Glasgow School Board Candidates

In the race to serve on the Glasgow School Board, The Glasgow Courier sent seven questions to each candidate:

Who are you, where are you from, connection to Glasgow schools, graduation year etc.

Why are you running for School Board?

What parts of your experience and background make you the best candidate to serve on the school board?

What do you hope to accomplish in your term in office?

What is the school board doing well and how would you like to see it change or improve?

In what other ways (church, clubs, service organizations) have you been involved in service to the community?

Will you have community meetings where the public can meet you or would you welcome the community to contact you with questions? Please provide information on the meetings and/or the best way for the public to contact you.

Please feel free to share anything else that you would want included.

Each candidate is vying for one open spot which will be vacated by Mona Amundson, who has been serving since 2013.

Due to an oversight, the Glasgow School District trustee and general levy election on May 3, will no longer be an all-mail ballot.

Voters who did not request an absentee ballot will need to vote at the polling place. The polling place on May 3, is the Valley County Courthouse community room; hours are from noon until 8 pm. Absentee ballots will be mailed on Friday, April 15, 2022.

If voters wish to receive their Glasgow School District ballot via mail and are unsure if they are on the absentee list, they can request an absentee ballot by calling the Clerk and Recorder's office at 406-228-6220 or emailing [email protected].

Each candidate's responses are in full and have not been edited. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Erin Aune

My name is Erin Aune, I was born and raised in Glasgow, MT. I graduated in 2003 and moved back in 2007 after attending Dickinson State University and Montana State University Billings. I am currently the Director of Specialty Care at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital overseeing the clinical operations of General Surgery, OBGYN, Orthopedics and Hi-Line Med Spa. I have been married to Jacob Aune for 13 years and we have two boys, Aiden 11, and Anders 9. I recently opened Erin's Auto Spa and my husband recently became part owner of Aune Masonry. I am currently on the Board of Directors for the Glasgow Wrestling Club and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. When I am not working or volunteering, I love to spend my time with family and friends, cooking, running, spending time at the lake and attending my children's sporting events.

I love serving our community, I served 9 years on the Glasgow Chamber Board and felt many great successes throughout the years with community growth. Now I would like to focus my time on the youth of our community by helping with setting them up to successfully succeed now and in the future.

I am very passionate about making Glasgow the best place to live. We invest a great deal of time making our community succeed, but we also need to focus attention on the youth as they are the future of our community. We may live in the middle of nowhere, but our community has many great things to offer. Our education system should as well. We are very fortunate to have high quality educators and support staff in our school system. I would like to be part of facilitating their growth and success in our school system, as they are the ones who have a big part in molding our youth.

I have extensive experience serving on boards and working on committees, I am very easy to get along with, a team player and I enjoy collaborating with others. I have been volunteering and working with the community since I moved back in 2007. I have experience attending in-person and online universities, so I am diverse in different learning platforms. I have experience in management, strategic planning, financial, policy, implementation and build of new programs, and other various skills that make me a well-rounded candidate.

I would love to see the growth of trade education in the school system. Particularly, programs that would help students have a better understanding of different trades, employer growth and training and career paths they could pursue, along with local opportunities. Promoting health and activities is something I am passionate about and feel this could be an area of expansion with-in our school system. With a high national statistic of childhood depression and obesity it is imperative to get kids involved in activities and teach them healthy habits at a young age. I would like to continue to build a collaborative rapport between the Board, staff, parents, and the community, by hopes in improving on communication, awareness, and involvement. Multiple people are involved in overseeing the success of a child.

I have worked with each of the Board members in some capacity over the years whether it be serving on the Glasgow Chamber Board, volunteering in the community, church or working at the professional level. Each member of the board brings knowledge and passion for the youth and the community, and I would be honored to get the opportunity to work with them in this capacity. I feel each member poses a wide variety of skills which allows them to fulfill the mission and vision of the District.

Over the past 15 years I have volunteered countless hours with multiple organizations throughout the community. I have helped where needed even if I did not belong to the organization I was volunteering for. I have worked with the Relay for Life, Fort Peck Summer Theatre, Walleyes Unlimited, Glasgow Chamber, Glasgow Wrestling Club, First Lutheran Church, and multiple fundraisers for local families, to name a few. There are many ways to get involved in our community! Organizations are always looking for new volunteers and members.

Feel free to reach out with any questions, I can be reached at 406-672-4494 or [email protected].

Larraine Palazzo Eiland

My name is Larraine Palazzo Eiland, I am a candidate for a seat on the Glasgow School Board and I would appreciate your vote on May 3, 2022.

I have resided in Glasgow over 25 years, becoming involved with and continuing to be active within the community. Both of my children attended Glasgow schools, and my granddaughters will soon be following in their steps.

My qualifications and years of service as an instructor, I believe, help to qualify me as a solid choice for this position!

Qualifications:

Glasgow and Valley County being my teaching arena for 15 years..

BA in Psych/Soc

Teaching degree K-8

Masters in Educational Technology

Strong advocate for children

Dedicated to students' success in achieving personal and community oriented goals

Supportive of the academic process in the Glasgow Public School System 

and have extensive experience in the same.

Preferring a straightforward approach to assessing situations and collaborating for success as we move forward with our school mission.

In addition to teaching, I have been involved in many extracurricular school activities from coaching, volunteer work, manning concessions, assisting with various clubs, promotions,  fundraising; to teaching children's Sunday school. I was instrumental in raising community funds to establish a public dance studio; which continues today, benefiting any child with an interest in dance.

Life brings with it many lessons,, they have taught me the importance of sharing and communicating with peers. My desire to remain proactive in the community and to see our young people succeed is the driving force in this endeavor to be a part of the Glasgow School Board !

I believe the current School Board is functioning at its best to serve the community. I have complete confidence in the chairwoman and current members, and appreciate their tackling the  issues facing our schools today.

I look forward to becoming part of their team and perhaps present a fresh perspective to advance the academic success of our students. Should I be elected, I will work alongside board members, superintendent, school principals, and community members in order to ensure continuity and continued success.

I can be reached through email at [email protected].

Thank you for your consideration.

Stan Ozark

1) I am a 1987 graduate of Nashua High School and have lived in Glasgow for 33 years. For those 33 years, I have been employed at Kltz / Mix-93 as the News and Sports Director.

2) My parents taught me at an early age that I shouldn't just take from my community – it's important to give back at the same level. I have served for years in local government, but I have also been interested in public education. It doesn't get more local than serving as a trustee on a school board. School districts affect all aspects of a community, and I would like to serve Glasgow by being an advocate for education on the School Board.

3) I believe my extensive experience in local government will serve me well as a trustee on the Glasgow School Board. I'm currently serving my third term as a member of the Glasgow City Council and was elected as President of the Council for this term. In my fifth year as a trustee on the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Board, I am also currently serving as the elected President.

I have proudly served as President of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Two Rivers Economic Growth and was elected to the position of Valley County Public Administrator as well as the Valley County Government Review Committee.

Additionally, I was appointed to the Montana Tourism Advisory Council by two different Governors and served as the chairman of the Council for three years.

The experience I obtained while serving Valley County in so many different areas will allow me to effectively represent the people of the Glasgow School District.

4) If elected to the Glasgow School Board, my priority would be to ensure administrators and staff have the resources they need to effectively educate the students in the Glasgow School system. I will consistently advocate - at both the local and state level – for the students and staff.

5) In my opinion, the administration and staff are doing an incredible job. That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. As a Trustee, I would work tirelessly to give staff the support they need.

6) I have been involved in several service organizations, including Glasgow Kiwanis, Glasgow Youth Baseball and Sunnyside Golf Course. I have also worked as an MOA official for 32 years. In addition, I have volunteered for the Montana Governor's Cup Walley Tournament for more than 20 years.

7) I can be contacted at any time at 406.794.9252.

Donald Pansegrau, MD, FACC, retired

I began my education in a rural school at age six in confusion until Dorothy, my third grade teacher "turned the light on." That stimulus and help from other teachers along the way carried me through medical school and five years of post doctorate training. As a clinical professor for 22 years at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas I contributed to the training of hundreds of medical students, residents and fellows while practicing cardiology and doing pioneering research. As a board member, with my diverse past and dedicated effort, we should be able to create fertile ground for a few more Dorothy's and enable lots of kids to reach their future success, whatever that may be. As a member of the board I will work tirelessly to achieve that goal.

1. See above and CV attached. Editor's Note: Donald Pansegrau provided an abbreviated CV however did not want to share with the public.

I feel I am indebted to public school for the benefits I derived in the past.

2. See CV

3. See as 1 above

4. I have no personal goals or bias. I see difficult times on the horizon and believe that my skills and experience will be beneficial.

5. I do not advocate any major changes and have no personal bias. I believe that 2023 will bring major challenges of a medical, psychologic and economic nature to the boardroom.

6. Community needs to be defined. In the broader context, where ever I have been I have assisted the less fortunate and charitable organizations amounting to many thousands of dollars. I have been active in church and its support as an elder or council member. Sue and I are lifetime sponsors of the local Ducks Unlimited. The Valley County landfill was kept from being a radioactive wasteland due to my knowledge and the help of Valley County citizens.

7. I would prefer debate.