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Missoula school board appoints Denise Juneau to fill vacant trustee seat
Summary
Following interviews of seven candidates for a board vacancy, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees unanimously appointed former state superintendent Denise Juneau to fill the seat vacated by Cohen Mercer; Juneau will serve until the next election and trustees encouraged other applicants to run in May.
After interviewing seven applicants in open session on Nov. 11, 2025, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees moved to appoint Denise Juneau to fill the vacancy left by Trustee Cohen Mercer. Board members praised the depth and range of applicants and said Juneau’s experience as a former state superintendent and as a leader of large, diverse school systems would be valuable to the board.
Trustees discussed desired skill sets during deliberation — including legal and financial expertise, intimate knowledge of public education systems, local ties and the capacity to help the board through an upcoming strategic-planning process. Several trustees noted the unusually strong applicant pool and encouraged those candidates who were not selected to run in the May election for open seats.
The board’s motion to appoint Juneau passed unanimously among trustees present; the chair closed the meeting at 9:11 p.m.
Quote: Trustee McShane said the candidate pool was “amazing” and later voiced support for Juneau, citing the opportunity to learn from her statewide leadership experience.
What’s next: Juneau will serve until the next scheduled election and may choose to run in May if she seeks a full elected term.
