From the Desk of Mr. Fanning: May Election

If you have not already, you should be soon receiving a mail-in ballot from Gallatin County. Three Forks School District has been working to provide valuable information to voters to assist them with making an informed decision. The biggest piece of advice that I can share is to vote!! In the 2022 spring election Three Forks School District only had approximately 900 voters participate. These numbers are extremely low and we ENCOURAGE you to get out and vote. Ballots can either be mailed or dropped off at the Gallatin County Elections Office, with hours being 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Three Forks School District is a unique District that consists of 3 different counties. This has led to some confusion and issues in the past. If you know that you reside within the TF District, and you are registered to vote, you should receive a ballot. If you do not, we encourage you to reach out to the Gallatin County Elections Office @ 582-3060 to determine what needs to be done.

What is on the ballot?

Good question! Voters have two items on their ballot, School Board Trustee seats as well as the elementary and high school operational mill levy. We are fortunate this year to have 5 individuals running for 2 open board seats. It is great to see this much interest in TF Schools. All 5 individuals participated in a forum last week where they were tasked with answering some board related questions. If you were unable to attend you can go back and watch the forum on the District’s Facebook page. School board members have a tough job. They represent their community while also taking into consideration what is best for the school, its staff, and its students. Trustees are invaluable to the school. We have a strong and committed board currently and I look forward to adding two more supportive and respectful members in May.

The other item(s) on the May ballot will be the elementary and high school general fund mill levy. TF Schools has and will continue to keep voters informed as to why we are requesting the mill levy. The mill levy is specifically for operational costs that have inevitably increased as a result of the additional 32,000 square feet of space. These operational costs are occurring due to related staffing, custodial, maintenance, insurance and utility expenses. TFS also has a commitment to academic programming and wants to continue to provide a top notch education across the K-12 campus. A supported levy will allow for more staffing to add more requested 6-12 class sections as well as the proper staff to best meet the needs of our diverse K-5 learning population. More detailed information can be found on the District website and Facebook page.

When is Election Day?

Election Day is May 2nd. The County Elections Office is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.