School District No. 15 and High School District No. 3 poll election on Tuesday

For the first time in a long time, many active voters in School District No. 15 and High School District No. 3 will need to head to the polls to cast their votes. Polls will be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3 at the elementary school.

There are currently 665 active voters for the school election. Of those, 209 were sent ballots in the mail as they have previously elected to vote absentee. The rest can vote absentee prior to election day if they chose to by stopping at the school, or they can head to the polls on Tuesday.

Any elector that stops at the school prior to the polls opening can vote absentee by first filling out a form, and then either casting a ballot on paper or by using an ExpressVote machine set up in the office. The form and ballot can be completed in a matter of minutes, and the electronic machine is very user friendly and easy to use. The office is open during regular school hours.

The election was forced to be held as a poll election instead of by mail because the March 4th deadline to send a mail ballot election plan, timetable, and sample instructions to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office was not met by the school election administrator.

The ballot for the School District No. 15 and High School District No. 3 election includes two open trustee positions as well as an elementary school general fund levy proposition.

Running unopposed for one (1) year term on the board is Micheal Ashbrook. Ashbrook is currently serving on the board. He was appointed in June of 2021.

Four individuals are running for two (3) year terms on the board of trustees. Lisa Borchgrevink, incumbent, was originally appointed to the board in April, 2021. She was then elected to a one year term in May, 2021. Stefan J. Livingston, incumbent, was originally appointed to the board in July, 2021. Sarina O’Connor and Samantha Wright are also running for three year terms on the board of trustees.

The levy proposition on the ballot for Ekalaka Elementary District #15 would authorize the school to impose an increase in local taxes to support the general fund in the amount of $5,465.88 (approximately 0.18 mills) for the purpose of properly maintaining and operating programs of the school if passed. Passage of the levy would increase the taxes on a home with a market value of $100,000 by approximately $0.24 and on a home with a market value of $200,000 by approximately $0.48.

After the election, an additional trustee will be appointed to the board at the next meeting. The individual who is appointed will serve until the next regular school election. The appointment will come due to the fact that Trustee Tye Williams recently made the decision to step away from the board. Williams was elected in 2021 and left the board too late for the vacant trustee position to be added to Tuesday’s ballot.