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Polson school board hears project update

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POLSON — The district’s gifted and talented teacher, Tamara Fisher, presented information on her program at the Sept. 9 Polson School Board meeting. 

Montana as a state has a 33-year history of supporting gifted and talented education, and Fisher has been teaching kids in the Polson district for 19 years. Fisher teaches grades kindergarten through 12th grade. 

She helps them build up a healthy tool set, including thinking skills and a social emotional focus. 

Trustee Caroline McDonald asked how the percentage of kids in the Polson program compares to the national average. Fisher said their definition is 10 percent, and “we’re right in the mix.”

In an update on the Polson High School construction project, Superintendent Linda Reksten said construction will continue on the building all month, with most activity outside on the fascia and gutters. Blinds have been ordered for the windows on the north side of the building. 

With the redo of the lobby area, new round tables and stools are available for student seating as well as more electrical outlets to plug in their iPods, computers and other devices. 

Rex Weltz, PHS principal, said five of the tables and some stools are out with more coming.

“The kids loved it,” Weltz said. “One kid said, ‘Geez, Mr. Weltz, we’re kinda getting in the 21st century.’”

In other business, Scott Wilson, Polson High School vice-principal and athletic director, spoke with the board about the softball complex.

A group of volunteers received a grant from the Polson Rotary Club to add lighting to the softball complex and have now said they won’t complete the project. There are too many issues, Wilson said, such as liability, hiring an engineer and City of Polson building permits. The group needs an additional $13,000 on top of the Rotary’s grant of $17,000. Wilson was asking for direction from the school board.

Board Chair John Triolo said, “You need school approval for a construction project on school property.” 

The entire softball complex south of Cherry Valley School has been built on donated money with donated labor from parents, grandparents and friends of softball without any school approval.

“Everything but mowing the lawn and cleaning the bathrooms is done by volunteers,” Wilson said, although school custodians worked hard to prepare the facility for the state softball tournament in 2013. 

“I’ve been using the facility for four years,” trustee and baseball coach Michael Leadercharge said, adding that’s he’s heard the facility will be getting lights. 

Since it seems like the money needed isn’t a big cost, he would like to “see a little bit more from the district.”

Since most of the pieces are in place, McDonald said there’s probably a way to make it work. 

“I think once you get the engineers involved, we have to get a bid from Mission Valley Power. There won’t be time and labor donated; they would want to be hired,” Wilson said.

No action was taken on the issue.

In a report on the district’s audit, Pam Owen, district business manager, said there was only one finding, a timesheet that was not signed by an administrator. To catch this sort of issue in the future, a new electric card system is in place. 

Trustees also heard a plea from Cherry Valley Principal Brent Benkelman, who asked for two 5.5-hour paraprofessionals to work with kindergarten students, mostly with home reading support. Last year Cherry Valley kindergarten had three paraprofessionals so Benkelman said “this feels like the bare minimum we need” since kindergarten kids don’t know how to hold a lunch tray, how to get in line and some are afraid to go to the bathrooms by themselves.

 Cherry Valley is a unique school because first graders and kindergartners attend, he said, with half the population rolling over each year. 

“Even my veterans are 6-years-old,” Benkelman said. 

The board passed a motion to hire the paraprofessionals, with only Triolo voting against it.

Although it might not be possible, Triolo said, “If you have the sense of additional students, you should come ask us for another teacher.”

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the district office conference room.  

 

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