MASS School Board of the Year Award

The purpose of the award is to recognize and focus attention on the dedicated and ethical service rendered by school boards to the children of Montana.  Nominations for the MASS School Board of the Year may be submitted by any Montana Superintendent of Schools.  A committee reviews the applications and selects up to two (2) Outstanding School Boards in Montana.  

2022 Award Recipients

School boards from Columbia Falls and Bozeman were recognized as recipients of the Montana Association of School Superintendent (MASS) Honor School Boards of the Year at the annual Montana Conference of Education Leadership (MCEL) held in Missoula on October 19-21, 2022.  The award honors the dedicated and ethical service rendered by school boards to the children of Montana and recognizes the accomplishments of school boards in the areas of board policy, infrastructure for learning and teaching, and innovative educational programs.  MASS selects two outstanding school boards annually that represent excellence in these areas. 

Columbia Falls School District superintendent, Mr. Dave Wick, stated in his nomination letter that the Columbia Falls Board of Trustees is a leader in Montana education. The current board members, as well as their predecessors, have consistently and doggedly pursued excellence in providing education for the students of Columbia Falls. In the more than 25 years Mr. Wick has worked with the Board, he has seen them follow their vision of “creating an atmosphere of excellence, where individuals are valued, differences are respected, and students are prepared for their futures.” 

The longevity of the board members speaks to their lasting commitment to education. Recently retired board members served for 26 and 24 years, while current board members have served 33 years, 26 years, and 18 years. This stability has led to tremendous community trust, as well as extremely knowledgeable decision making.   

Members of the Columbia Falls Board of Trustees include Jill Rocksund (Chair), Dean Chisholm (Vice Chair), Barbara Riley, Keri Hill, Casey Heupel, Wayne Jacobsmeyer, Justin Cheff, and Heather Mumby.

The Bozeman Public Schools Board of Trustees was nominated for the MASS Honor School Board of the Year Award by the district superintendent, Mr. Casey Bertram.  In his nomination letter, Mr. Bertram stated that over the past three years he has had a front-row seat to watch this dynamic and student-centered group of individuals come together as a collective board to not only survive the challenges they were faced with but to thrive and push Bozeman Public Schools forward toward attainment of the people’s goal to develop the full educational potential of each person.

The Bozeman Board of Trustees has engaged in significant and meaningful policy and facilities work over the past three years including rewriting the policy book and overseeing the building of a new high school.  The Bozeman Board of Trustees is future-focused and is continually pushing toward new and innovative approaches to help ensure high levels of learning for all students.

Current Board leadership is very focused on trustee professional learning and the entire board is relentlessly pursuing board education opportunities. The trustees understand that leaders are learners and who a group of individuals that Superintendent Bertram feels is an absolute pleasure to work alongside.

Members of the Bozeman Public Schools Board of Trustees include Greg Neil (Chair), Tanya Reinhardt (Vice-Chair), Lei-Anna Bertelsen, Kevin Black, Lauren Dee, Douglas Fischer, Gary Lusin, and Sandra Wilson

MASS and the School Administrators of Montana (SAM) congratulate the continuous work of these outstanding school boards and thank them for their progressive work in the education of their local youth.