Mike Ferguson - BCSD Trustee, Zone 3

Background:

● Full name: Mike Ferguson

● Profession: Retired, IT director at Micron Technology

● Educational background: 1991 graduate of Bonners Ferry High School - BS Business (Information Systems) University of Idaho

● How many years as a Boundary County resident: I grew up in Bonners Ferry, kindergarten through high school. My wife and I moved back to Bonners Ferry in December of 2022.

● Marital status: Married to Tanja Ferguson

● Family: Stepson and stepdaughter, three grandchildren all in Bonners Ferry, and a daughter who lives in Boise.

● Contact information: mike.ferguson@mail.bcsd101.com    

Questions:

1. What will be your major initiatives in your first 100 days in office? 

I was recently sworn in as a Board Trustee to fill the vacancy for Zone 3. I have a lot to learn and plan to use the first few months getting a head start meeting everyone in the School District, listening, and learning. I have already started to meet as many district employees as possible, as well as starting to visit all the facilities in the school district. My approach with anything new has always been to listen and learn first. I look forward to meeting everyone in the near future and learning from them. 

2. What are the three most significant issues facing the board for which you are running? Why are they the most significant? (Please be specific.)

I think it would be very premature for me to talk about what the most significant issues are today. I know from what I have been able to gather so far that we have some facilities issues that are important to the safety of the children in our schools. I am learning about some of our issues now and will do anything I can to help address them as I get up to speed. We have a very knowledgeable and experienced Board of Trustees and School Administration that I know are all working extremely hard on issues that exist today.

3. What are your solutions to those issues? (Again, please be specific.)

I want to make sure I listen to our community, children, and school district employees before I think I have the answers to any of the issues that we may have today. I can tell you that I have already seen first hand how hard people are working on any issues that exist and how much they care about the children in our community. There is certainly more than one way to address any issue, most importantly we all have to come together and keep our focus on what is best for the kids in our community and schools.

4. How do you plan to make residents feel not only heard but understood when they bring their issues to you?

One thing I have learned in my very short time meeting with BCSD employees is that the operations of a School District are very complex. As I learn more and more about the way things work I look forward to discussing the facts with people in our community. My hope would always be that all sides of any topic can listen to each other and have informed opinions based on fact, not rumor. I will always be open to listening to anyone’s position and discussing with an open mind.

5. Do you think the board you are seeking a seat on is going in the right direction? Why or why not? 

I absolutely think Boundary County is very lucky to have the dedicated and knowledgeable School Board Members that are in place today. These people have all volunteered a significant amount of their time to ensure the children of Boundary County have access to a high quality education. I absolutely believe things are headed in the right direction. There will always be tough issues to solve and difficult decision that any Board will have to make. 

6. What is the most critical issue in your race and how do you plan to address it?

From what I have seen so far I believe the most critical issue we are all facing today is making sure our students have safe and comfortable environments where they can focus on learning. I completely understand that there are many strong opinions around where the money for facilities should come from. I do have more to learn in this area without a doubt, but also feel strongly that our school facilities issues are concerning and something we all have to come together as a community and solve.

7. What issue is not being given enough exposure in your race? What is it and why is it important?

All the issues that I am currently aware of seem to have a high amount of exposure in our community. 

8. There has been a lot of tension in the county lately – what plans do you have to reinstate a strong sense of community between residents?

One of the reasons my wife and I moved back to Boundary County is because of the strong sense of community we know has always existed in this area. In the few months we have been back in this area it has been surprising to me to see that people on all sides of any issues are quick to throw things out as fact when the facts may not necessarily be known. I will always listen and learn, whether I agree initially or not. I can guarantee that to anyone that reaches out to me to discuss topics. 

9. What is your favorite thing about the community? (Places to go, things to do, what makes you feel connected to the area?)

First and foremost the open space and mountains. My wife and I love to go on ATV rides and hike in the mountains every chance we get. Regardless of the tensions that exist in this community today it is still the most friendly and welcoming community I have ever lived in. 

10. What will you do to ensure students receive a good education?

This is the primary reason I have chosen to get involved in the school system in boundary County. Growing up in this community I always felt like schools and children were a priority and I had all the support in the world to get an excellent education growing up in the Boundary County School District. As I went to College and joined the workforce that was reaffirmed over and over. I will commit as much time as I possibly can addressing any issues that take away from a child’s opportunity to receive the best education possible. 

11. Have you ever changed your mind on an issue after hearing the arguments of the opposing side? If so, what was the issue and why did you change your stance?

I have always believed that approaching any issue with an open mind is vital. Working for a large corporation for 25 years and managing a worldwide group of 350+ people would not have been possible if I was set in my ways and would not listen to other’s views when making decisions. Two examples of this in my previous life are 1) Where to allocate budget and 2) hiring of dozens and dozens of employees over the years. I often made decisions in these areas based on input that I did not necessarily agree with initially.

12. Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

This is a very tough question as I have had so many great Coaches, Mentors, and very supportive family members throughout my life. I would have to say my Grandfather, John Camp, has had the most influence on the success I have been able to experience in my life. He set the bar very high for everyone that has come after him and we have all strived to live up to his expectations. I have never come across a smarter more hard working person with an extreme amount of integrity. 

13. What is the most important characteristic for someone holding office to have?

I think the most important characteristic for anyone holding any public office is to make sure you do not think you know everything and your way is the only way things can and should be done. Listening, and I mean really listening, before making any decisions is critical. I also truly believe that once decisions a School Board, or any leadership group, are made everyone has to move forward together. People are always going to have different opinions. If you think yours is always the correct one, or the only one, you are being very shortsighted in my opinion. 

14. With previous Title IX complaints, what will you do to ensure that boys and girls receive equal athletic opportunities?

This is one of the few current issues that I really need to learn more about before answering a question in detail. I can tell you that there are currently many things in place, and more being put in place continuously, to make sure this is not an issue that anyone has to hear about going forward. I can also tell you that I care deeply about this topic, along with our other School Board Members, as the father and grandfather of daughters and granddaughters that have participated, and will participate in the future, in extracurricular activities.

15. Give voters your best pitch: Why should they choose you?

Well, I am running unopposed so I guess they don’t have Choice! All kidding aside, because I care about this community more than I could ever say in words. I feel like this school system and community gave me the foundation to be successful in everything I have ever tried to do in life. I want nothing more than to make sure every child in Boundary County has that same opportunity in the future.

16. What needs to be done to recruit and retain qualified staff and teachers?

With my limited knowledge of any issues in this area, I obviously think this community has a tremendous amount to offer anyone. With the community they can live in and the commitment we all have to our schools, I would think the primary issue would be whether or not a person can make a competitive wage. Of course Boundary County cannot just pay more than anyone else to attract people in any industry, but I think we have to realize that if we want the best teachers they have to make a competitive wage to come to Boundary County.