Finnicum Decides To Step Away From Chair Position

The Culbertson School Board is having a new chairman for the first time in almost two decades.

Paul Finnicum decided to no longer serve in the position after being the chair for 18 years.

When he opened the reorganizational meeting in May, Finnicum informed board members that they could nominate anybody for the chair position except for him.

“I haven’t made a motion in 18 years,” Finnicum told this newspaper. “I feel it’s time for somebody else to navigate meetings.”

He noted that this was his 18th year signing diplomas for high school graduation. He laughed that many of the graduates weren’t even born yet when he started performing that duty.

This is Finnicum’s 21st year on the school board. He says he won’t seek re-election for the position.

“Things change. Expectations are different from everybody,” Finnicum said. “They bring their ideas and values, and you have to adjust.”

His work has included serving on the state school board association for 12 years including as the state president for a couple of years.

“I’ve tried to do the best I could,” he said of his time on the school board. “It’s time to be a grandpa now.”

It’s a time of change for the school district with the departure of long-time superintendent Larry Crowder.

“It’s as big of a year as I can remember in 21 years,” Finnicum said of staff changes. “It’s all falling together pretty well.”

Another change is that Janessa Parenteau has been hired as the school district’s elementary principal.

Finnicum feels having Parenteau will help with curriculum development especially in the grade school.

Mark Colvin was voted the new board chair. Ian Walker was selected vice chair.

Business during the May meeting included the hiring of Milt Apple as head boys’ basketball coach and Sabrina Labatte as head girls’ basketball coach. Alyssa Hatlestad as been hired to be a second grade teacher. Apple was hired as a 7-12 grade business education teacher.