Polson board wants specifics on Big Arm land swap

By Ethan Smith

Leader Staff

If it involves a large sum of money, your best bet is to get it in writing.

And that’s what the Polson School Board wants to do.

Monday night, the board directed superintendent Sue McCormick to draft a letter to the county commissioners detailing specifically what they propose in the form of a possible land swap involving the Big Arm school, as the district attempts to work out a win-win situation with nearby residents who want to save the historic landmark.

County commissioners and board members have met in the past to discuss a possible land swap, at the suggestion of Big Arm Association members, who would like to preserve the old school building. But the board wants to make sure the swap is equal in value to the Big Arm property valued at about $400,000, and until they get something in writing, a potential swap isn’t possible.

While BAA members have mentioned a potential parcel of land, the commissioners haven’t specified in writing exactly which parcel they are referring to, and an earlier assessment given to board members showed that the county-owned land was valued at far less than the district’s land.

Until they get some hard numbers, discussion of the issue is meaningless, board members agreed.

“We still don’t have anything in writing signaling their intent,” board chair Theresa Taylor said.

The discussion came up as an action item after the commissioners asked the board to form a subcommittee to explore the issue of a land swap. But board members said any action taken should involve the entire board, given the value of the potential transaction.

“The dollar value we are looking at warrants discussion from the full board,” Taylor said.

BAA members have been trying for months to ensure the historic building is protected, and would like to have the school as a centralized meeting place and community center. They also want to protect it for its historic value, and have petitioned to have it evaluated as a possible historical landmark on the state’s list of historical places.

That decision will be made, possibly next month, but even if the state’s historical registry board agrees to add it to the list of landmarks, the school district can still have the building moved off the property, or even sold. Board members have expressed a willingness to work with BAA members in coming up with a solution, and they said a possible land swap is a good idea, but the county needs to come up with a parcel of equal or greater value to ensure the board is protecting taxpayer interests.

The school has not been used for any public use for more than a decade, and board members also feel the old structure is a potential liability, but a possible land swap would make all sides happy, if the county can provide a viable option.

But the county land in question doesn’t come close to the value of the district’s land, meaning school district taxpayers would lose out — something the board doesn’t want to consider, especially given the fact that they’ve asked voters once again to approve two mil levies.

“I see a problem because of the large disparity” in land values, board member Bob Hanson said. “I don’t know how we can overcome the large disparity.”

Although board members mentioned a possible $122,000 disparity, they said even that number is premature since they aren’t completely sure which parcel the county might have in mind.

Board members said they want the commissioners to identify the exact parcel of land they’re wanting to negotiate with, so they can go from there, and they directed McCormick to draft a letter in response, asking for that.

In other school board news, the board voted to approve a request from the Freedom Day Committee, allowing a 21-gun salute on school property during the weekend-long activities planned in Polson over Memorial Day weekend. The Committee plans to host a memorial service at Linderman gym that Monday, which will include the discharging of blank cartridges outside, and the display of military hardware, including guns, cannons and other items, according to a letter sent to the board by committee chairman Rick Skates.

“As part of the ceremony, there will be approximately 12 rifles, some of which will be loaded with blank cartridges and discharged outdoors,” Skates wrote. “Also, there may be military static displays on school grounds that will have guns, cannons, etc., all of which will be suppressed and unloaded.”

The possession of firearms on school grounds violates district policy, but the policy is written to give the board discretion for special occasions, McCormick noted, such as conducting hunter safety classes, for example.

The board voted to approve the request, saying it was in keeping with the activities scheduled for that weekend, and an appropriate use of school property. They directed school administrators to ensure that “no smoking” signs were placed around the property in keeping with the statewide ban on tobacco use on school property.