HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – An MSU-Northern grad and Havre community member for the last 15 years, Garrit Ophus is confident that he isthe right person to continue serving as a Trustee on the Havre School Board.
The System Administrator in the Information Systems Department at Northern Montana Health Care, Ophus has one child currently in school in the District, with a second set to enter kindergarten in the fall.
“I think it’s important to have that parents view. Not only from building those policies, but also you get to see how the children are reacting to it. I have younger children, not so much in the high school range, so we would have quite a few years to see the policies and their effect on the children themselves. I just think that’s important. You can’t forget about the kids, you can’t set policies that you don’t get to see the result of that policy. The good, the bad, the ugly, whatever it may be, and how it’s affecting our children of the District. And also looking at it from the whole District. I know I have kids. I’m not looking at every policy as how it affects my kids. I’m looking at it as how it affects everyone’s kids. But having that parent point of view helps realize that.”
Ophus says he is focused on being an effective communicator and listener, and wants to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
“I like to listen, I like to talk. I’m more than willing to have a conversation with anybody about what they’re thinking and see what we can do to bring it to light, whether it is good for everyone, not good, whatever it is, I will listen. Whether that’s any member of the community. Alumni, staff, administrative, teacher, parent, grandparent, student, whatever it is. We want to continue that tradition of excellence that Havre has.”
Ophus was appointed back in March after the seat was vacated twice in a span of less than four months. He is competing against Brandon Berreth to complete the final year of the term for the seat.
