Polson School Board approves grade realignment, new classrooms

The Polson School Board tackled some major issues at their meeting Monday, including the vote to realign classes at Cherry Valley and Linderman elementary schools and Polson Middle School in the 2025-’26 school year, and to add three new classrooms at Cherry Valley.

The proposal to have second graders, who now attend Linderman, go to Cherry Valley Elementary next year, and fifth graders, who currently attend the middle school, go to Linderman Elementary next year, has been the topic of two district meetings, one in July and a second held last Wednesday at the Polson High auditorium. 

Superintendent Mike Cutler told the group of about 30 parents and teachers at last week’s meeting that the notion of realigning classes was included in the bond issues that passed in 2023. 

He also noted that the new alignment is compatible with curriculum – with kindergarten through second grade at Cherry Valley, third through fifth grades at Linderman, and sixth through eighth grades at the middle school. 

Of the 30 attendees at last week’s meeting, all but one raised their hands in a show of support. 

The board voted unanimously to realign classes. 

In a related action, the board approved a measure to add three extra classrooms to Cherry Valley. 

During last week’s public meeting, Cutler explained how the district could afford the addition, since the classrooms weren’t part of the bond levy. 

“The answer is: We’ve had tremendous success with investments of those (school) bonds from the time they were sold, plus bond premiums that will allow us to pay for those three additional classrooms,” he said. 

The three new rooms will replace a modular unit located on the west side of Cherry Valley. 

“It would be great timing since the construction crew is on site and “could knock that project out,” Cutler enthused, before late October when the Polson High School project is set to begin.

The motion to construct three new classrooms at Cherry Valley evoked comments from teachers at Monday’s meeting. 

Second grade teacher Kylinn Sherry said she was expressing concerns of those who felt bond-interest money shouldn’t be used to build additional classrooms at Cherry Valley.

She said school should be a safe space, a healthy space, and an updated space. “Are we updating what we have?” she asked.

She cited antiquated fixtures, furniture and the heating/cooling systems at the school. 

She also expressed concerns that the school would be overcrowded with the addition of second grade, even with additional classrooms, since Cherry Valley also houses pre-K and special education classes.

She added she had looked at the blueprints and didn’t notice changes to the gym or cafeteria, which are both problematic spaces.

Budgeting is also an issue, and teachers have been cut, she noted. With the move of second grade to Cherry Valley, “we’d need more gym teachers and full-time intervention teachers,” she said. 

Sherry also told the board that Linderman students have aging science curriculum, which hasn’t been updated since 2006, and social studies curriculum, which was last updated in 2005. 

The math and reading curriculums are updated every five to seven years, and teachers would like to see all curriculum revamped in that time frame. 

Jennifer Boen, another second grade teacher, also spoke. 

“I’ve been teaching for 30 years,” she said. “I love kids.”

“I’m concerned with the logistics, and I think we have valid concerns. In the best-case scenario, I don’t know if we can do this (classroom realignment and classroom addition) yet.”  

The board also approved student handbooks, set the budget for the coming year, and approved the roster of out-of-district students.

After a torrential rain storm, some of the trustees and most of the audience toured first Linderman and then Cherry Valley to see some of the new construction.

    The Cherry Valley children's silhouettes remain on the wall as the school building undergoes new construction and refurbishing. (Tamara Alley photo)