School election deadlines near

The Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees elections are coming up, and anyone interested can pick up their applications for candidacy from Mike Arnold, the elections officer, at the Robins School Administration building at 5th Avenue and 6th Street.

The terms up for election are Aileen Couch’s three-year term for School District A, Harvey Capellen’s three-year term for School District 16-A and Ed Hill’s three-year term for School District 16-A.

Those wanting to submit their applications must do so before March 26. Petitions require signatures of 20 qualified electors in School District 16 or A, a notice reads.

To be eligible to run for Couch’s position, the candidate has to be from the Cottonwood or Davey school districts, as she is the representative for them.

As of this morning, the only candidates who had submitted their petitions for candidacies were Capellen and Hill.

Couch had not turned hers in yet, Arnold said. If no one files to run against Hill and Capellen, there will be no election. If Couch does not file her petition before the deadline and there is no election, it will be the school board’s responsibility to fill that position.

Arnold said that what they would do in that event is put out a notice for people to submit a letter of interest for the position and then they would go through an interview process. Anyone elected this way would have to run for their position next year.

If only one person from the Cottonwood or Davey districts files their petition to replace Couch, and she does not file hers, that person will automatically win the election.

The election is May 5.