Page 18 - Flathead Beacon // 4.2.14

18 | APRIL 2, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Kalispell Schools Hope to Address

Overcrowding, Outdated Technology

Amid search for and 2,781 high school students, a decline
potential new school of 59 over last year but still 315 more
than 10 years ago.
site, district to seek levy Kalispell voters approved a $3.35
million bond request for the elementary
funds for upgrades
school district in 2012 to create a new

district kitchen and develop eight new
classrooms to address overcrowding.
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
The new classroom illed up imme-
diately, Schottle said, and the entire dis-
With nearly 1,000 more students trict is once again at capacity.
in the Kalispell School District than a “We could very quickly be above ca-
year ago, administrators are once again pacity and above accreditation stan-
faced with overcrowded classrooms. At dards,” she said.

the same time, outdated technology, in- Instead of seeking funds for addi-
cluding computers that are more than tional expansion at the current facili-
six years old, is also wearing thin in the ties, the school district is looking to ac-
modern age and hampering educational quire a property roughly 20 acres in size
opportunities, according to superin- that would be big enough for various
tendent Darlene Schottle, leading the options for a new school, Schottle said.
school district to seek funds through a The school board will iron out the de-

new 10-year levy.
Gage Thompson, a junior at Glacier High School, works on an assignment to build cross-cuts during an tails over the next year as it crafts a long-
The Kalispell School District No. intro to engineering design class on March 28. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
range facility plan, and Schottle said the
5 board of trustees voted unanimous- new facility could be both an elementary
ly last week to loat a levy of $1.2 mil- and possibly middle school facility.
lion for technology upgrades in its high It would be the irst new school built sessed value of $200,000, according to to modern technology.
school and elementary facilities. The in Kalispell in more than 30 years, since the school district.
“It truly takes a community to build
funds would go toward infrastructure, Edgerton was created in 1980.
Schottle, the outgoing superin- a rich school system, both at the K-12
software and other technology-related The school district has identiied the tendent who will be replaced by Mark level and the community college level,

needs within the city’s school system, south side of Kalispell as an ideal loca- Flatau this summer, appeared at last because we depend upon your support,”
including staf training. The district tion because of its recent uptick in hous- week’s monthly luncheon for the Ka- Schottle told business and community
will ask residents for 11.31 mills in the ing growth and the dearth of schools in lispell Chamber of Commerce and ex- members last week. “When that hap-
elementary district and 4.81 mills in the the area, Schottle said. Two sites were plained the status of the city’s schools.
pens, we loat everybody’s boat.”
high school district.
initially identiied, but one site was re- While Kalispell students are excel- Along with the evolving landscape of
The high school district has not had cently purchased, and the property ling above historical averages and grad- education, Schottle explained the ongo-
a technology levy in the past three years search is on hold, Schottle said.
uating at higher rates than previous ing enrollment gains that are persistent
while the elementary district is in the i- Another property has been identi- years, overcrowding persists and today’s in Kalispell. There are 19 kindergarten

nal year of its levy.
ied as a possible site, but it lies within youth are faced with new opportunities classes this year, three more than a year
Mail-in ballots will be sent out April the Lakeside-Somers district.
and challenges related to technology, ago. The younger grades continue to
21 and are due back May 6.
“We need to relook and see if there’s Schottle said.
see massive growth as the economy re-
Annual property taxes would in- anything available to us and decide if Schools should stay up to date in or- bounds and the city’s population grows.
crease $14.18 for the high school district we’re going to look at another piece of der to provide the best education avail- Last fall, the Kalispell School Dis-
and $33 for the elementary district for property,” she said.
able, she added, and the levy would pro- trict reported 3,014 elementary stu-
homeowner’s whose house had an as-
[email protected]
vide vital support in the efort to adapt
dents, its largest enrollment on record,

Bomb Squad Sweeps Columbia Falls

Junior High After Hollow Threat

By BEACON STAFF
oicers were still stationed throughout Schools across the state have been from Dublin, Calif., to call in two of the
the school and staf continued checking the target of multiple bomb threats in three bomb threats made last week.
A bomb squad was called to sweep
backpacks the following day.
recent weeks, although no incidents A Frenchtown student was suspend-
Columbia Falls Junior High School last An investigation was launched af- have occurred.
ed and cited for criminal mischief and

week after a written threat was discov- ter the school’s janitorial staf found a A 16-year-old Capital High School disorderly conduct Monday after school
ered in a bathroom.
short sentence written in a girls’ bath- student in Helena was charged with two staf determined he was responsible
Columbia Falls Superintendent Mike room that said there would be a bomb counts of felony intimidation after Hel- for multiple threats at the junior high
Nicosia said administrators determined in the school Friday. Nicosia said video ena schools received three bomb threats school, including writing a threat on a
the threat was not credible after an in- surveillance helped identify potentially between March 17-19 against the city’s bathroom wall. The student has been
vestigation, but followed through with more than one suspect and that a stu- high school and elementary schools. He suspended and further punishment, in-
proper protocol and asked for a bomb dent or students between the age of 13- was charged Wednesday in youth court cluding expulsion, could occur, accord-
squad from Malmstrom Air Force Base 14 were questioned. Nicosia declined to in Lewis and Clark County.
ing to administrators.

to sweep the school the night of March elaborate further. No evacuation or lock- Police say the boy told investigators [email protected]
27. The sweep did not ind anything, but
down took place.
he collaborated with a 14-year-old boy