Three candidates appear on the ballot for two seats on the Clancy School Board of Trustees this year. The two candidates with the most votes after the May 2 election will join the board for respective three-year terms.
To aid in your selection process, The Monitor sent each candidate the same questionnaire, and their responses are reproduced below. The Monitor sincerely appreciates all the candidates completing the questionnaire.
Candidates were limited to 100 words per answer, but were not required to reach that limit. Responses longer than the allotted word limit were shortened to reach it.
Bob Gallagher: New candidate
How long have you lived in Clancy? Where are you from originally? I have lived in the Clancy area for 6.5 years. Where are you from originally? I was born and raised in Anaconda, MT, attending K-12 public schools. Appreciating the small-town feel of the schools there, it is what I sought for my children when we chose Clancy as our home.
Do you have students in Clancy School? Or have you in the past? My wife Beth and I currently have three children attending school in Clancy, where Beth volunteers regularly as well as occasionally working with the lunch program. I had a child who attended Clancy School for 8th grade and then attended high school at JHS.
Do you have prior experience serving on public bodies? (Ex. county planning board, city council, school board, etc.) While this is my first venture into the public area, I have experience working with our local Home Owners Association and various church groups.
What is motivating you to run for school board now? My motivation to run for school board is that I see it as a way to serve my local community. I will bring new ideas and opinions to the Board. Volunteers serving locally is what makes small communities thrive. As a native Montanan, I want to serve this community, contributing knowledge I have learned over years of working in private industry, state and federal government.
What do you think Clancy School is doing right? I believe that Clancy School is doing many things right. Some of these include: small class sizes; lots of extracurricular opportunities including, sports, band, Science Olympiad, etc.; the students have high academic scores; the school lunch program is exceptional. The Clancy School has benefited my family and friends on many levels. The students have high academic scores, making the transition to high school easier for them. The solid sports programs and band program have aided many students to discover outlets for their creativity and athletic abilities.
What would you like to see Clancy School change or improve on? I would like to see Clancy School improve the wages that are paid to the teachers, paraprofessionals, aides, office staff, kitchen staff, custodians, and substitutes. It would be nice to see less turnover in teachers and more substitutes available. I think that better wages could help.
What do you see as the school’s biggest challenge in coming years? I believe that the school’s biggest challenge in coming years will be accommodating the large influx in number of students over the last few years and the expected growth in the future. Increasing the size of the school and the number of teachers and resources will be a large task. This growth needs to be planned for and handled delicately so that Clancy does not lose the small-town family environment for which it is known.
Why should voters elect you to the Clancy School Board? I believe that voters should elect me to the school board as I will bring new thoughts and ideas. I am currently a parent of students in the school. I have been a student in public schools for many years. Also, I taught high school mathematics for 5 years. Voters can feel confident in electing me as their representative to the school board because I have a vested interest in the ongoing success of Clancy School. As a parent, prior teacher, and prior student, I will bring a unique perspective to the board as I have seen the struggles and the successes from numerous views.
What is your stance on the increased levy request appearing on the May 2 ballot, and why? I believe that the increased levy request is appropriate at this time. With the increase in students, there needs to be an increase in staffing. Fiscal responsibility is important when spending levy money and it appears to me that this levy increase is going towards necessities.
What was the most important school-related bill passed by the 2023 Montana Legislature? What is your position on that bill? House Bill 15 – Implement K-12 Inflation. This bill is important to help counter inflation that reduces funding for our school. Funding is always an issue for public education. This bill helps public school dollars go farther. I support this bill.
Trent Jensen: Incumbent
How long have you lived in Clancy? Where are you from originally? I’ve lived in Clancy with my wife and 3 boys since 2015. I am originally from the small farming community of Osgood, Idaho.
Do you have students in Clancy School? Or have you in the past?I currently have three students at Clancy School (eighth, fifth and third grades)
Do you have prior experience serving on public bodies? (Ex. county planning board, city council, school board, etc.)
This term concludes my sixth year on the Clancy School board. I recently fulfilled four years of service as our community’s homeowner association president.
What is motivating you to run for school board now? Quite simply, my love for this school and community that we are so incredibly blessed to call home. Our family chose this community and school due to the impressive reputation of scholastic and cultural excellence. I have found such personal enrichment in facilitating this school’s heritage while always looking to reach higher for our children’s sake. Life is busy for everyone, but I can’t imagine not spending one more term serving the community and kids of Clancy.
What do you think Clancy School is doing right? It starts from the people filling that building. We have leadership that cares deeply for the success of each student and staff. Our superintendent is fantastic. He is an example of excellence, all while leading our school in a fiscally responsible manner. There is a culture amongst our teachers who are continually pushing our students to their highest potential. I can’t say enough about our school counselor who is the heartbeat of Clancy School and the glue that keeps the kids in tip top shape. Our grounds are maintained by a meticulous caretaker. We are also blessed with an amazing office staff, paraprofessionals, cafeteria staff…
What would you like to see Clancy School change or improve on? Self-reflection is the cornerstone of any successful person or organization. I would like to help our school foster more involvement from parents and community in their children’s scholastic journey. Junior high curriculum could use some additional electives to increase life skills and prepare them more for high school. Consider programs to challenge certain students above and beyond the set curriculum.
What do you see as the school’s biggest challenge in coming years? There are several challenges, but I will answer what feels like the most imminent challenge, in my opinion. Our school is growing; we are on the cusp of hitting the highest student body population ever recorded. I am currently the chair of our facilities committee and we have been working closely with our superintendent and facilities manager, trying to prepare for this challenge. Planning is already underway with the help of SMA (who has been a partner with the Jefferson High School expansion) to carefully research the needs of our growing student body.
Why should voters elect you to the Clancy School Board?
I bring 6 years of school board experience. I’ve earnestly tried to see and understand the needs of our leadership, staff, students, and last but not least, parents. I have assisted in projects that are currently underway in regards to enriching our junior high curriculum, preparing for possible expansion plans, and continually working to retain and enrich the talented staff who call Clancy School home. I promise to continue to be fiscally minded in regards to our tax payer base. In partnership with our administration, I have always strived to work with the board to be careful with spending the precious resources from our tax payers.
What is your stance on the increased levy request appearing on the May 2 ballot, and why?Our school district has not asked for an increased levy since 2012. I have been a proponent of keeping our school within its means. Thankfully, we have a superintendent who is masterful at budgetary plans and has been an enormous factor in preventing the need of an increased levy request. Unfortunately, the time has come when we need to ask. Costs of almost everything has increased considerably and coupled with the rapid growth in our student body, we are unable to sustain with the current financial limitations imposed by the state. We need to keep our staff compensation competitive, academic resources cutting edge, and facilities well-maintained.
What was the most important school-related bill passed by the 2023 Montana Legislature? What is your position on that bill? House Bill 15 was something incredibly timely for the school districts around our state. As we are facing historic cost increases and inflation, the funding is not keeping up with the needs of our districts to maintain its employees, and facilities. This funding is needed to continue to create the quality education we all want for our children. With HB15, it adds $85.6 million to the state’s K-12 Base Amount for School Equity aide funding through 2025. I understand this money is coming from taxpayers, but my hope is that money is being shuffled in a responsible manner to not increase the burden upon our residents. I support this bill as many did in our state legislature.
Coty Rogers: Incumbent
How long have you lived in Clancy? Where are you from originally? I was born at St. Peter’s hospital and raised in Helena and East Helena. I’ve lived in Clancy for about 8 years.
Do you have students in Clancy School? Or have you in the past? I have a daughter in kindergarten and a son who will attend in the next few years.
Do you have prior experience serving on public bodies? (Ex. county planning board, city council, school board, etc.)I have been on the Clancy School board for the past three years and I am currently the chairman of the board.
What is motivating you to run for school board now? I am excited to help Clancy School grow with our community. But my main motivation is having an active role in my community.
What do you think Clancy School is doing right? I believe our staff is top notch. We are consistently above average when it comes to our state assessment scores. There is no shortage of accomplishments coming from our amazing student body, this year we had a student win the state spelling bee and she’s on her way to the national bee. We also had a student win the international history, science and geography bee. These kind of achievements show that our staff, students and parents go above and beyond.
What would you like to see Clancy School change or improve on? I see room for growth, literally. We can’t see into the future but if the trends we see now continue, we will be at max capacity sooner then later. We need to be prepared for that growth with more square footage for these kids to learn.
What do you see as the school’s biggest challenge in coming years? I once again will say we need space. Beyond that I see staffing as a challenge that is affecting all corners of our state. Getting, keeping, and nurturing quality teachers and classified staff will continue to be something I will prioritize.
Why should voters elect you to the Clancy School Board? I believe I have common sense and compassion. I am a positive force in what can be a negative world. I believe in our school, I believe in our community, and I believe in my ability to make good decisions.
What is your stance on the increased levy request appearing on the May 2 ballot, and why? I believe it is the smart move for our community. It will give us a safety net whether we grow or shrink. I understand that we are asking for more, but our community is going to need more. If we don’t start getting the ball rolling, we will struggle to catch up.
What was the most important school-related bill passed by the 2023 Montana Legislature? What is your position on that bill? I like HB-15. I think that investment in our education systems is a smart investment. With this competitive job market we will need the funds to recruit and keep strong staff.
