In 2013, the Marion School, a small public elementary and middle school in rural Flathead County, enrolled 101 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The school, which pulls students from in and around Marion — up to Ashley Lake and down to the borders with Lincoln and Lake counties — prided itself on its small […]| Flathead Beacon
Public schools across the Flathead Valley are facing unprecedented budget crises as the lapse of pandemic-era federal aid, inflation and an unwillingness by local taxpayers to pass school levies converge, leaving districts unable to pay for critical staff and programs. From Kalispell to Somers, school administrators are struggling to piece together budgets for the 2024-25 […]| Flathead Beacon
“Unimportant.” “Discounted.” “Undervalued.” Nearly two dozen teachers offered public comment before the Kalispell school board on Tuesday night, donning their distinct union red as they expressed dismay that, nearly a month into the school year, the Kalispell Public Schools (KPS) has yet to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with its teachers union. Following months of […]| Flathead Beacon
Amid ongoing conflicts between school districts, elected officials and taxpayers over who is responsible for funding public schools in Montana, experts are pushing for a reconfigured appropriations formula that they say will relieve the burden on taxpayers while better serving schools. Each school district in Montana currently sets the rate at which it taxes local […]| Flathead Beacon