Three candidates are running for two, three-year seats on the Montana City School Board.

The IR asked all candidates to answer the following questions:

Question one -- Why are you running for school board and what are your qualifications for this position?

Question two -- What would you most like to accomplish as a school board member?

Kathleen Coleman

41 Saddle Mountain Drive, Clancy 59634

449-2891

ckmcoleman@imt.net

Education: Graduated Butte High School 1982; attended Montana State University and Montana Tech; graduated from Montana Tech with a B.S. in public policy in 1988.

Career: Program specialist with the Department of Justice/Natural Resource Damage Program, responsible for managing over $30 million dollars in contracts; project manager for all the program's education grants. Executive director for the Montana City Afterschool Program.

Family: Married to Charlie; children: Megan, 7, second grader at Montana City School; Ryan, 18 months old.

Question one: I am running for school board because of my strong commitment to education, children, and to Montana City School. I am also interested in serving on the board because I believe I can make a valuable contribution to both the school and the community.

I feel my background in public policy, fiscal management, and education will provide me a solid background to serve on the school board. My greatest contribution would be my ability to be work with people, be open-minded and my commitment to give my all to this position.

I have been very involved at Montana City School since my daughter started there three years ago. I am currently executive director of the Montana City Afterschool Program. In this position I manage all of the program's finances and personnel and also assist in setting the curriculum for the program. I also serve on the Comprehensive Facility Planning Committee, which is working on developing short- and long-term solutions to address growth, prioritize the needs of the school and prepare for emergencies in the Montana School District. In addition, I have assisted with PTA activities over the past three years. As a result of my involvement in these activities at Montana City School, I am very familiar with many issues that I would be dealing with if I were elected to the board.

Question two: One of my goals if elected to the school board would be to work with the parents, teachers and administration to proactively plan for the growth that we see and will continue to see in the Montana City School District and at the same time maintain the high quality of education that the children of the school have received to date.

Keith Foster

8 Lava Mountain Court E., Montana City, 59634

495-0575

ksfoster@bresnan.net

Education: Brookhaven H.S., Columbus, Ohio, 1978; Ohio Wesleyan University; B.A., Pre-medicine and Psychology, 1982; Wright State University School of Medicine, 1988;

Penn State University, 1988-89, Psychiatry internship; Adult Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, 1989-91, residency; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati; 1991-93, fellowship.

Career: Shodair Children's Hospital, co-director of the Acute Psychiatric Unit; child and adolescent psychiatrist; assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 1993-2002.

Family: Married to Susan Foster; children: Emma, 11; and Graham, 8; both attend Montana City School.

Question one: I would like to be a member of the Montana City School Board in order to be an active participant in the education of our community's children. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I have had extensive experience working with children, their families and guardians, and school educators to optimize a child's educational and developmental potential. As a physician, I have served on multiple hospital committees regarding recruitment, staff and trainee supervision, bio-ethics and teaching.

As a parent, I have been involved in coaching my son's soccer teams and helping with my daughter's swim meets. My family has thoroughly enjoyed the educational and social environment at Montana City School since we relocated to Montana City four years ago. Now, I feel committed to support my own children's education and the education of other students who attend Montana City School, as we -- family members, teachers, administrators and other board members -- continue to work towards creating the best academic and social environment possible so all of our children experience success.

Question two: Increasing growth in Montana City will bring new challenges and possibilities for our children's education. Our community's growth will be a major area of focus for the board over the coming years. As a board member, I believe it is important to facilitate frequent communication between parents, teachers, administrators, and board members. I enjoy collaboration and want to encourage parents and other school community members to offer their creative ideas and concerns, as we all work towards enhancing our children's educational experiences through this period of growth.

Bret Romney

323 McClellan Creek Road

Montana City, MT 59634

406-442-2501

bromney@ascendnow.com.

Education: Montana City School, 1979; Helena High School, 1983; BYU - 1989/BS/Business Finance.

Career: Previous - IBM, Anderson ZurMeuhlen & Co.; Current - Ascend Strategies, Inc. - Management Consulting & Strategic Planning.

Family: Married to Donna Romney; children: Alisa, 18, and Dana, 16, both attend Helena High School; Erin, 14, Tara, 11, and Carlie Jo, 9, who all attend Montana City School; James, 5, and Hannah, 2.

Question one: I am running for the school board to contribute to a school that has served my family directly for over 20 years. As a graduate of the school myself, and now with seven children who have or will be educated there, I've had an up-close look at the quality instruction and environment it offers students. I'm a fan of the school and feel the need to do my part in maintaining and building on the foundation that has been established there.

Professionally, I consult with organizations on how to establish, plan for and achieve their goals. Much of what I do involves facilitating communication and teambuilding to ensure a focused effort to achieve a shared vision. I believe these skills will be useful in pursuing the planning and decisions the school board will have to make going forward.

Question two: There are three primary things I'd like to accomplish as a school board member: 1) Maintain and build on the success that has already been achieved at MCS; 2) Encourage and facilitate a broad and active involvement in school issues from parents, staff, and community members; 3) Successfully and proactively manage change associated with the growth that will inevitably face the district in a way that is fiscally responsible while preserving the quality we've enjoyed.