Four vie for three Havre school board seats: Curtis Smeby

Curtis Smeby, a member of the Havre Public School Board is running to keep his seat on the board in one of three seats along with Tim Scheele and Cindy Erickson, both incumbents, and Erin Pulse a newcomer.

Smeby said he feels like he still has a lot to give to the community, and his position on the board is a good place for him to stay.

"I believe I have a number of things to offer to the district and make a difference," he said.

Smeby cited his experience as a professor at Montana State University-Northern as something that has given him perspective on education as an institution, and that his engagement with other school districts and organizations makes him a valuable member of the board.

"I'm fairly engaged with other districts around the Hi-Line and in tribal communities," he said.

Smeby said Havre Public Schools has issues that need to be addressed, but it's hard not to see the pandemic as the primary one that requires the board's attention.

He said, so far, he thinks the district has handled the pandemic well.

"I'm pretty satisfied, in fact I'm very satisfied.," said Smeby, "The process has been open, there's been quite a bit of discussion and the board has been fully engaged in that. It's a difficult situation for everyone, but the health of the students and parents and families, and the community in general, is always the highest priority."

He said, in his view, remote learning has been going quite well, and he thinks the students by and large are doing well working with it, but the situation has not helped students who were already struggling.

Smeby said he doesn't yet know whether or not Havre Public Schools should open May 7, but he does have concerns about the prospect.

"I was surprised that the governor provided the opportunity for districts to go back on May 7, that's not a whole lot of time, that's pretty close to the end of the school year," he said.

Smeby said COVID-19 is in the forefront of everyone's mind, but there is an issue that he is looking forward to addressing when the immediate concerns regarding the pandemic have been dealt with, diminishing student enrollment.

"Unfortunately, numbers drive funding, so when you see numbers in a district that are on a line that keep diminishing that's always a concern," he said.

Smeby said he wants to avoid reducing staff or programs entirely, instead favoring an approach where staff is just not replaced when they leave, but he said attracting more students is the best way to avoid having to make cuts.

"As you see student numbers decrease, you know you have to balance the budget at some point. We've been successful so far and I know we will continue to be, but that is a concern," he said, "How do we make sure that students in Havre and the Havre district get an education to allow them to be all that they can be?"

Smeby said Havre Public Schools has succeeded in attracting students in the past but hopes that enrollment numbers can be increased by continuing their efforts.

"We attract students in the area and even the region who come to Havre because of the opportunity and offerings, it's not the minimum it's far more," he said, "Of all Class A schools we probably have the greatest course and program offerings across the state."

Editor's note: This story was completed before the board voted Tuesday on re-opening classrooms.

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Born 1955 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Graduated from Walter Murray Collegiate Institute in Saskatoon

Science Diploma in recreation technology from Saskatchewan Polytech 1976; Bachelor of Arts from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 1980; Master of Science and Criminal Justice from University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1981; Specialist Higher Education from University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 1991; Doctor of Education from University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 1996; Master of Education in counselor education from Montana State University-Northern, 2011

Has worked 35 years in higher education

Married to Darlene Sellers