Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees is looking to fill a vacancy representing the elementary district after longtime member Sue Corrigan stepped down in December.  

Corrigan, a former educator, had served on the board since 2019.   

“The reason I resigned is because I want to truly retire this time — for real," Corrigan said. “My husband and I like to travel, and we spend every winter away from the valley. It’s not fair for the school district for me to be gone all that time.”  

She also steps down from the Montana School Boards Association Board of Directors, which she has been a member of since 2020, serving as president during the 2024-25 school year. The nonprofit organization supports member school boards through advocacy and lobbying in addition to offering board training, legal counsel and ready-made model policies for schools to adopt as laws change.  

“Unfortunately, that meant I had to give up my position at MTSBA. You have to be a local trustee to serve. We spent a lot of time working in the legislative session,” Corrigan said of her decision to depart the board.   

“We established a strong relationship with our legislators, local ones and ones around the state. Now, when I call them up — and I still do — as an advocate for public education, it’s easy ... especially with the School Funding Interim Commission study going on right now," she said.  

The rapport she established resulted in an invitation to testify at a commission committee meeting.   

She was also proud of the work trustees and educators did that led to the passage of the STARS Act, which incentivized school districts to raise starting teacher pay. STARS stands for Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success.  

“... which was a huge priority for us," Corrigan said, not just for Kalispell Public Schools, but for districts statewide.  

Although there have been inroads in the quest for more school funding, Corrigan said there remains work to be done.  

“We did get some pretty decent funding, but you know, schools are still hurting,” she said.  

Locally, Corrigan highlighted Kalispell Public School’s efforts on personalized competency-based education, which has been a yearslong process.  

“It’s kind of been in the limelight across the state,” Corrigan said, about the district’s version of the student-centered approach to instruction.  

During her tenure, she also served on two Office of Public Instruction task forces on school accreditation and teacher certification.  

Prior to her board service, Corrigan worked at Flathead High School, starting out as a special education job coach in the late ’90s and was hired as a special education teacher in 2000. She went on to earn National Board Certification. She held the teaching position until retiring in 2018.  

She said she will continue to be an advocate for public education.  

“I am happy to always give my opinion about education, and I will probably testify again to legislators on something I feel strongly about. Education is important. It shapes our future,” Corrigan said.    

Corrigan said it was an honor to serve on the Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees.  

"I feel like we’ve really got some good trustees right now, so I feel comfortable resigning. I'm leaving it in good hands,” she said.  

THE BOARD has a March 2 deadline to appoint a qualified candidate to replace Corrigan. 

Eligible candidates must be registered voters living within the elementary district boundaries. The elementary district includes Edgerton, Elrod, Hedges, Peterson, Rankin and Russell elementary schools in addition to Kalispell Middle School. Elementary trustees vote on elementary and high school issues. The person selected to the board will serve until the May 2026 election.  

A trustee is a volunteer position. Trustees are responsible for making decisions that affect how schools operate.   

People interested in serving may submit a letter of interest and a declaration of intent and oath of candidacy to Kalispell Public Schools Clerk Chris Campbell, at the central office located at 233 First Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901. For more information call 751-3400, extension 3412, or email [email protected]. 

Interviews may be scheduled with eligible candidates before a selection is made. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].