Ballots go out Friday, must be returned by May 2

Around 17,000 ballots go out Friday, April 14, for school board elections around Lake County, as well as the Polson School District’s two bond issues (one for the elementary and one for the high school).

On the ballot for school board:

Arlee (District 8J): Phaedrus Swab joins incumbents Jason Stockdale and Lisa Koetter in vying for two three-year seats.

Charlo (District 7J): Incumbents Daniel Cahoon and LaDonna Fryberger face Kristen Marcure Bauer, Matt Hout, Nathan Bauer and Dion Carey in a contest for three three-year seats.

Dayton Elementary (District 33): One open seat has two candidates: Collin McCullough and Ron Tjaden.

Polson (District 23): Incumbents Chanel Lake and Joanna Browning have filed for two openings in an uncontested race.

Ronan (District 30): Six candidates have filed for two three-year terms in District 30/2: incumbent Bob Cornwell, Ted Coffman Jr., Shirley Azzopardi, Levi Read, Ionela Rusnac and Amy Coffman. Incumbent Jesse Lytton has filed for the sole open seat in District 30/1, which encompasses most of Pablo, then extends on the east side of Hwy. 93 south to Eagle Pass Tr., excluding Ronan.

St. Ignatius (District 28): Stan Delaney joins incumbents Peter Matt and Mary Leishman in vying for two three-year terms.

Bond Issues

Voters in Polson will be asked to consider two bond issues – one for the high school and another for the elementary district, which includes the middle school.

The elementary bond seeks to raise $23,315,000 for improvements at Cherry Valley, Linderman and the Polson Middle School. Funds would be used to construct more secure entrances at all three schools.

Cherry Valley, constructed in 1963, would get around $8 million for a new library and music room, four classrooms, areas for speech therapy and special education, and new and upgraded bathrooms.

Linderman, at 75 years, would get three extra classrooms and a new serving kitchen, plus a music room, library, breakout rooms for students requiring individual attention, restroom upgrades and playground improvements. The price tag there is about $7.9 million.

At the middle school, the district’s newest building, the kitchen is the focus because it supplies breakfast and lunch for students at all four schools. The nearly $7.4 million price-tag would also expand the dining area and school commons and renovate bathrooms.

The high school, built in 1972, will be on the ballot for $16,645,000. A new two-story section would include science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms and labs and a new job-training center. The renovation would also reconfigure the entry to make it more secure and handicapped accessible, remodel bathrooms and make some existing classrooms more functional.

A bond calculator on the district’s website (polson.k12.mt.us/bond) calculates that on a home assessed at $200,000, bond repayment would cost $206 a year for 20 years ($142 for the elementary and $64 for the high school); a home assessed at $300,000 would cost the taxpayer an additional $309 a year ($213 for the elementary and $96 for the high school); and property assessed at $400,000 would cost $412 a year ($284 for the elementary and $128 for the high school).

Rural Fire Districts

Candidates for two rural fire districts also appear on ballots:

Susan Black, Gary Drye and write-in candidate Teddy Allestad are seeking to represent the Arlee Rural Fire District; two three-year terms are available.

Sigurd Jensen, Mike Meuli and Brendeon Schoening vie for two open positions on the Chief Cliff Fire District, which serves Dayton, Proctor, Elmo and Lake Mary Ronan.

Ballots are mailed to registered voters in their appropriate school/fire districts, and need to be returned to the Lake County Election Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 2. The Post Office recommends getting ballots in the mail at least a week prior to Election Day.

For information on how to register, head to www.lakemt.gov/170/Elections or visit the office in person at 106 4th Ave. E. in Polson.