Braaten, Manning Seek School Board Position
Liara Braaten and Robert Manning are squaring off in the lone contested race for a Wolf Point School Board position. They have each filed to serve in district 1.
Ballots were mailed Thursday, April 16, by the Wolf Point School District. Voted ballots can be mailed back or dropped off at the Wolf Point School District Office, Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 6.
The candidates provided the following information to the newspaper.
Liara Braaten
Personal background: She grew up in Wolf Point and graduated from Wolf Point High School. She is married to her best friend, Hunter. She is a homemaker and mother to two “rambunctious little boys,” Cable and Woodrow, and “one sweet little girl,” Millie.
Why did you decide to run for school board? “I decided to run for school board after being asked by community members if I would consider running and the concern for my children’s future education.”
What do you feel you can offer the school board? “I feel I can offer my bubbly and persistent attitude to the school board, my love for my home town, and I am willing to listen to the concerns of the community about the schools’ current and future path.”
What are some of the biggest issues that the school district is facing? “I believe some of the biggest issues facing the school district are the aging infrastructure, lack of staff retention and the lack of community involvement.”
Robert Manning
Why did you decide to run for school board? “I decided to run for the school board because there was a vacancy when my neighbor left the district that we live in.”
What do you feel you can offer the school board? “I feel I can offer the school board knowledge, leadership and dependability. All of my kids have graduated from Wolf Point High School.”
What are some of the biggest issues that the school district is facing? “Biggest issues are the challenges with funding and maybe with the impact aid not being funded anymore, and for us to have to look for other funding sources. Because of our low tax base, our state funding isn’t as much. We need a lot of construction, and a lot of people of the school board that can help with the knowledge that is needed to negotiate contracts with our teachers about pay that I’m going through right now. As I have experience with union representation and contract negotiations.”
