Trustees discuss absenteeism, quality schools
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POLSON — Among the many issues discussed at the Dec. 8 Polson school board meeting was absenteeism in the schools. From Cherry Valley Elementary School’s Everyday on Time to celebrations of perfect and excellent attendance at Linderman, all the principals detailed their efforts at reducing absenteeism and building relationships.
“A direct correlation to attendance is our school culture,” said Polson High School Principal Rex Weltz. “We want the school to be a place kids want to be.”
Trustee Chanel Lake asked the elementary principals if they were sensitive to the fact that it’s not a young child’s fault he or she couldn’t get to school.
“Absolutely,” said Tim Finkbeiner, principal at Linderman. “We don’t single out a kid.”
Kathy Knapp, home/school coordinator, received kudos for her work with all the schools on chronic absentee cases.
Chronic absenteeism at PHS and Polson Middle School is when a student is gone from school for 7 to 10 days, according to Weltz and Tom DiGiallonardo, principal at Polson Middle School.
Katrina Trotter, PHS graduation coach, said they have a team triage meeting, where the staff talks about kids who don’t show up and “What can we do to get those kids into our schools and keep them there.”
“Kathy will not give up on a kid,” Weltz said.
Brent Benkelman, Cherry Valley principal, said Knapp has driven kids to clinics for immunizations and gotten paperwork and permission slips signed.
Another item discussed was the special meeting called for Dec. 15 on the quality schools grant. It will be held at Linderman School at 4 p.m.
Using the planning money the district received, Polson Superintendent Linda Reksten led a group of school and community members through a district and community-wide facilities planning process — in short, ideas to improve the district buildings — for the quality schools grant. Meetings were held on Feb. 25, March 13 and March 25, and now those ideas will be discussed with the community.
School board vice-chair Caroline McDonald said she’d been approached by several people and asked if the decisions had been made concerning the grant. She wanted to make it clear that public input was being sought.
“As a group, we are moving towards some recommendations, but now is your opportunity before we make that decision about the direction we’re going,” she said. “Ask your questions and make sure your views are heard.”
Polson Superintendent Linda Reksten said she’d asked Nick Salmon, CTA Architects, to provide some three-dimensional drawings of some of the ideas.
During the superintendent’s report, Reksten thanked board members for visiting Polson Middle School and Linderman Elementary School during the past month.
“It means a lot to staff members,” Reksten said.
She also congratulated three music students — Sierra Garcia, Olivia Hewston and Austin Martinez — who qualified for the All-State Music Festival.
Rich Sawyer, Polson High School band teacher, said Martinez, out of 1,500 musicians, was chosen to attend the All-Regional Festival in Spokane, Washington, in February.
The next regularly scheduled school board meeting will be Jan. 12, 2015.
