Six candidates are vying for two openings on the Arlee Joint School District School Board. Candidates are Alfred Deroche, Brandon O’Brien, Cammie Dupuis-Pablo, Justin Curtiss, Kristine Gardner and Whitney Larson. 

Arlee has been attempting to combat its declining enrollment by making district-wide cuts, but it projects a continuing decline.  

For school districts, more students mean more money in the district's general fund. Average Number Belonging (ANB) is the metric used to determine state funding based on enrollment. 

While superintendent Cory Beckham, who will be resigning at the end of the fiscal year, was called a “God send” for helping navigate the difficult budget situation, Arlee will be working with a new superintendent and two new board members in July.  

In the past, the Leader has reported on public comment and advocacy for more tribal members and staffing in local schools on the Flathead Reservation, including requests that a Native superintendent be hired after Beckham submitted his resignation. This led the Leader to ask questions about priorities, communication, handling controversial issues, tight budgets and tribal advocacy.  

Deroche, O’Brien and Larson did not respond to the Lake County Leader’s request for interviews before the deadline for publication.  

Kris Gardner 

Gardner moved to Arlee in 1988 and has been in the district almost entirely since, besides living in Helena for some time. She served on the Arlee school board for nine years, finishing her last term in 2019.  

Gardner is a fourth-grade teacher in Missoula, and both of her children attended Arlee schools. She has worked for the Office of Public Instruction for the last three years and as a teacher for 22 years. She is running for the board again to give back to the community.  

Her top priorities if elected include retaining good teachers, keeping class sizes small and keeping the district fiscally sound. Gardner noted that with the budget situation at Arlee, she believes the district should spend as little as possible until the deficit is recouped.  

To address the question about communicating with parents and the community, Gardner said face-to-face conversations are always best and noted she is very approachable.  

“When I was on the board before people would just drive over to the house,” she said.  

She is also always open to emails but explained that it can be challenging for the board to respond at times due to being advised not to respond to certain topics, which can be frustrating to parents.  

To answer the question in regard to how she would handle a controversial issue, Gardner said she would follow policy. She noted that following the policy can be a tricky thing because not everyone understands that the board’s hands are tied.  

Gardner said she is not affiliated with the Tribes but understands the importance of culturally relevant education throughout the state.  

“Definitely in a reservation school, I understand how important it is to advocate for their history and culture, and I definitely respect that,” Gardner said.  

Cammie Dupuis-Pablo 

Dupuis-Pablo grew up on the Flathead Reservation and has lived here her entire life, besides a few years Missoula while attending the University of Montana. Of her seven children, one has graduated from Arlee, and five are currently enrolled.  

Dupuis-Pablo has worked for UM and Salish Kootenai College over the years. She has also served on the Arlee Indian Education Committee for four years and the Early Childhood Services Program. She noted that both her experiences make her confident she’s a good fit for the school board.  

Her priorities if elected are increasing tribal representation, understanding Native students and strengthening communication and trust between the school and community.  

“It’s critical that our students see themselves represented in teachers as well as in leadership roles,” said Dupuis-Pablo, who has attended school board meetings to advocate for tribal representation. She, along with her children and spouse, is affiliated with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. 

Dupuis-Pablo added that another priority is assessing how the board can do better and how they can better support students.  

“I want to make sure that our kids have a good foundation, and a sense of belonging in our community, which I unfortunately feel is kind of missing,” she said.  

She also believes transparency is key and that the board should involve the community more. She noted, especially with the tight budget in Arlee, that the district should seek community input for suggestions and ideas.  

Dupuis-Pablo said enrollment numbers are down because the standards aren’t being met for what parents want in the classroom. 

She believes the district can rebuild that connection, sense of belonging and sense of safety and community by building relationships with the community and listening to teachers who advocate for students.  

Justin Curtiss 

Curtiss has four kids who attend Arlee and has lived in the district for a while. Some of his kids are about to graduate, and others are just starting out at Arlee. His family is also from the Mission Valley, and his wife owns Black Bear Espresso in town.  

Curtiss has sat on multiple boards in the past and cites his listening skills as another skill that makes him a good fit for the board.  

He noted that one of his first priorities would be to engage in a discussion about the recent budget-related debates and the consolidation of the elementary and middle schools to make peace with those issues.  

Curtiss said the budget issue didn’t push him to run, but multiple people asked him to run in both this and the previous term. He added that he is a to-the-point person and is transparent.  

“I have no problem saying exactly what is what,” he said.  

As far as prioritizing spending in a tight budget year, Curtiss said he was unsure until he is in the seat and fully understands enrollment numbers and the teacher-to-student ratio.  

To answer the question about how he would communicate with parents and the community, Curtiss said 

Curtiss explained that if a controversial issue, like the recent discussion about whether to consolidate the middle school into a K-8 building, came up again, he would communicate with both sides to both the board and the community. He also noted that due that his wife’s business often keeps him in the area, and he is always around, which helps make him accessible to the public. 

Curtiss said his wife is an enrolled CSKT member, and all of his children are descendants, giving everyone a voice by representing both tribal and non-tribal members, he said.  

    Kris Gardner

 Cammie Dupuis-Pablo