Three run for school board

Three candidates will vie for two seats on the Columbia falls School District 6 Board this spring.

Incumbent Jill Rocksund and school board president is seeking re-election. Rocksund has served on the board for 31 years and has a long and distinguished career in education.  In addition, TJ Middlesworth is seeking a spot as is Amanda Pacheco.

Both candidates are parents with children attending Columbia Falls schools.

Middlesworth has his own business and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

He grew up in the Flathead Valley and graduated from Bigfork High School in 2000. He ran for school board last in 2023.

Pacheco grew up in Whitefish and moved to Columbia Falls with her husband Tom in 2013.

“Both my husband and I come from blue collar families, that same work ethic and mentality is something we try to instill in our kids. While I’m primarily a stay-at-home mom, I’m blessed to be able to partner with Tom in our entrepreneurial endeavors,” she said on her website.

The Hungry Horse News will do more in-depth stories on the candidates later this month.

The election, which is by mail-in ballot, is May 7.