Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 10.14.15

NEWS
Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Bigfork School Renovation Major remodel of high school to begin in spring after bond passes
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
Voters overwhelmingly approved a bond request for $14 million to redevelop Bigfork High School.
Lacey Porrovecchio, business manager for the school district, announced the election results late Oct. 9. Mail-in ballots were tallied Friday and the unofficial count showed 1,810 votes in favor of the bond and 955 against, according to Porrovecchio. Results will be offi- cial after further review by the school board at an upcom- ing meeting.
“Obviouslyjustveryexcitedforthewholecommunity,” Bigfork Superintendent Matt Jensen said afterward.
The decision gives administrators the green light to move forward with a significant makeover of a 50-year- old building that is already out of space amid rising enrollment.
School administrators had failed to gain voter approval for renovating the high school twice in the last decade.
The third time proved successful as district-wide enrollment continues to increase and more classes are
Bigfork High School. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
shuffled into the middle school building. Administrators have said the high school is in dire need of redevelopment. Jensen credited the support of community members
for spreading awareness about the school’s needs.
An independent site assessment last year found struc- tural issues and growing needs throughout the campus,
including more classroom space.
“We’ve had absolutely amazing support,” he said,
highlighting residents such as Dev Johnson, Jen Bach, Marshelle Wade and Brad and Leslie Stodghill.
“I could name at least 50 people who have just done amazingthings.”
Property taxes for a home valued at $200,000 will increase by roughly $70 annually, according to school district estimates.
Construction could begin in the spring of 2016 and be completed by fall 2018.
The renovation project will progress in priority phases. The school’s priorities are adding new class- room space to ensure all high school students are taking classes in the high school instead of the middle school. The site will also be better compartmentalized and space will be used more efficiently for classes and other school programs, according to planners.
An estimated 24,000 square feet of new space will be built onto the existing building, according to the project
State Child Protection Administrator Placed on Leave Child and Family Services Division facing scrutiny in wake of allegations, protests
plan.
[email protected]
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
One of the top administrators in the state’s depart- ment overseeing child protection services has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into allegations against her.
Cory Costello works as the field services supervisor for the Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. She oversees the six regional caseworker supervisors working throughout the state.
DPHHS spokesperson Jon Ebelt said neither he nor division head Sarah Corbally would go into detail about Costello’s leave. He also said he would not discuss who was investigating Costello or why.
“At this time, we are investigating allegations that have been made,” Ebelt wrote in an email to the Beacon. “No further information will be released.”
The state CFSD has come under scrutiny lately, with
complaints from the families of children in the system, including reports that siblings are being split up, children are placed with abusIVE parents, reports of abuse aren’t investigated, and recommendations from licensed coun- selors are ignored.
In the Flathead, the Kalispell child protection ser- vices office was critically understaffed as of September, with only three of the permanent positions filled, leaving another 12 child protection specialist positions open and turning over throughout the year.
Former employees said they left because the manage- ment structure was unsupportive.
Nicole Grossberg works as the Western Region V supervisor for CFSD, which serves Flathead, Lake, Lin- coln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties. Corbally said the high turnover rate in the Flathead is unfortunate but that her office hadn’t seen any official complaints about it, and Grossberg said accusations of an isolating work environment were inaccurate.
Costello is Grossberg’s supervisor, and has been on leave since mid-September.
Groups of grandparents, counselors, and others have protested the CFSD offices around the state, recently picketing the Kalispell location in September. On Sept. 21, Gov. Steve Bullock announced a new initiative to protect Montana’s children, including the creation of the Protect Montana Kids Commission, the purpose of which is to make recommendations on how to align Mon- tana’s child protection system with national standards.
Montana also faces losing federal grant money for child abuse prevention programs if the state doesn’t start releasing information about children who die of abuse and neglect. The grant affords DPHHS nearly $120,000 each year.
The state, however, insists it cannot release such information without violating state law, which the Leg- islature would have to adjust in its 2017 session.
[email protected]
Welding, Blacksmithing & Fabrication
WROUGHT IRON EXPERTS!
Iron Stair Rails, Gates, Furniture, Signs, Fireplace And More!
406-892-4030 3816 Mt Hwy 40 Columbia Falls www.acutechworks.com
10
OCTOBER 14, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM