BILLINGS — With less than two weeks until the spring off-year election, voters in Billings are weighing in on two School District 2 contested school board trustee seats.
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Ballots were mailed on April 21, and the election is all mail-in. Election day is May 6. Four candidates are running for two seats in Districts 5 and 7. Teresa Larson in Heights District 3 is running unopposed.
Two first-time candidates are facing off in District 5, a seat guaranteed to be filled by a newcomer.
Jourdan Guidice, a certified public accountant and stay-at-home father of three, has been actively involved in the Billings schools for nearly a decade. He currently serves as the treasurer of the PTA at Poly Drive Elementary and has worked in lunchrooms and school parent organizations to support staff shortages.
“I think that public education builds the community, makes it stronger, and that's why I want to run," said Guidice.
Guidice, a Billings native and Skyview graduate, is campaigning on bringing financial strength to the schools, strong public education, and advocacy for teachers and students. He is concerned about the end of federal pandemic relief and cuts to the Department of Education. In response, he wants the state to revise its school funding formula to better support the district and others throughout the state.
"I believe that we need strong leadership and we need smart strategic solutions, ones that attempt to avoid cuts and that hurt students and burden educators," said Guidice. "Typically, the Department of Education helps fund special education, Title I schools, and without those additional resources, it will only be more important to address our financial issues with the state of Montana.”
He has stated opposition to the use of public education funds for private schools and does not support book bans, saying he believes in educational access and trusting teachers to choose age-appropriate materials.
“While I agree that many parents want just the best education for their children, there's no verifiable evidence that private vouchers for private schools increase student achievement," said Guidice.
Facing Guidice is Amanda Brown, a Billings local and homeschooling mother of two. Brown began homeschooling during the pandemic and now has one child attending public school at Will James Middle School part-time. She is running on a platform that emphasizes parental involvement, school choice, and local control of education.
"Ever since that time, I guess I've just wanted to be able to trust the public school system more and see the ins and outs of how everything works and just be more involved in what goes on," said Brown. “I think my campaign is as much about like strengthening families and calling families to action and involvement as much as the schools themselves.”
Brown supports the idea of public funds being used for private education, including homeschooling, and expressed openness to reducing the role of the federal Department of Education to bring education decisions to the states. On the issue of books in schools, she encourages parents to be involved but approaches concerns on a case-by-case basis.
“Nationwide, I think schools are just becoming more and more politicized, and I think that that is short-changing students in a lot of ways. Contentions between teachers and parents aren't helpful for students. That's just like a burden they don't need to bear, so I say get politics out, keep it out if it's not there," said Brown. "The more you can localize that influence and bring it closer to home, the better."
For more information on Guidice's campaign, click here. Brown does not have a campaign website but can be reached by email at brown4sd2@gmail.com.
In District 7, former West High boys soccer coach Luke Ashmore is challenging incumbent John VonLangen, who is seeking re-election. VonLangen did not respond to MTN's request for an interview in time.
“I think I have some skills and expertise that the board is currently missing, and if I can help provide those, I want to do so," said Ashmore.
Ashmore, a Billings native and West High graduate, said his experience coaching and working closely with students gives him a firsthand understanding of the district’s challenges. He wants to help support infrastructure improvements for safety, such as the Daylis Stadium renovation, have more conversations within the district on the use and concerns of technology and AI in the classroom, and expand student access to literacy resources.
"I want to make sure, as a district, we're instilling a love for reading because I think that was one of the best things you can do for someone's education holistically. When it comes to raising test scores, if you're a better reader, you're a better test taker," said Ashmore. “A school district is important for our city, for everyone. A well-educated population will help the entirety of our city, and that's one of the more concerning things.”
Ashmore has taken a clear stance against book bans, emphasizing the importance of engaging students with materials that spark interest while remaining age-appropriate. He also expressed concern about how cuts to federal education funding might affect student populations.
"I want to make sure that our district has the funding it needs to still provide quality education, even as we're going to see changes to conversations around education in the coming years," said Ashmore. "I really want to make sure when it comes to Billings Public Schools, we're having conversations with our neighbors first and foremost (and) we're not looking to each other as people who belong to national political affiliations more than anything else.”
According to VonLangen's campaign Facebook page, he is a local attorney and father of three and describes himself as a conservative voice for education. He says he is running for re-election to ensure that parents have a voice, and to promote transparency, fiscal oversight, and student achievement.
For information on Ashmore's campaign, click here. For VonLangen's campaign Facebook page, click here.
Jourdan Guidice and Luke Ashmore have both received endorsements from the Billings Education Association (BEA), the local teachers’ union. Brown and VonLangen have both received endorsements from the Yellowstone County Republicans.
