Ballots out for Polson school bonds, board seats

The Lake County Election Department last week mailed ballots to registered Polson voters regarding school board elections and a pair of school bond issues.

The Polson School Board voted in February to proceed with a bond request of up to $32.2 million for the elementary district and $17.7 million for the high school district. The bonds are presented as separate measures on the ballot, so they will be passed or rejected separately.

The election is by mail only — no regular polling places will be used. Ballots must be returned to the Lake County Election Office on the bottom floor of the county courthouse by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 3.

Passage of both school bond proposals would result in a 25-year loan term, according to district representatives. Taxpayers would be affected by the assessed value of their homes per 100 thousand dollars. For example, the owner of a $100,000 home would owe $8.86 a month, or $106.35 a year, and an owner of a $200,000 home would owe $17.72 a month, or $212.70 a year, continuing up per $100,000 valuation of each home.

The elementary bond would allow for the realignment of the schools, with Cherry Valley serving pre-kindergarten through second grade, Linderman serving third through fifth grades and Polson Middle School serving sixth through eighth grades.

School officials also intend to update Cherry Valley with additional classrooms, a multi-purpose athletic facility, updated kitchen facilities and a dedicated space for music instruction and performance.

Linderman Elementary would be updated with additional classrooms, a new library space, updated kitchen facilities and a new music room.

All three schools also would receive updated school entrances to enhance student safety and security.

The main focus of the high school bond is to remove outside modular buildings that have become worn, unsafe and unhealthy to use, and expansion of the school with a new set of classrooms for new computer science and robotics programs, a Native American culture center, updated special education classrooms, and improvements to career and technical education facilities. The entryway also would undergo a renovation to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Voters will choose two of three candidates to serve two-year terms on the Polson School Board.

Incumbent Dana Hewankorn has lived in the Elmo/Dayton community since 1996, according to a profile provided by the district. She has worked for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes since 1993, including a stint with the Tribal Education Department. She also worked as the education coordinator at The People’s Center in Pablo from 2015-18. Hewankorn currently serves as the Project Aware program manager with the Tribal Education Department. She earned an associate degree in Native American Studies and a bachelor’s degree in tribal historic preservation from Salish Kootenai College. She also earned a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She is raising four grandchildren who attend Polson schools.

Dixon native Devon Cox is owner of Massini Group, a business that specializes in data analytics and business-to-business marketing. Cox attended Charlo schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration-marketing and a Masters in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University. He is married to Polson High School volleyball coach Lizzy Cox. They have six children, ages 2-12. Devon also coaches youth sports in Polson.

Nathaniel Netzer was raised in North Dakota and has lived in Polson for 10 years. He and his wife, Brooke Wegner, have four children, with the oldest attending second grade. Netzer earned a degree in instrumentation and control at North Dakota State University. He worked in the oil fields for eight years, and he currently works at the Weyerhaeuser Columbia Falls MDF manufacturing facility.

Also appearing on the ballot is an uncontested race for a one-year term on the board. Joanna Browning is running unopposed for that seat. Browning is a graduate of Polson High School who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and environmental education at Western Washington University. She served two and a half years in Cameroon, West Africa, for the U.S. Peace Corps, working primarily in agroforestry and with the local farmers. She later earned a nursing degree at Salish Kootenai College, and she currently works as an RN at St. Luke Community Healthcare.

The Polson School District has extensive information regarding the bond issues on its website, www.polson.k12.mt.us. Voters can check their registration status by visiting app.MT.gov/voterinfo.