By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
There are only two weeks left to file for a school board position in the county. The filing period for school board candidates opened on Dec. 14, 2017 and remains open until March 29.
Glendive School District
The Glendive Unified School Board has three incumbents up for re-election as well as three open seats. Current GUSB trustees Kristine Mothershead (the board chairman), Matthew Smith and Steve Zorn are up for re-election in May. All three incumbents are up for full three-year terms and all three have filed to run for re-election. Lara Crighton has also filed to run as a school board candidate.
To be eligible to run for these three position, an individual must reside in Elementary School District #1.
The GUSB also has three seats representing rural districts, a couple of which have gone vacant for years and years.
The Deer Creek Elementary District #3 has been without representation since former trustee Mandy Hoffman decided not to run for re-election. That seat is open for a two-year term.
There is also a Lindsay 367S district and a Lindsay 367N district, neither of which has had any representation for several years. Lindsay 367S has a seat open for a full-three year term while the Lindsay 367N is open for a one-year term.
Candidates for the rural position will represent the specified elementary district on high school matters only.
Dawson Community College
The Dawson Community College Board of Trustees also has three seats up for election this cycle, with incumbents Rich Rowe, Darla Handran and MaryAnn Vester all up for re-election. Rowe and Handran’s positions are for three-year terms, while Vester’s position is a two-year term. All three have filed for re-election. Dawson County Election Administrator Leanne Cantrell said no other applications for the DCC board had been requested as of Friday morning.
Richey and Rural
The Richey School Board has two of its members up for re-election. The board positions held by current chairman Ken Olson and Jeremy Johnson will be on the ballot.
Like the GUSB, the Richey School Board also has a longstanding vacancy for an outlying district, in this case for the seat representing the Bloomfield high school districts.
The three rural elementary school districts — Deer Creek, Lindsay and Bloomfield — will also have seats up for election. According to Dawson County Superintendent of Schools Jayne Mitchell, there is one trustee position open in Bloomfield, three in Deer Creek and one in Lindsay. Information on the length of the terms of the positions or who currently holds the position was not made available.
To file as a school board candidate, visit with the district clerk of the district you wish to run for. To file as a candidate for the DCC Board, visit county Elections Administrator LeAnne Cantrell at the Dawson County Courthouse.
Reach Jamie Ausk Crisafulli at rreditor@rangerreview.com.