Plains
Plains, MT · Education
Whitefish Pilot
Looking Back: Screening committee formed to find new high school principal
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler 50 Years Ago May 13, 1976 Members of the District 44 school board considered a range of subjects, from roof repairs to hiring a new principal for the high school. A screening committee composed of Mr. Sloan, Mrs. Hoffman, Mr. Grover, Mrs. Satterley, Mr. Morris and Russ Giesy would screen all candidates for the post of high school principal and would call the final selections for personal interviews with the school. It was decided that John Morris, curriculum coordinator, would work with a special team of six teachers to outline coordination and development of a slower English track for those students unable to handle the regular English program. 40 Years Ago May 14, 1986 A “Save the Foundation” rally attracted more than 800 people registering their opposition to a 4% cut in the state's financial foundation program. The foundation allots a set amount of funding from the general fund to each school district based upon enrollment. A cut of 4% would total an estimated loss of over $900,000 in the valley, $11 million statewide. The “cut” is actually a 4% increase promised the schools for the second biennium of the
Lake County Leader
Polson PEO chapter awards three memorial scholarships
P.E.O. Chapter AI, Polson, presented three $1,000 Memorial Scholarships to three well deserving graduating seniors at Polson High School's Senior Decision Day on May 11. Recipients are Patience Hatch, who plans to attend the University of Puget Sound and will study Occupational Therapy; Madison Lake, who plans to attend Montana Tech and study Dentistry; and Raya Lucas, who will head to Vanderbilt University and study Mechanical Engineering. P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization that promotes the education of women worldwide through scholarships, grants, awards, loans and the stewardship of Cottey College in Missouri. ‘= Although P.E.O. is an international organization, the scholarship comes from Chapter AI, a Polson chapter that has a designated fund for local young women pursuing higher education. This memorial scholarship honors Myrtle Sweet, Faye Harris, Doris Herbert and Sarah Jane Hanson, past members of Chapter AI who bequeathed funds to help local women achieve their highest aspirations.
Whitefish Pilot
Whitefish High School senior aims to be a force in women's equality across the globe
Whitefish High School senior Allison Ponti’s passion to serve, ability to connect with people no matter the circumstances and desire to make a difference across the globe have led her to know exactly what she wants to do after college before even beginning classes at the University of Montana this fall. Ponti has always loved community service, but two separate Rotary International service trips to Guatemala have changed her outlook on life, inspiring her to pursue a double major in political science and education, with a minor in Spanish language, on the pre-law track. Ponti aspires to be a teacher and a human and women’s rights attorney, and to help people in everything she does. The Guatemala service trips led Ponti to her future path. Ponti, along with other Whitefish and Montana-based students, installed water filters at rural schools, taught hygiene habits to children, handed out hygiene supplies and completed other projects like painting walls and picking up litter. On her trips to Guatemala, she learned about how young girls struggle to stay in school, and the issues of violence against women. “They’re still fighting to be equal,” she explained. It’s why Ponti wants to work abroad in a Latin
NBCMontana
FVCC to celebrate 58th annual commencement Friday
MISSOULA, Mont. — Flathead Valley Community College will celebrate the Class of 2026 during its 58th annual commencement ceremony Friday on the college’s Kalispell campus. The ceremony will take place in McClaren Hall at the Wachholz College Center and will honor 264 students earning a combined 283 degrees and certificates.
Whitefish Pilot
Photos: Whitefish High School prom 2026
Photos from the 2026 Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9. The dance was Gatsby themed. The entire photo album is available on the Pilot's Facebook page . You can also email editor@whitefishpilot.com with a description if you are looking for a photo. The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School prom grand march on Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Whitefish High School
kgez.com
Wolfpack Coach Gets 2-Game Suspension
Acting on a formal protest from Bigfork High School, the Montana High School Association Executive Board has sanctioned Glacier High School for recruiting violations. Details of the violations weren’t made public, but the upshot is a 2-game suspension of Coach Grady Bennett. That means the Wolfpack will begin their season without Coach Bennett at the helm.
swxlocalsports.com
Glacier Head Coach Grady Bennett suspended two games to open 2026 season
KALISPELL, Mont. - Defending Class AA state champion Glacier will open the 2026 football season without head coach Grady Bennett after the Montana High School Association suspended him for two games in a recruiting violation case. 406mtsports.com was first to report the suspension on Thursday. The ruling followed a formal...
Yahoo Sports
Flathead softball earns split in Helena
HELENA — Olivia Nyman hit a three-run home run to back the pitching of Macey McIlhargey and June Stickney, and Flathead beat Helena 5-2 Saturday to earn a split of its games against the Helena schools. In their first game the Bravettes fell to Helena Capital 4-0, but the...
Flathead Beacon
School Levies Fail Across the Flathead Valley
Every school levy on the ballot across the Flathead Valley was nixed by voters Tuesday night, according to unofficial election results, reflecting taxpayers’ ongoing rebukes of school levies across the state as levy passage rates decline. The Helena Flats School District had a land acquisition and requisite levy ask...
NBCMontana
Public school levies pass in 3 of Montana’s larger school districts, fail in 3 others
MISSOULA, Mont. — Public school funding levies saw mixed success across Montana’s largest districts as ballot tallies finalized late Tuesday. Voters in Bozeman, Missoula and Butte approved levies, while measures in Helena, Billings and Kalispell failed amid a difficult period for school districts in winning resident approval. Here’s a rundown of the results:
kgez.com
School Levy Ballots Due By 8PM Tuesday
It’s down to the wire for the 5-area school districts asking voters to approve levy requests. The mail-in ballots are due by 8:00 Tuesday night. Columbia Falls, Cayuse Prairie, Fair-Mont-Egan, Whitefish Schools and Kalispell Elementary Schools are requesting funds to continue their programs at the current level. It’s too...
Char-Koosta News
Salish Kootenai College sets graduate honoring powwow for May 15-16
PABLO, Mont. — Salish Kootenai College invites students, graduates, singers, dancers, vendors, royalty, and spectators to its annual Graduate and Honoring Powwow on May 15-16. Grand entry at 7 p.m. Friday will open the powwow, followed by a graduate honoring at about 8 p.m. The powwow committee is inviting SKC and high school graduates to participate. Each graduate will receive a gift from the committee.
NBCMontana
42 students at Glacier High School receive seal of biliteracy
KALISPELL, Mont. — Glacier High School is recognizing a record number of students for language study and global skills. This year, 42 students earned the Montana Seal of Biliteracy, demonstrating proficiency in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, English, Ukrainian, and Czech. Among qualifying scores were two freshmen, five...
Yahoo Sports
Polson baseball stymies Frenchtown offense
POLSON — Paxson DuMont hit a go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth as Polson grabbed a 3-1 victory over Frenchtown in high school baseball Friday. DuMont scored Holden Emerson on the hit — Emerson reached on an error that helped Polson (8-5) tie the game at one earlier in the inning.
The Western News
Libby Middle High School has a new principal
After a search lasting more than one year, Libby Middle High School has a new principal. Bill Brist, the current associate principal and activities director at Baker High School in Fallon County, will take interim principal Scott Beagle’s spot sometime this summer before the 2026-27 school year begins. "For me, I was ready for the next step in my career," Brist said in an interview with The Western News Thursday afternoon. "I really enjoyed my work in Baker and I learned a lot there, but the attractiveness of Libby was appealing to me." Brist, 62, has served in his current role since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. Most of his working life has involved a mixture of educational institutions, private business and long distance running. “A whole bunch of people in the school district are happy,” Libby Public Schools Superintendent Ron Goodman said. “His time as an administrator is a big factor in why we chose him. Also, his ability to communicate, the ability to de-escalate tough situations were very important to us.” Goodman also said Brist’s desire to enjoy the plentiful public lands and trails here was a motivator for him applying for the job. “He’s still
Lake County Leader
Ronan School District responds to claims about coach resignation
The Ronan School District last week responded to claims made about the events surrounding the resignation of former head high school softball coach Joe Verbanic. In a statement issued Friday, April 24, the school district described that allegations of misconduct made by some students and families did not match up with the allegations that were relayed to the school district.