This year, three school board trustee races are contested in Deer Park, Cayuse Prairie and Smith Valley school districts.

The Flathead County Election Department will administer the May 6 mail-ballot elections.  Ballots are due at the county election office, 290 B N. Main St., Kalispell, by 8 p.m. on election day. In addition to the election department, school districts will remain a drop-off location for people who would like to hand-deliver their ballots. 

Following are short bios on trustee candidates. The Daily Inter Lake reached out to candidates seeking information, including occupation, family, education and background (pertinent experience volunteering or serving on other boards and committees). Candidates were also asked to provide short responses about why they wanted to serve as a school board trustee and about a top issue facing the district they wish to serve. 

Two candidates are vying for one seat with a three-year term. They are incumbent Cynthia Barnes and Mikala Cordes. 

— Cynthia Barnes (incumbent) 

Occupation: Family manager and school district volunteer. 

Family: Husband Mike Barnes; children Kaitlin and Mara Barnes. 

Education: B.S. in Management and Marketing, University of Oregon. 

Background: I began volunteering at Deer Park in 2005 in the classroom and on the Booster Club, before transitioning to the school board. I have been on the Deer Park School Board for 18 years now (and board chair for almost 15 years). 

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I am proud to be part of the Deer Park district. It has been the heart of this community since it opened in 1886. I believe it is a trustee’s duty to keep parents and students at the center of everything we do. We have an obligation to maintain transparency and spend public funds responsibly. In 2023, the district won a national award for academic excellence and is currently listed as a top 10 school in Montana. This is due to the entire school working together with remarkable results, and I hope to continue being a part of this effort. 

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? The most immediate issue facing the district is our facilities. Both the Quonset hut and the teacherage are at the end of their lifespan. The board is running a bond to replace both buildings with a new one. The Quonset contains two classrooms and has been in use since the 1960s. The teacherage (where the district teacher used to live) is the current office, but doesn’t have enough space to function efficiently. The new building would replace these spaces, add a new storage basement, and increase our classroom number by two, providing more flexibility during the day. It would not increase the number of classes or staff unless in-district student numbers require it. The board has been working to address these issues for the last 10 years. Through community input, we have updated the plan from connecting the primary and secondary buildings to instead adding a freestanding building where the Quonset and teacherage currently are. We have also applied for grant money and state maintenance funds to address the critical needs of our other buildings, like the primary bathroom remodel we did a few years ago. 

— Mikala Cordes

Occupation: Paralegal 

Family: Husband Greg; daughters Audrey and Charlotte.
Education: B.A. in English from Arizona State University; paralegal certificate from Phoenix College. 

Background: I teach Sunday school at our local church. 

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I want to be a voice for the children and tax-paying residents of Columbia Falls to ensure that education remains responsive to those it serves.  

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? The proposed structural bond is one of the top issues facing Deer Park. If the median home price in our district is $600,000, a proposed 25-year bond would cost said homeowner around $543/year. This is going to be difficult for our average family. Thanks to inflation, we all seem to be working more and making less.  Increased taxes will also place an unduly burden on our retired neighbors surviving off fixed incomes and living in homes that are perpetually increasing in value.  In a utopian world, I would be this bond’s number one cheerleader. However, in reality, the last time a bond passed was in 1999. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I think we need to think outside the box and seek out alternatives to making these improvements.

Cayuse Prairie  

Two candidates are vying for one position with a three-year term. There are David Dowell and incumbent Susan Horner-Till. 

— David Dowell 

Occupation: State of Montana, probation and parole supervisor 

Family: Spouse Kai Groenke; two sons, both students at Cayuse. 

Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Cal State, San Bernardino. 

Background: I was raised in Lake Arrowhead, California. After college, I started my career with the State of Montana Department of Corrections as a probation and parole officer in 2004, and since 2011, I have been a supervisor in Kalispell. My wife, originally from Bigfork, is an attorney in Kalispell, and our sons attend school at Cayuse Prairie. Having family and friends in education, their expertise will be valuable in my decisions as a school board member. My career taught me to adapt to financial constraints and administrative changes, and a significant part of my job involves researching laws and applying them to dynamic situations. As the regional intern coordinator and field training officer supervisor, I work with students and new officers, focusing on detail, compliance, and best practices. I make difficult decisions daily involving individuals who often make poor choices, assisting them by gathering information and understanding their history and experiences. I would bring the same thoughtful approach to serving on the board.  

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I am running for the opportunity to be more involved in the Cayuse Prairie School District and the Kalispell community. With two children attending Cayuse, I'm vested in the community and impressed with the teachers and staff. I want to give back by serving on the school board as a liaison between parents and the school, embracing new challenges collaboratively with teachers, staff, and parents.  

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? One of the biggest current obstacles is uncertainty regarding budgets and funding. Cayuse faces the real possibility of losing programming, as the last levy attempt in 2023 failed overwhelmingly. I want to work with current board members and the school to create alternatives and advocate for future ballot measures. Education and information are our allies. My wife says I have the “gift of gab,” and once educated on an issue, I enjoy discussing it with others. I aim to be a source of information and discussion for parents and community members regarding important issues facing Cayuse. 

— Susan Horner-Till (incumbent) 

Occupation: Retired. I was director of Mountain View Mennonite Church Child Care, an afterschool program that served families of Cayuse Prairie and Creston School students from 1998 to 2019, and a special education paraprofessional at Creston School (seven years), then Evergreen School District (five years), retiring in June 2019. 

Family: Spouse Jim Till; daughters Rosemary (Till) Hash and Robyn Till, who both attended Cayuse Prairie School K-8. 

Education: B.S. in Botany; M.S. in Ecology (plants) plus many college courses in Education. Attended the Boardsmanship class at Flathead Valley Community College three very worthwhile times. 

Background: I have been volunteering and active in the community since we moved here 30 years ago, decided we loved it here, and put down roots. I've been a Girl Scout leader, a volunteer at Cayuse Prairie, still teach Sunday School and am a member of Mountain Brook Ladies Club. I was part of the nonprofit Mountain Brook Homestead Foundation when it was first organized in 2001, active as a volunteer librarian and board member.  The foundation now owns the old Mountain Brook School campus and operates it as a Community Center and historic site. I plan children's programs and volunteer in every aspect, currently serving as president. 

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I feel committed to the community and children. When we moved here, the first thing I did was attend a Cayuse Prairie School Board meeting. Over the years, I have occasionally attended as a parent or interested community member. I joined as a trustee the year I retired to advocate for children, families and the school. It has been a privilege to be on the Board. Working together is a way to make stable, positive improvements for school and student outcomes. Truly, the most important constituents are the ones who don't vote but have their whole lives ahead of them. 

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? Funding. The State of Montana only funds 82% of the school budget. This year, Cayuse is doing OK. No extra for frills like a fence around the soccer fields to promote student safety and keep vandals from turning wheelies in them, but thankfully no cuts to staff or programs. Next year, Cayuse Prairie, like many schools in Montana, is expecting a significant budget shortfall for the succeeding year.  A levy will be needed.  

Cayuse Prairie uses every available inch of the school. Increasing population growth within the district is swallowing up classroom space. There are now over 300 students. Almost every grade level requires two classrooms per grade. As soon as the current building bond expires, the school will need to pass a bond to keep up with student growth. 

Most voters within the district do not have a child at school. As a retired senior, I understand both sides of the issue. As a trustee, I saw Superintendent Piazzola work hard to cobble together remaining ESSER funds (Covid relief funding) and grants into enough to build one badly needed classroom in the interim. Every time I’m on campus, I see supportive teachers and staff working hard to promote student success. 

Smith Valley 

Four candidates are vying for two open positions with three-year terms. They are Jodi Brown, Joe Heidecker, Kyla Huchendorf and incumbent Josh Hunt. 

— Jodi Brown 

Occupation: Certified medical assistant 

Family: Husband Cody; children Izzy, age 13, and John, age 9.  

Education: I have worked in the medical field for 12 years. Primarily, my background is as a medical assistant for eight years at various clinics.  

Background: I have worked in a leadership role within Logan Health, helping run outpatient clinics as a lead medical assistant (supervisor) for many years. I love volunteering to help animals in need. Our home was a foster home for dogs for a year to help them get adopted while my husband was gone on deployment.  

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I want to serve as a trustee to bring a mother’s voice to the school board. I believe my leadership experience for many years in health care will also bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the board.  

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? One of the biggest challenges I feel that we are facing is that we are a low-income/low tax draw school district, and we need to find a way to be able to give our kids the best educational opportunities, even though we are a small, financially challenged school. I would work closely with the administration and the other trustees to ensure strategic budgeting and fiscally responsible allocations. 

— Joe Heidecker 

Family: Spouse Julie and two girls, Sidney and Kaylee. 

Education: High school, Belle Fourche, South Dakota (2003); college, B.S. in General Engineering, Montana Tech (2008). 

Background: Before Covid, I was an engineering supervisor. 

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? I want to make the school a better place for my kids. A better school is better for the community. 

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? I see the budget and building maintenance are the biggest challenges facing the small district. After a bond failed, I joined the facilities committee as a community member. I thought my construction knowledge could help define the scope of work, but the bigger problem seems to be the limited budget.  I'm ready to dive into the numbers and see where we can improve. 

— Kyla Huchendorf 

Occupation: Certified Medical Coder 

Family: Married to Ross Huchendorf; two children, Shelby and Garrett Huchendorf. 

Education: High school graduate with some college as well as a completed AAPC medical coding degree and CPC certification. 

Background: I have been a volunteer member for the Smith Valley School Parent Teacher Committee for the past four years. This has given me an inside look at how our school is run and the struggles it faces. Volunteering on the committee has also shown me the abundant support our community has for the school and how they come together to support the school.  

Why do you want to serve as a trustee? My focus is to serve my community. I believe the best support I can offer is my time. 

What is one of the top issues facing the school district you want to serve, and how would you work to address it? I believe one of our biggest issues is our small budget and outdated buildings. I look forward to bringing a positive outlook on the future and out-of-the-box ideas to our board. Our children are the future, and supporting them is my priority.