Three Seek Wolf Point School Board District 2 Position

Incumbent Linda L. Hansen, Jaronn Boysun and Roxanne Gourneau are candidates in District 2 for the Wolf Point School Board.

Responses from candidates to a questionnaire follow: Why did you decide to run for a trustee position?

Boysun: “I have a young adult in the Wolf Point School system and wish to be more involved in the decisions that will have an impact on his future. I also hope that I could make changes that benefit all students across the board.”

Gourneau: “Running for a trustee position is something that anyone that has children in this school system needs to consider. I am a grandmother with grandchildren attending our school, so I am very much vested in our educational environment. It is my intention to offer to the community my time and experience with the belief I would bring value to the table of education.”

Hansen: “It is the best way I know to serve my community and support education; it is a way to work at promoting my what I love; my community and the belief that education is the means to personal and professional growth.”

Why do you feel you are a good candidate to serve on Wolf Point’s School Board?

Boysun: “I have served on the school board before and already have some background knowledge of how the processes work. I also feel that I better understand what questions need to be asked and when to let administration do their jobs and stay out of the way.”

Gourneau: “Many good candidates are running in this year’s election. However, it will be the voting public that will determine our competence and sincerity to serve such a prestigious position. Within myself I offer a vast network of top-notch resources to assist in achieving a premier educational environment that will reward our families with their children becoming the greatest version of themselves through education.”

Hansen: “My experience as a board member serves me well. The position of a board member is to see that each student receives an education. The achievement of a diploma is more than a certificate of completion, it is a multitude of experiences as a student that prepares them to be a good citizen; a scholar, or a worker, to be successful in their adult lives. A good candidate must be able to make decisions that is the best for all students; to set aside their biases to serve the students at large. This is an attribute that I, as a school board member, have strived to maintain.”

What are you the most impressed about regarding the Wolf Point School District?

Boysun: “Our students impress me the most. They are bright, driven and eager to learn. Our students have skills ranging from public speaking and performance to athletic ability to academic achievement.”

Gourneau: “Despite adult discontentment over the schools’ actions or inaction ringing through the community, I lend my ears to what the children are saying, more specifically my grandson. Despite peer stress, my grandson gets up every morning and finds joy in going to school, he is a top-notch student. Now this in itself is moving for me, it shows that we have and will continue to be a great educational institution if we strive to give students a learning environment. It is my sole opinion that our school needs to remain in the arena of education for that is their skill set, and we need to build relationships with other sources that can address the social/behavioral challenges occurring within the school. These challenges are counterproductive to unlocking a child’s greatest potential to achieve their dreams.”

Hansen: “Our diversity! We are a district made up of students, faculty, staff, administrators and board members of many unique blends of cultures. Each culture has its place in our schools. The district is well served by its diversity, as we all share in the same belief that education is the means to demonstrate that we are equal and deserving of an education.”

In which areas do you feel the school district could improve?

Boysun: “I feel that one of the main areas that needs attention is the district/teacher relationship. We need to work together to benefit the students in the district.”

Gourneau: “As a lifelong resident of this area, I have to be honest with myself in stating that I am not in possession of enough information to accurately say where a material weakness exists. I believe that much more communication needs to be given to all of us to allow us to have confidence that we are on the right track for truly giving our children their greatest educational experience. We are a rapidly changing society that is handicapped by many stressors, yet we are somehow attempting to face these destructive forces through a small teaching community. We all have to get better at getting behind a learning environment that embodies safety and success for every family, student and teacher.”

Hansen: “Student achievement should be always first and foremost. We should be working toward the shared goal of improving student achievement through curriculum, teacher support, teaching methods and place student learning above all else.”

What do you feel are the school district’s biggest challenges in order to have a successful future? Boysun: “I feel that being fiscally responsible is important. Hiring and retaining good personnel in teaching and administration positions would give our students the stability and allow them to build relationships that would make it easier for them to learn.”

Gourneau: “We need to remind ourselves that in order for the school to become the best it can be, then we need to quit demanding unrealistic roles from our school. In a nutshell, we have reached a point where our school has become wardens, therapists, therapeutic sites, counselors and so much more that our education system is not designed to deal with today or ever. Because our community social ills and poverty is an unprecedented state the educational system has been bullied into becoming more than they are equipped to handle. I applaud their intentions to accommodate, but truth be told, other resources outside of the school exist that are equipped to deal with these extraordinary challenges, the school just needs to take the lead and make the referral. We need to get back to the business of educating children and creating a safe environment that will be memorable for a lifetime.”

Hansen: “BALANCE. To look at innovated ways to balance our need of financial stability. A financial stability that will allow us to offer competitive compensation, to improve/maintain our facilities, to have a safe place learning environment for our students. A financial stability that will allow us to increase our graduation rates; and hope that our graduates will return to our community as professionals.”