School board updates

March 26

Mission schools update

ST. IGNATIUS — The St. Ignatius School District Board of Trustees reported at the March 17 meeting that this year’s budget is still right on track with the 2009-10 looking positive with no anticipated cutbacks.

St. Ignatius High School Principal Jason Sargent explained that individual schools and teachers within the district are looking at budgets for 2009-10 school year on a want versus need basis and making cuts where necessary. Sargent added that a lot of next year’s budget issues are rooted in what happens on the state level, which is forecasting preliminary figures of three percent.

“It looks like we’re going to be about average next year,” Sargent said.

In other board issues, trustees approved a field trip for 11 Spanish class students to visit the Yucatan in Mexico from April 4-12.

Board members also approved the hiring of three softball coaches and two tennis coaches for spring 2009. The coaches include: Tom Peterson, Terry Biggs, Sunny Ben, Kammini Ashley, and Frankie Frazzini.

In other Mission schools news, the Montana High School Association/Army National Guard Academic All-Team Awards recognized the volleyball team as the Class-B second place winner statewide along with the girls basketball team taking fifth place in Class-B.

Career Day for the school district is March 25 and a dozen students from the Advanced Biology class are headed to Moab, Utah for a hands-on science field trip on March 23. -Reporter Ty Hampton

Charlo board updates

CHARLO — At the Charlo Board of Education meeting on March 17, the 2009-2010 school calendar was approved.

Shop teacher Stan Atchley approached the board about the purchase of a classic car, which his class would fix in the coming school year, and either sell or auction off. The board approved expenditures for this project.

The board agreed to set up a policy that would deny hot lunches to students with a large outstanding balance, and gave permission to the Lake County 4H club to use their busses for a field trip on June 20.

There are six completed packets for the superintendent position for the coming school year, which will be narrowed soon.

-Reporter Erin Scott

Polson board forgoes levy options

At a brief special budget meeting on Monday, the Polson School Board of Trustees found themselves up against a March 26 deadline and decided it will not recommend a levy be included on the ballot for the upcoming election.

A “levy” agenda item was not listed on the special meeting’s agenda, and board chairman Mark Russell said he that if a discussion was to take place, the item should be listed on the agenda. Considering the deadline circumstance and previous discussion on the issue, “the levy will not run unless someone else brings it before the board,” he said.

Bill Appleton, who is filling in while superintendent Sue McCormick is out on sick leave, reported at the beginning of the budget discussion to the board questions and ideas stemming from the administrators budget discussion meeting held earlier last week. Appleton asked the board its opinion on a levy, how much they would recommend be kept in the district’s reserves and if the board would like to further investigate an early retirement incentives plan to save money.

Projections are being set using the governor’s proposed budget, not the Office of Public Instruction estimates, Appleton said, and  while final budget numbers are being hashed out in Helena, the administrators are looking at scenarios based on reduced funds and increased expenses.

It is “very likely if cuts must be made, it’ll be personnel,” Appleton said.

Principal Rick Rafter, facing almost a certain deficit at the high school, presented a staff reduction plan that would eliminate nearly several part time and two full time positions. The high school is also facing dropping enrollment numbers, which may affect funding and budget considerations.

Russell reiterated near the end of the meeting the need for a more concrete agenda before specific budget items to be discussed. The discussion on issues like personnel cuts and early retirement incentives be added as an agenda item for the April board meeting.

“It’s imperative the public know what exactly we’re talking about,” Russell said.

The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. on April 13 in the district meeting room.

-Reporter Jenna Cederberg