who learn better outside the traditional classroom.