Terrance Lafromboise Msw-itr SWLC For Browning School Board District #9

04/30/2026

I’ve been taking time to read through the proposed attendance policy update from Browning High School, and I want to share some thoughts. First, I want to say this clearly I support improving attendance. Showing up matters for learning, connection, and building habits that carry our kids forward. But we also have to be honest about something deeper. Why are some of our students not showing up?

From a trauma informed perspective, and from the work I do every day, attendance is not just about choice. It’s about safety, stability, and connection. If we’re going to ask our students to show up, then we as a system; administrators, teachers, and leadership have to ask ourselves if we are creating spaces where students feel safe, seen, supported, and connected. We also have to reflect on whether we are responding with understanding, or simply relying on consequences.

Because behavior, like missing school, is often communication. It can reflect family responsibilities, grief and loss, mental health struggles, transportation issues, or simply a lack of connection to the school environment. One part of the policy that concerns me is tying attendance directly to grades. When grade reductions are based on absences, we have to ask whether we are measuring learning or measuring behavior. A student could understand the material, complete the work, and still be penalized. From a trauma informed lens, this can create shame rather than accountability. And shame doesn’t support growth it often leads to disengagement, avoidance, and students checking out mentally or physically.

Another important piece is the limitation of cultural absences to three per year. This is where I feel we need to pause and reflect. Our culture yes even Powwow is not something that fits into a set number. Limiting cultural participation can reduce it to a checkbox and doesn’t reflect the reality of our community. For many of our students, culture is connection, healing, and identity. It is not separate from education, it is part of what helps students feel grounded and strong in who they are.

Also something else we have to talk about honestly. Policies like this don’t just impact students! they impact the staff who have to carry them out every single day. Tracking attendance, documenting absences, communicating with families, enforcing policies, and making sure everything is recorded correctly takes a significant amount of time and energy. That work often falls on front end staff, teachers, and administrators who are already stretched thin. From what I understand, there is already a lack of support and resources in some of these areas. So even if a policy looks good on paper, we have to ask, who is responsible for implementing it, and what supports do they actually have?

Because behind every number is a person doing the work; Teachers trying to teach while managing systems, Front office staff tracking and reporting, Administrators navigating accountability and community pressure And if we’re not careful, we end up adding more responsibility to people who are already carrying a lot. That can lead to more frustration, staff burnout, students disengaging and the community not supporting systemic change.

Looking at this through a bigger lens. We can still hold students accountable, but we have to do it in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the very people responsible for supporting them, I do see effort in this proposal, things like tutoring options, flexibility, and planning for improvement. tells me the school is trying, and I respect that. But I believe we can go further.

If we’re going to build an attendance policy that truly works, it has to balance accountability with understanding, and structure with compassion; while also being realistic about the capacity of our staff and systems. I support improving attendance, because showing up matters. Accountability is important, but it has to be paired with understanding. This isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about aligning expectations with reality and building systems that actually support our kids and the people who serve them in meeting those expectations.

I encourage families, staff, and community to put there feedback in to the email attched this. This is our chance to build something that reflects, what our kids are going through, and what our schools truly have the capacity to sustain.

Please give BHS leadership team feedback or ideas to [email protected]

Thank you for your continued support to BHS. Our #1 goal is to help prepare students for life after high school- which includes college or career and attendance is key for both.

04/27/2026

What can one person really do? How can one person make a difference?

The truth is one person doesn’t change a system alone. But one person can start asking better questions. Are we really listening to our staff and families?Are we supporting our teachers so they can be supported and stay in the district?
Are we responding to our kids with understanding instead of just punishment? Are we building a system that reflects who we are as Blackfeet people? When you ask those questions the right way, you don’t stand alone, you bring people with you.

That’s how change happens. Not through force but through working together, listening, and staying grounded in what’s right for our kids. I’m not running because I think I have all the answers. I’m running because I’m willing to listen, to show up, and to work alongside our community. Because our kids deserve that.

Working with the other school board members; I would Reopen important conversations, like the school week, in a thoughtful way, Advocate for staff so they feel supported and can stay in district, Push for trauma-informed approaches that keep classrooms safe and connected, Show up consistently, so the community knows their voice is being carried, Strengthen cultural education so our kids know who they are, And make decisions based on both data and the lived reality of our community Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about one person having all the answers. It’s about working together

04/16/2026

As I run for school board, I keep coming back to a simple truth our schools do not have to keep treating Blackfeet knowledge like it is extra, secondary, or something we only visit once in a while.

Amskapi Piikani ways of knowing Piikanipaitapisiin is not outdated; it is not unrealistic, it is not too far fetched. It is rooted in relationship, responsibility, observation, land, kinship, language, and becoming the kind of human being our elders knew education was supposed to help shape.

For a long time we have been taught to believe that real education only counts when it comes through outside systems, outside measurements, and outside authority. I do not believe we have to depend only on OPI’s Indian Education program to tell us how to be Blackfeet in Blackfeet country. I believe we can build a school system that is rooted in Amskapi Piikani thought and still meet the academic numbers, standards, and outcomes the state and federal governments expect. We do not have to choose between excellence and identity, We do not have to choose between achievement and culture, We do not have to choose between strong test scores and strong Blackfeet children.

Our people have always had systems of teaching, systems of accountability, systems of leadership, and systems of helping young people learn who they are and how to live in a good way. That knowledge should not be treated like an add on. It should help shape the foundation. I’m running for school board because I believe our schools can be stronger when they are truly rooted in this space, in this community, and in the wisdom of the original people of this land.

It is time to stop acting like the answer must always come from somewhere else. The answer is also here, In our language, In our relationships, In our elders, In our responsibilities and In our way of life. That is not going backward. That is remembering who we are and having the courage to build forward from there.

Terrance LaFromboise

04/15/2026

Neighbors and community members, I wanted to share some important election information from the official School District No. 9 trustee ballot and resolution.

This election is on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 for School Trustee – 3-Year Term in School District No. 9, Glacier County, Montana.

The ballot states that voters may vote for up to three (3) candidates. My name, Terrance LaFromboise, is listed on the ballot along with the other candidates.

The resolution also shows that there will be both mail ballot and poll election options, and that poll voting hours are listed as 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 8:00 p.m.

Please take time to make a plan to vote, whether by mail ballot or in person. Every vote matters, and every voice in our community matters.

04/15/2026

My name is Terrance LaFromboise MSW-ITR, SWLC and I am running for Browning School Board because I care deeply about our students, our families, our staff, and the future of our community. I bring experience in education, behavioral health, leadership, and community service. I believe our schools should be places of safety, learning, accountability, and hope. I want to help support student success, strengthen relationships with families and staff, and ensure our schools reflect the values and needs of our people