Plains
Plains, MT · Education
Valley Press - Mineral Independent
Hot Springs teams up with Polson for football
There will be no high school football in Hot Springs this fall. Due to a last-second apparent shortage of players, Hot Springs High School officials have decided to enter a cooperative football program at Polson High School. The Polson school board approved the agreement, reportedly only hours before practice began for the season. Hot Springs athletic director Jim Lawson, who was set to coach the Savage Heat 6-Man football team until only a few weeks ago, said that Hot Springs seniors Chase DePoe and Ben Aldridge were able to make it to Polson’s first football practice Friday and will compete as Class A Polson Pirates this fall. Lawson said his son Kane Lawson, who works for a restoration company in the Polson area, was hired as an assistant football coach as part of the agreement between the schools. Kane was originally set to return as Hot Springs assistant before the last minute changes. Jim says he may also consult with the Polson coaching staff at times this coming season, as Pirate coach Carson Oakland has welcomed Hot Springs into the fold. Jim Lawson said he is going to miss the excitement of Friday night football in Hot Springs. “It’s one
Char-Koosta News
A Month in 15 Minutes: Head Start Staff Walk in Families' Shoes
RONAN —Staff and teachers with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ (CSKT) Head Start program spent an afternoon living a month in someone else’s shoes 15 minutes at a time. The poverty simulation was held in the common room at K. William Harvey Elementary School. Participants were...
Char-Koosta News
Back to School Supplies at SKC
PABLO — CSKT Education Department will Host a Back-to-School Event Saturday, August 22nd, 2026, from 10am-2pm. The location is the Salish Kootenai College Disc Golf Course, 58138 US-93, Pablo, MT. The CSKT Education Department will host its annual Back-to-School Event in collaboration with other tribal departments and local businesses,...
NBCMontana
Northwest Montana United Way’s Back to School Bash serves hundreds of local kids
KALISPELL, Mont. — Northwest Montana Untied Way hosted its annual Back to School Bash, partnering with many different donors to provide hundreds of kids across the Flathead Valley with school supplies and other resources to help them start the year off right. The Back to School Bash brought around...
Hungry Horse News
Columbia Falls alumni leaders at Whitefish Middle School
As Whitefish Middle School’s new principal, Tyler Jones will work to bring joy to every school day and maintain a culture of respect. When the principal position opened earlier this year, Jones, the school’s assistant principal of six years, saw not only an opportunity, but a way to ensure the building continues to function at its best. “I’m a people person, putting kids and staff’s needs first,” Jones said. “I thought, I’ll put myself out there and see what I can do. “I don’t want to come in and make a bunch of changes. I want to stay the course of the groundwork that’s been laid before me, so that we continually build relationships and that we’re a safe, welcoming place.” Challenges that may arise won’t be out of the ordinary, he said. “I like the steady feeling of knowing what to expect,” he said. Jones said former principal Josh Branstetter set a precedent of being visible to students, and he will be missed. “Working with Josh is every educator’s dream, as far as a boss,” Jones said. “He goes above and beyond for everybody -- students, parents, families, staff.” “The culture that he inherited, and then built on, is
Whitefish Pilot
Small school, statewide impact: Skola looks to boost student scholarships
The Skola in Whitefish is in search of support to raise at least $500,000 this year to become a statewide resource for Montana students. The Skola, located off East Edgewood Drive, is an independent school that focuses on the traditional Scandinavian philosophy of nature-based learning. For the past three years, the school has been a part of a successful statewide scholarship program. This program, The Student Scholarship Organization, or SSO, has one of the best tax incentive options in the state. “Our mission is to raise scholarship funds and award them to eligible students attending qualified private schools throughout Montana - not just The Skola,” said Ian Hudson, The Skola board member. This past year, the school was able to award funds to students outside of The Skola for the first time. “We’re a small school with a statewide impact,” Hudson said. “The fact that families from places like Missoula are applying for scholarships through an organization based in Whitefish shows that we’re beginning to build a reputation for helping students across Montana.” Despite being one of the best tax incentive options, the Montana SSO tax credit program is not extremely well known. Through the program, eligible Montana taxpayers can
Flathead Beacon
North Valley Music School to Host First-ever Bluegrass and Roots Mini Festival
North Valley Music School’s new program director, Taylor Ackley, has never known a life without bluegrass and roots music. Born into a family jam-packed with folk musicians, Ackley has a connection to the bluegrass and American roots genre that dates all the way back to his great-great-grandfather, who was a fiddler in Kentucky.
Whitefish Pilot
Whitefish School District budget factors in high school expansion, federal cuts
The preliminary budget for the Whitefish School District factors in about $30 million in levy funds due to the high school expansion project, which has made quick progress this summer. The total 2026-27 preliminary budget is $31,685,167, a 3.57% increase year over year. The elementary general fund budget will increase by $167,911, or 1.43%, and the high school general fund will increase by $404,134, or 6.39%. General funds are primarily tied to student enrollment. Whitefish's high school enrollment increased by 6.36% while elementary decreased by 1.89%. Despite the enrollment numbers, both funds still see an increase due to the state's 3% inflationary increase. There is $909,219 budgeted from federal and state grants, a 6% decrease. The district relies on Federal Title and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) grants to supplement instructional costs. The grant funding has been steadily decreasing, leading to a higher dependence on the general fund to cover these expenses, according to Business Clerk Lucie Shea. Shea estimates that "mostly all" federal grants will decrease. "I say this is an estimate because the final funding numbers for Title and IDEA are not released by OPI [Office of Public Instruction] until September," she said. "It's a gut feeling."
kgez.com
Creston Junior High Begins This Fall
Those attending the Creston School will keep their students though the 8th grade. The State has granted accreditation to begin offering 7th and 8th grade classes this fall. In the past, Creston’s 7th and 8th graders transferred to either Kalispell Middle School or Cayuse Prairie. This first year, they’ll cap their junior high program at 15-students.
Flathead Beacon
Creston School Enrolling Students for Seventh and Eighth Grades
It’s official: Creston will move from being a K-6 school to a K-8 for the 2026-2027 academic year, as the school accepts students for its new seventh and eighth grade classes. On Friday, it received approval for its provisional accreditation from the state’s Board of Public Education. The designation...
NBCMontana
Kalispell school board votes to appeal Title IX retaliation verdict in Glacier High case
KALISPELL, Mont. — The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees has voted to appeal a federal jury verdict in a Title IX retaliation lawsuit tied to allegations of misconduct within the Glacier High School wrestling program. In June, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of former Glacier High School...
Bigfork Eagle
Bigfork High grad excels in National Guard's Best Warrior Competition
Caden Leonard, a 2022 graduate of Bigfork High School and member of the Utah Army National Guard, has attained elite status as one of the top five members of the National Guard in the United States. Earlier this month, Leonard battled against 13 other Army National Guard soldiers and noncommissioned officers at the Army National Guard's National Best Warrior Competition to take third place in the soldier category and earn a spot on the five-member team that will represent the National Guard at the 2026 Department of the Army Best Squad Competition. “I'm still processing it because it's hard to believe that I'm one of seven soldiers who competed, out of 350,000 soldiers,” Leonard said, having just returned from the contest in Florida. “It’s unreal. Major General Haas of the Florida National Guard said you’re more likely to become a professional NFL player. Not many people get to do this, but it’s an amazing experience.” Leonard grew up in Bigfork and currently attends the University of Utah where he is studying psychology and criminology. He spent the last year training for and competing in the Best Warrior Competition. The annual contest is designed to push solider to their physical and
Whitefish Pilot
New principal Tyler Jones strives to keep Whitefish Middle School on course
As Whitefish Middle School’s new principal, Tyler Jones will work to bring joy to every school day and maintain a culture of respect. When the principal position opened earlier this year, Jones, the school’s assistant principal of six years, saw not only an opportunity, but a way to ensure the building continues to function at its best. "I'm a people person, putting kids and staff's needs first," Jones said. “I thought, I'll put myself out there and see what I can do. "I don't want to come in and make a bunch of changes. I want to stay the course of the groundwork that's been laid before me, so that we continually build relationships and that we're a safe, welcoming place." Challenges that may arise won’t be out of the ordinary, he said. "I like the steady feeling of knowing what to expect," he said. Jones said former principal Josh Branstetter set a precedent of being visible to students, and he will be missed. "Working with Josh is every educator's dream, as far as a boss," Jones said. "He goes above and beyond for everybody -- students, parents, families, staff." "The culture that he inherited, and then built on, is
The Western News
Trustees tab Kelly as new Libby Elementary principal
Libby Elementary School has a new principal for the 2026-27 school year. Timberly Kelly will take the reins of leadership following her selection by school trustees at its last meeting. Kelly was one of three candidates interviewed by the trustees. Kelly, a native from Northwest Montana in Paradise, has an impressive resume with a 30-year career of teaching and working as an administrator in Montana schools. “I'm excited about the opportunity to be back in Northwestern Montana for sure,” Kelly said. “My husband and I have deep roots in this part of the state. My husband's mother, Patricia (Palmer) Kelly, grew up in Libby, and his father grew up in Paradise. My parents moved here from Hamilton before I was born. I grew up in Paradise, went to Paradise Grade School through eighth grade, then graduated from Plains High School.” Kelly also shared that her mother-in-law’s sister Val and brother-in-law Bill Johnston were a well-established part of the Libby community. Following her graduation from Plains, Kelly attended the University of Montana in Missoula, received her BA in Elementary Education with a Spanish Minor, and returned to teach in Paradise, first as a kindergarten teacher and later as a multi-grade-level teacher.
Lake County Leader
Polson High and Middle School construction completion planned for end of August
Backhoes, rollers, and dump trucks have all been busily digging up the Polson Middle School lawn. Concrete forms are set up, and full, great mounds of dirt and skimpy chunks of lawn remain. What’s going on? Andy Fors, Polson School District Superintendent, said the area is being repurposed as a drop-off loop for parents to reduce congestion before and after school. The rest of the space cleared of grass and sidewalks will be devoted to parking. Fors believes the Polson School District leans too heavily on the church parking lot next door to Polson Middle School. In other information about school construction projects, Fors said, “The high school and the middle school estimated completion date is the end of August, and school starts on Sept 8.” Cherry Valley Elementary has a flex space to be finished, but the work is outside the school’s footprint, so it will take place away from the students. When the yellow school buses pull up to Polson schools on the first day of school, the buildings will be ready for learning.