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School board discusses quality schools

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POLSON — At the Jan. 12 Polson school board meeting, student representative Sarah Rausch gave a rundown of upcoming events at Polson High School, including the end of the quarter on Jan. 23 and final exams. She also commented on the new carpeting installed during the winter break, describing the first floor as “pristine.” 

Superintendent Linda Reksten complimented the janitorial staff at PHS on their hard work during the carpet and padding installation. 

Reksten said all the furniture had to be moved out and then moved back in again. 

She also mentioned the foot and a half of snow on Jan. 5, which meant a snow day for the Polson district. 

“It will mean teachers will have to make up a day (to meet their contracts),” Reksten said during superintendent comments.

Reksten said the district is still in the process of determining a long-term facilities plan, and she has been sharing the quality schools planning with townspeople.

Reksten noted two short term items the board will have to deal with: the roof is failing at Polson Middle School, and Linderman Elementary School needs two classrooms immediately. Reksten added that the district has a $1.3 million grant coming to replace the boiler for Cherry Valley Elementary School, and the time line is the summer of 2016 to get it installed.  

Reksten also reported the district is working on an auditorium grant with former trustee John Laimbeer, who “wants to go after a lot of money, a million dollars or so” to upgrade the sound and lighting in the auditorium.

During trustee committee reports, discussion centered on quality schools and asking the public to support a bond. A public meeting was held Dec. 15 to talk about the information collected at the quality schools meetings, and “We went into that meeting with the idea it might be the last time for input,” said Trustee Caroline McDonald, who noted there wasn’t a lot of staff attendance.

“It’s my impression we definitely are not ready for the issuance of a bond. There are way too many questions,” she explained.

McDonald said she thinks the board and the people involved in quality schools know what to do about the elementary schools, but not PHS. 

“Right now the price tag is pretty staggering,” McDonald said. “I don’t know if I have that information. … No way are we ready for a submission to the public before March. It’s more important to talk to the community. As far as I’m concerned it’s still a collective decision.”

When people approach her and ask what do the schools need this for, Trustee Chanel Lake said, “I need more education before I can sell $19 million.” 

Lake said the district needs to come together as a staff and as a board. 

“We need a plan,” she said. 

Trustee Tim McGinnis said people see those numbers and don’t think it should be anywhere near that. 

The timeline Nick Salmon, the architect who facilitated the quality schools planning, put forward was for either a spring bond, a fall bond or the following year, Reksten said.

“It’s not like we have any kind of urgency to put forward a bond. We need to communicate well with our staff. I agree with Chanel’s assessment of that — however long that takes, take the time to do it,” she said

McDonald urged Weltz to pull together a staff meeting or a meeting with board members to come up a plan that lays out the needs of the high school. 

Weltz estimated it would take PHS department meetings and months of dialogue to come up with a vision for remodeling or rebuilding. 

“A couple of people with a wish list doesn’t work,” he said. 

Chairman John Triolo said at the Dec. 15 meeting he heard there was a facilities plan to move K-5 to Linderman and use Cherry Valley for a preschool. But that’s restructuring, Triolo said.

A presentation including numbers for all the schools is coming up, Triolo said. 

“Whatever is presented to us is going to have a price tag, and it’s gonna have a lot of zeros,” he said, suggesting bringing the subject back to the next board meeting.

Triolo also asked Weltz to let the board know when the PHS staff meets. 

“We could have this discussion for the next six months,” he said.

In other business, Reksten, Linderman Principal Tim Finkbeiner, Weltz, PMS Vice Principal Jesse Yarbrough and students will be visiting the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. 

The reason for the visit, Reksten said in a follow-up email, is because all school districts on the reservation give a presentation to Tribal Council on Indian students within their district regarding attendance, achievement, participation in extracurricular activities, etc.

Four school board trustee positions — those held by Alan Anderson, Caryl Cox, Cindy Lanier and Michael Leadercharge — are up for election this year.  

The next regularly scheduled school board meeting will be held on Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the district conference room.

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