Ballots for the May 2025 election have started to arrive.
On the ballot for Monforton is two open trustee positions. A school trustee is a volunteer position that, along with fellow elected trustees, is responsible for approving budgets, spending, hiring, priorities and other key policies for the school. There are three candidates for these positions – each voter may cast a vote for their two preferred candidates.
Ballots are due by May 6th, 2025.
Candidates
Jamie Hetherington
Statement
My name is Jamie Hetherington, and I am running for one of the open positions on the Monforton School Board. This position excites me for a number of reasons, the first being my own fifth-grade Wildcat, Emelia. Monforton is one of the main reasons we decided to move into our home several years ago, and we have loved being a part of this school community.
My qualifications for this position are multifaceted. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a minor in Secondary English Education, a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and an endorsement in Library-Media Studies. With 18 years of successful classroom experience in three Montana public school districts, I understand the day-to-day of school life from the perspective of a teacher, parent, and volunteer. As a teacher I served on a number of committees over the years, including curriculum selection, hiring, calendar, and negotiations. I am now involved in the real estate world, providing another helpful skill set regarding negotiations, budgeting, land acquisition, and marketing.
Ultimately, I am passionate about serving my community in meaningful ways. Investing my time and energy into Monforton will allow me to utilize my experience to support stakeholders in a hyperlocal way.
More Information
Website:
https://sites.google.com/view/jamieformonforton/home
Contact Jamie
Jamie Hetherington
Phone: (406)391-2042
Email: jamiehetherington1@gmail.com
Mason Shaffer
Statement
I foundationally believe that our children are our greatest teachers. I intend to serve the Monforton community through a focus of empowering our children to be exactly as they are―children. Let them dream, inquire, explore, discover, navigate, play, and create a vibrant world of their choosing complete with abundant possibilities and their highest potential available to them. Let’s not impose our preconditioned limiting beliefs upon them, but educate from a place of possibility. I will advocate for ALL our children to be supported to dream big and to be encouraged to be entirely their unique selves.
“Education begins the moment we see children as innately wise and capable beings. Only then can we play along in their world.”
―Vince Gowmon
I am an inclusive LEADER of Love, Empathy, Acceptance, Diversity, Equity and Reciprocity. I facilitate environments of emotional safety for ALL to feel safe enough to share their perspective without fear of dismissiveness, judgment or shame. I believe every voice matters and deserves the space to be heard and understood. I believe acceptance of our differences is the foundation of a strong, vibrant and inclusive community.
I am a creative thinker informed by my high sensitivities and deep dimensionality. I see the world very differently than most folks, it is complex and highly nuanced. My difference in perspective is my gift. My ability to connect broadly with very diverse perspectives, recognize patterns, synthesize, and bridge with real actionable paths forward is my strength.
Most essentially, a school board trustee is to lead our community forward toward a healthy, sustainable future. To me, the required leadership is about preparedness for the reality of the moment. It is not about having all the answers, but having enough experience with complexity to be able to hold big space, be accountable, show up and navigate toward a future of uncertainty with confidence. It is not about controlling outcomes using past information alone. It is about using ALL available information, past and present to guide decision making knowing full well that iterations and editing are inevitable and entirely okay. Again, I believe our children are our greatest teachers.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”
―Shunryu Suzuki
I see an opportunity to foster environments focused on the ABCs: Acceptance. Belonging. Connection. When humans feel safe within themselves to be entirely themselves―without fear, judgment, or shame―the vibrancy of the world they occupy increases and all our collective communities benefit. I believe that accepting and celebrating our differences is the most real form of belonging and connection―inclusive of ALL people in a dynamic world. I have no doubt that ABCs can change the world, one human at a time―I choose to live in a world like that and will be about creating it. I will advocate for emotional safety in our schools. To equip our children with lifelong tools of emotional regulation, self-advocacy, self-confidence, self-worth, reaching their highest potential. I will be a voice for growth and potential for the Monforton community.
Johnathan Smith
Statement
I was recently appointed by the Board to fill the seat of a Trustee who resigned. I have greatly enjoyed getting to learn more about the position and the school, and I would love to continue in this role while serving my community. With my background in accounting and finance, I believe that I can help Monforton navigate some of the challenges they face as a small independent school district.
After graduating from Carroll College, I began my career in public accounting in Alaska, performing audits of local governments, housing authorities, corporations, and non-profit organizations. Later, I worked as an audit manager for a public accounting firm in Seattle where I led audits of various types of business entities. In this role, I performed risk assessments and evaluated internal controls. I was also responsible for identifying and communicating weaknesses to clients and proposing creative solutions. Preparing and presenting the audit reports and financial statements, as well as tax returns, provided me with a solid foundation for understanding how businesses work and what makes an operation successful. This led me to serve on two non-profit board of directors over the course of nine years, acting as Treasurer on each board. In this capacity, I worked closely with the organizations to find solutions to the issues faced during the financial crisis where there were budget shortfalls and deficits in funding. Subsequently, I was able to transfer these skills into a successful career in real estate.
On a personal level, I have greatly enjoyed becoming part of the Monforton community over the last few years. I am consistently impressed by the staff, teachers, and administration, and their dedication to the Monforton students and families. I can recall my own dad serving on the school board for my school district in the suburbs of Chicago during my childhood. He instilled in me the importance of giving back and serving our community. This lasting impact motivated me to submit my name for this role. Monforton faces space and financial constraints from the unprecedented growth that has occurred in our district. A school levy has not been passed since 2018, and now more than ever we need to be cautious with our resources. I believe I can help the district operate more efficiently with my background in business and accounting.