Former Bigfork School Board member in favor of Melissa Romano for superintendent of public instruction

Dear editor:

I support Melissa Romano for Montana’ next superintendent of public instruction. She is an easy choice.

Our state and local governments holds several vital trust responsibilities, including funding basic services like police and fire protection, wildlife management, water quality, and other resources held “in trust” for all of us.

Public education is one such trust responsibility. Nothing is more important to protecting our Montana public schools than electing a Superintendent who will work to make our public schools as good as they can be. Our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews all depend on a strong public school system.

Melissa Romano has served as an award winning public school teacher for 15 years. She’s demonstrated her commitment to the idea that our Montana public schools should and must excel.

Ms. Arntzen, by contrast, has used her position as superintendent to weaken our public schools by siphoning off public tax dollars to private schools.

There’s nothing wrong with the private schools. It’s a parent’s choice and can be a good choice for a child.

But the tax-paying public should not subsidize private education at the expense of the vast majority of Montana’s public school students.

Please vote for Melissa Romano.

— Dave Hadden, Bigfork

Dave Hadden lives in Bigfork and served 6 years on the Bigfork School Board in the early 90s.