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Polson School District needs building reserve

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When I first arrived July 1, 2012 as Superintendent, the Polson High School roof was leaking and the school structure itself was in jeopardy. The community kept asking, “Why doesn’t Polson Schools have a building reserve to care for these costs?” The answer to this question is Polson Schools is using all the available funds possible to care for building facilities. Secondly, with the many requests that our community receives to donate to various causes, the school district has been conservative in asking the community for a building reserve levy. However, when we are faced with the tremendous cost of replacing worn out facilities such as the Polson Middle School roof or adding two extra classrooms at Linderman, there is simply not enough in our operating budget to care for these excessive costs. 

Some community members may ask, “Why aren’t we going after grants or loans?” The answer to this question is we consistently go after every grant that we can, as well as responsible loans. In fact, the Board working with the District prior to my arrival was able to get a loan for $164,000 to fix one-third of the most critical part of the Polson High School roof. The following February with the high school building in jeopardy, thankfully the voters passed a $2.4 million dollar bond to help us fix the remainder of the roof, correct the heating/ventilation systems, complete asbestos abatement, replace the fascia/gutters, as well as complete interior repairs due to the roof leaking. 

Last year we applied for a State Quality Schools Grant and currently, we are number eight on the list to receive a $968,823 Quality Schools Grant from the State. This grant will be used to replace the 1955 Cherry Valley boiler and ventilation systems for the school. We should hear that we received this grant by the end of April 2015 when the legislature approves these grants. Additionally through grants we have secured $106,920 through the Montana Department of Transportation for new sidewalks in front of the soccer field at Linderman and $22,596.67 for new Polson High School stage curtains through the Greater Polson Educational Foundation, Plum Creek, Gilhousen Family Foundation, Treacy Foundation, Lower Flathead Valley Community Foundation and First Interstate Bank, as well as $6,046.67 in District matching funds.

In order to avoid costly repairs due to catastrophic failures in the future, we want to establish a building reserve fund for both elementary schools and high school. We are asking for $245,000 for elementary and $182,000 for high school each year for five years. We will place these funds in a Building Reserve Account to be used only for facilities. 

Out of this fund for elementary we can replace the 24-year-old leaking roof at Polson Middle School, replace worn out carpet, make asphalt repairs, replace worn out lawnmowers, complete cement repairs, solve the problem of the standing water at the Cherry Valley playground and build the classrooms we need at Linderman due to increasing enrollment. For high school, we can address replacing the unsafe bleachers in the gym, the worn out seats in the high school auditorium, repair asphalt in the parking lot, replace the downstairs carpet as well as a worn out lawnmower.

Also in case you are not aware, the Polson Schools facilities are used by a wide variety of community groups such as Polson Youth Soccer Association, Sandpiper Art Gallery, Mission Valley Elks, Community Adult Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Polson Players, Line Dancing, Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, Polson Animal Shelter and other groups. In fact, more than 343 requests have been made from community groups to use our facilities this year. 

The cost to a taxpayer with a $200,000 home for elementary will be $17.04 per year and for high school will be $10.08 per year. Thus for very little cost, we can maintain our facilities for the students we serve as well as continue to provide our facilities for community use.

If you have any further questions, please contact Pam Owen or me at the Polson School District Office, (406) 883-6355. Thank you for your support of Polson Schools.

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