C. Falls staves off AA designation - for now
Enrollment in Columbia Falls has stayed steady. If the school grows much more, it could have to go to class AA. File photo
By HEIDI DESCH - Hungry Horse News
Columbia Falls High School should be safe at least for the next few years from making the jump to class AA.
That was the message conveyed by Athletic Director John Thompson to School District 6 School Board trustees on Monday (Oct. 8).
The Montana High School Association recently lowered the high school enrollment criteria for the class designations. The maximum number of students the high school can have under the new designation is 826.
This fall enrollment is 876 and last year it was 878.
But the new guidelines also come with a 10 percent cushion on the figures. That means Columbia Falls High School can have an enrollment of 908 students before it would have to go AA.
The numbers from the fall 2007 and spring 2008 would be averaged to get the enrollment count. The school would also go through a two year waiting period before it would make the move.
Thompson said he recently clarified the new rules with MHSA Executive Director Mark Beckman.
He said Beckman told him as long as CFHS doesn't exceed the 10 percent then it won't have to worry about making the jump to AA.
That's good news, Thompson said, because if CFHS made the move it would likely mean a much larger travel bill for teams.
Columbia Falls would likely have to travel to play teams like Helena and Missoula, he noted.
Columbia Falls was a class AA school from 1980 to 1986. But so were schools like Libby, Havre and Anaconda, which are all A now.
In other news, trustees:
? Voted to lower the price of the Eagle School in Coram to $225,000. The school was closed in 2002 and sits on about two acres. Real estate agent Bill Dakin told the Board that it would be a good idea to lower the price because interest in the property has dropped recently.
The Board previously lowered its original asking price from $295,000 to $245,000 in May.
? Approved removal of Tom Kallay as a signatory for the high school officials bank account.
? Approved allowing East Glacier Elementary to be on the District's federal program grant application. This will allow East Glacier to apply for money with District 6 and the District will distribute the funds to the school. District 6 already does the same for West Glacier Elementary.
? Approved a school calendar change. Previously, Feb. 18 was a day without school, but school will be held on that day in order to have Jan. 25 without school. The change was made to accommodate the state speech and debate tournament which will be held in Columbia Falls.
? Saw updated enrollment numbers which are holding fairly steady from last year. Kindergarten through sixth grade is up one student from last year at 1,206. Seventh and eighth grade are down one student at 388. The high school is down two students at 876. Total enrollment in the District is 2,470.
? Approved several resignations: Susan Corbett, Glacier Gateway kindergarten pareducator; Donna Partain, Ruder special education paraeducator; DJ Sattler, junior high track coach; and Ralph Henderson, driver's education teacher.
? Approved several hiring recommendations: Amy Hanson, kindergarten paraeducator; Michelle Durepos, kindergarten paraeducator; and Lisa Pohlman, Title I paraeducator, special education paraeducator/driver.
? Approved a leave of absence for Shirley Vickery, paraeducator at Glacier Gateway, for about three months.